Music | Metropole

Culture

Happy Birthday, Ludwig van Beethoven!

This year we celebrate Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th birthday. This brand-new video series takes you on a musical pilgrimage through Beethoven’s Vienna.

Majd Nassan - December 16, 2020

Coronavirus

Saving the Salzburg Festival

A musicians' initiative to do aerosol studies made the Festival's 100th anniversary possible after all. From here, the studies will help the Vienna Philharmonic and others stay safe from COVID-19.

Eva Amsen - September 11, 2020

Culture

How Vienna’s Piano Makers Weathered the Crisis

In New York City, piano sales surged during lockdown. In Vienna, “a small awakening” – but little support from Stadt Wien.

Sophie Spiegelberger - July 26, 2020

City Life

In the 250th Year of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Birth, Here’s How to Find Him

For the 250th anniversary of the great composer’s birth, Vienna has pulled out all the stops; join us in tracing his footsteps.

Dardis McNamee - March 18, 2020

Music

Froth and Finesse

The longest-running piece of musical theater of all time, Die Fledermaus captures an era, and (perhaps) the way Austrians like to see themselves.

Metropole - January 9, 2020

Culture

Sounds Like Wien Spirit

How Vienna continues to give musicians what they need and crave

Bart de Vries - December 16, 2019

Culture

Native Tongues

Defying globalized monotony, Viennese dialect makes a musical comeback.

Sam Jackson - December 11, 2019

Culture

Music is Trump

The Resonanzen Festival, nine intensive days of early music in January, confirms that music still holds all the cards. It’s not f...

Cynthia Peck - January 18, 2019

Business & Career

The Past as Future for Music in Vienna

In Japan, Vienna is the Ongaku no Miyako, “the capital of music,” and that’s where Mayu Kotari wanted to be. A pianist from Tokyo, Kotari has been liv...

Ramya Iyer - December 5, 2018

Culture

Culture Music | November

Mesmeric Metamusic Composer Olga Neuwirth creates magnificent soundscapes from apparent chaos Following one modernist paradigm in the fine arts ...

Cynthia Peck - November 27, 2018

Culture

Expat’s Voice | The (Other) Sound of Music

Austrians like to show off their serious appreciation of classical music. But if you want them to erupt into joyful singing, you’ve got to play them s...

Richard Asher - October 1, 2018

Culture

ELO and Waves Vienna

The 1970s pop icons are reunited and on tour at Jeff Lynne's Electric Light Orchestra, and up-and-coming tour Vienna’s most storied venues at the Wave...

Helen Ifeagwu - August 24, 2018

Culture

New Kids in Town

The Junges Ensemble at the Theater an der Wien: boot camp for six newly minted opera singers. The opera world can be “a crazy and dangerous place...

Helen Ifeagwu - August 23, 2018

Culture

Californian Alt Rockers Incubus Are Finally Back in Vienna

After a six-year hiatus, the Californian alt rockers are finally back on tour Once labeled as “a nu-metal band for people who don’t like nu-metal...

Johannes Arends - June 30, 2018

Culture

Elvis Costello Returns to Vienna on July 11

Widely regarded as one of the greatest singers/songwriters ever, Elvis Costello is known for his witty lyrics, often using wordplay in his songs, whic...

Johannes Arends - June 30, 2018

Culture

Our Top 5 Music Festivals This Summer

From chill lake-side vibes to eclectic performances in old Italian towns, the European festival circuit has it all. Here are our 5 favorite open air f...

Johannes Arends - June 30, 2018

Culture

Our Guide to Musiksommer in Lower Austria

Vienna closes its concert halls in the summer, but the nearby countryside offers a plethora of musical events For much of July and August, Vienna...

Cynthia Peck - June 30, 2018

Music

Kris Kristofferson and CeeLo Green Headline Jazz Fest Wien

Vienna’s annual jazz summer presents international stars and local talent. As orchestras go on tour and Vienna’s major concert halls take a well-...

Lisanne Brouwer - May 28, 2018

Culture

“Supersaturated with Electricity” | Anticipation for Arnold Schönberg Anniversary Exhibi...

Twenty years of the Arnold Schönberg Center and an exhibit on Jung-Wien, Vienna’s fin-de-siècle creative wave “New music is never beautiful on fi...

Cynthia Peck - May 28, 2018

Culture

Arcade Fire Returns to Vienna with New Album

The Canadian art rock band returns with its most upbeat album yet. Ever since their critically acclaimed debut album Funeral back in 2004, Montre...

Johannes Arends - May 28, 2018

Culture

Fame and Fable | Composer Ignaz Pleyel’s Forgotten Legacy

On composer Ignaz Pleyel and a tiny museum less than an hour from Vienna. It’s a story that sounds like sardoodledom – a contrived plot, improbab...

Cynthia Peck - May 3, 2018

Culture

Bonobo in Vienna | Dreamy Beats for a Changing World

The introspective musician creates dreamy beats for a changing world. With an eclectic style that draws from jazz and world music, English electr...

Lisanne Brouwer - May 3, 2018

Culture

Don’t Miss the Patriotic Pop Hysterics at this Year’s Eurovision Song Contest

The campy continent-wide tournament of patriotic pop hysterics returns. Every year in May, Europeans fall under the peculiar spell of an unusual ...

Lisanne Brouwer - May 3, 2018

Music

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Comes to Life in a Brand New Production

Benjamin Britten’s take on Shakespeare’s seminal comedy comes to life in a brand new production. English may not be n...

Lisanne Brouwer - March 29, 2018

Music

Bob Dylan Returns to Vienna with New Triple Album

The legend and Nobel laureate continues his never ending tour with his first triple album. One of the most important ...

Alexandra Wood - March 29, 2018

Music

Silence! Or What to Do on International Noise Awareness Day

Thoughts about music in a raucous world and International Noise Awareness Day. The concert halls in Vienna are phenomenal spaces. You might think I...

Cynthia Peck - March 29, 2018

Music

Fu Manchu Is Coming to the Arena on March 15th

Fu Manchu, the masters of stoner rock, return with a fuzzy new album. One of stoner rock’s most celebrated names, Fu Manchu and their distortio...

Leonie Binder - March 2, 2018

Music

Hilary Hahn and the Houston Symphony Will Be in Vienna on March 15th

The Texan orchestra makes its Vienna debut alongside a star soloist. Fresh off winning a Grammy this year for their rendition of Alban Berg’s W...

Mahnoor Jalal - March 2, 2018

Music

Slick Rick Will Be at the Grelle Forelle on April 6th, and We Can’t Wait

One of hip-hop’s founding fathers, Slick Rick weaves stories out of street life. A legend in his own time, Slick Rick is a name revered among the o...

Sam Jackson - March 2, 2018

Music

The Millennials of the Cuarteto Casals Present a Two-Weekend Cycle of the Complete String Quartets b...

Some might find it astonishing that the string quartets by Beethoven continue to be a defining edifice in the music world. But once again, ther...

Cynthia Peck - February 13, 2018

Music

Pokey LaFarge Combines New and Old in His Latest Release, Manic Revelations

The retro virtuoso Pokey LaFarge uses his classic sound to express everyday blues. Combining new and old, singer-song...

Mahnoor Jalal - January 31, 2018

Music

The Grandmaster is in

The music legend throws an audio-visual block party for the history of Hip Hop. With Hip Hop entering something resemblin...

Mahnoor Jalal - January 31, 2018

Music

Is Music Composed Before 1961 old?

The Klangforum’s Festliche Tage Alter Musik – with works composed between 1908 and 1961 – show us how old (and beautiful) modern music really ...

Cynthia Peck - January 31, 2018

Music

The new Jazz Star Morgan James is Coming to Vienna

The rising diva graces the Vienna jazz firmament A new star on the jazz-horizon, Morgan James – who cut her teeth with co...

Corinna Berger - November 30, 2017

Music

The Young Alma Mahler Kammerorchester is Making Their Debut in Vienna

Founded this year by young professional musicians from all over Europe, the Alma Mahler Kammerorchester celebrates music without borders while...

Sam Jackson - November 30, 2017

Music

Harri Stojka is Celebrating his 60th Birthday and Isn’t Slowing Down Anytime Soon

Viennese music legend Harri Stojka looks ahead at 60 There’s very little certainty in the life and career of an artist. M...

Christopher Puhm - November 30, 2017

Music

30 Years of Wien Modern: Where Vienna Meets Contemporary Performing Arts and Music

Contemporary music is center stage again for the 30th year running Loud, emotional, noisy or sublime – contemporary music has m...

Corinna Berger - October 31, 2017

Music

The Blue Bird Festival is Coming to Vienna!

Twelve singer-songwriters take the stage for Vienna’s best-known festival of its kind Intimate, emotional and atmospheric, singer-songwrite...

Claudia Paccosi - October 31, 2017

Music

If you Love Classical Music, Keep Your CD Player on Hand

The compact disc is still a viable archival medium, especially for classical music.

Cynthia Peck - October 31, 2017

Music

Wunderkind or not, Vienna’s Amateur Orchestras Give you a Stage

A plethora of orchestras for non-professionals makes Vienna a paradise for amateur music You took piano lessons and then you quit. The lessons ...

Cynthia Peck - September 28, 2017

Music

Get Your Meshugge on at the KlezMore Festival

Two weeks of Yiddish celebration from around the world show the versatility of a classic folk tradition Expressive melodies that draw from Yiddis...

Anja Stevic - September 27, 2017

Culture

At the Theater an der Wien René Jacobs Does The Magic Flute

Enchanting and confusing, Die Zauberflöte returns to the house it helped build However you look at it, the story is confusing. Somehow, Mozart’s ...

Cynthia Peck - August 30, 2017

Culture

Overdose on Indie Rock, Hip Hop and EDM at Waves Festival

The international showcase festival and conference presents indie rock and club culture in all its glory Presenting the city’s clubscape alongsid...

Robert Tunn - August 30, 2017

Culture

DJ Shadow is Spinning at the WUK This September

The alternative hip-hop legend returns with a new album in tow A seminal figure among turntablists, DJ Shadow (Josh Davis) greatly contributed to...

Sam Jackson - August 30, 2017

Music

Summer at Schloss Grafenegg, Where Classical Music Meets the Outdoors

Outdoor concerts at Schloß Grafenegg are the perfect setting for an ambrosial sound experience My first summer job as a teenager was ushering at ...

Cynthia Peck - July 1, 2017

Music

The 90’s Alternative Rock Band, Dinosaur Jr. Will be Playing in Vienna on July 20th

The American alternative rock band legends crash into Vienna supporting their latest album When it comes to late 20th century rock, Dinosaur Jr. ...

Binu Starnegg - July 1, 2017

Music

This August, Songwriter, Social Activist and all-round Talent P.J. Harvey Will Rock in Vienna

With a socio-critical musical reportage, the exceptional P. J. Harvey reinvents herself once again Rock-goddess, poet, MBE – for three decades, t...

Sam Jackson - July 1, 2017

Music

Catch Herbie Hancock and a 17-Year-old Piano Prodigy at the Jazz Fest Wien 2017

A plethora of genres and styles define this venerable festival. Attracting household names and promising newcomers from contemporary jazz as well...

Magdalena Schwarz - June 1, 2017

Music

What to Expect at Donauinselfest 2017

Notable tributes and newcomers make this year a salute to musical innovators then and now. June in Vienna just wouldn’t feel the same without tho...

Magdalena Schwarz - June 1, 2017

Music

Take me to Church! Vienna’s Godliest Music Venues

Your guide to the best musical performances at churches throughout Vienna. It is obvious, but must be said: A church is not a concert hall. But...

Cynthia Peck - June 1, 2017

Music

Piano Legend Terry Riley and his Guitarist son Gyan Take the Stage at Porgy & Bess

Seminal composer-pianist Terry Riley and his virtuoso guitarist son Gyan pair up for a rare intimate performance Often mentioned along with conte...

Tristan Bath - April 29, 2017

Music

The Konzerthaus Celebrates Pierre Boulez’s Legacy one Year After his Death

Composer, interpreter and conductor Pierre Boulez is unquestionably the most important “serious” musical figure of the last seven decades No one ...

Cynthia Peck - April 29, 2017

Music

Celebrating the Strauss Dynasty and the 150th Birthday of the Viennese Waltz

The Strauss Family: Kings of the Blue Danube Music megastars are the kings: the king of pop, the king of rock, the king of the guitar. Vienna’s...

Cynthia Peck - March 31, 2017

Music

Osterklang Festival’s Eclectic Dance Performances During Easter Week

An eclectic repertoire of world renowned artists present dance in manifold forms at Osterklang. Reveling in sound and movement since 1996, Osterk...

Nejra Rizvanović - March 31, 2017

Music

On Tour, British Cult Band The Tiger Lillies Comes to Vienna

The Tiger Lillies promote their latest album A Cold Night in Soho. Combining prewar cabaret with Brechtian aesthetics, macabre themes and an an...

Jennifer Cornick - March 31, 2017

Music

Don’t Miss Ron Carter & Richard Galliano at the Konzerthaus

Jazz greats Ron Carter & Richard Galliano team up for a rare live performance Turning 80 this year, bass man Ron Carter has few peers left st...

Tristan Bath - March 6, 2017

Music

Celebrating 200 Years of Teaching Music and Performing Arts

The University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (MDW) celebrates its 200th anniversary with a cascade of events Friends of mine used to live a...

Cynthia Peck - March 6, 2017

Music

Accordion Festival

On its 18th birthday, this world music festival explores Spain Still going strong after 18 years, the city's own International Accordion Festival...

Sybil Bitter - February 6, 2017

Music

The Power of Four

The enduring fascination of string quartets for musicians, composers and audiences The remarkable thing about the string quartet is how it endure...

Cynthia Peck - February 6, 2017

Music

Ennio Morricone

The legendary soundtrack composer goes on tour, celebrating 60 years of music Iconic, influential and prolific with over 500 film and TV scores a...

Jennifer Cornick - February 6, 2017

Culture

This Year, Take Vienna by the Balls

The dust has settled from the New Year's fireworks. Now Vienna looks forward to its famous ball season. Whether you're a seasoned ball-goer or haven't...

Ross Ludlam - January 6, 2017

Music

Tension and Tragedy – West Side Story

The deadly rivalry between the Sharks and the Jets ignites once again, as an international cast takes the stage celebrating Jerome Robbins’ legacy Th...

Jennifer Cornick - December 5, 2016

Music

Sounding Treasures

What do old musical instruments displayed in glass cases have to do with music? The world-renowned Collection of Historic Musical Instruments has the ...

Cynthia Peck - December 5, 2016

Music

Dropkick Murphys in Vienna

The Irish-American punk rockers kick off their European tour in Vienna Raucous and bursting with Celtic pride, The Dropkick Murphys have been mixin...

Sybil Bitter - December 5, 2016

Music

The Toughest Ticket in Town

A closer look at the Vienna Philharmonic and the New Year’s Concert, its most important event of the year A curious thing, tradition. On the firs...

Cynthia Peck - December 5, 2016

Culture

On Music: The Mess Age

Saul Williams incites the braying masses to revolt, a frustrated prophet for the digital age. In modern times, hacking is associated with the act...

Magdalena Piplits - November 10, 2016

Music

Blue Bird Festival

The Vienna Songwriting Association puts indie music on center stage Giving artists the chance to wow an audience hungry for newcomers, the Blue B...

Sybil Bitter - November 1, 2016

Music

The Pixies are in Town!

The alternative rock icons come to town with a brand new album A huge influence on the grunge movement and bands like Nirvana, Blur or Radiohead,...

Sybil Bitter - November 1, 2016

Music

Bernhard Günther of the Wien Modern Festival Answers Unanswered Questions

Bernhard Günther, the new artistic director of the Wien Modern festival, sets his course Where do we come from? Where are we going? And where the...

Cynthia Peck - November 1, 2016

Music

A Bard’s Reign’s a-Gonna Gall

No, I’m not talking about the Republican Party’s candidate for President and his "bragadocious" misogyny. Rather, it was the news that The Swedi...

Michael Bernstein - October 23, 2016

Music

Catch Saxophonist Candy Dulfer on Her Europe 2016 Tour

The Dutch jazz institution brings a fresh and funky injection of sax-appeal. Propelled to global stardom in the early 1990s with her break out debu...

Genevieve Doyle - October 1, 2016

Music

Slam Poet Saul Williams

The New York slam poet breaks back into the hip-hop scene. An alternative hip-hop icon since acquiring the title of Nuyorican Poets Cafe's Grand ...

Magdalena Piplits - October 1, 2016

Music

Elysium and the Death of Socrates

Ernst Krenek’s opera Pallas Athene weint: A musical megaphone for our political times. Does music amplify the uproar of the world around us, or d...

Cynthia Peck - October 1, 2016

Music

Vienna’s Classical Music | Tonight’s the Night

An intro to subscriptions for the upcoming music season, or how to remember where you put the tickets The concert season has finally reopened. From...

Cynthia Peck - September 1, 2016

Music

Ben Harper

The eclectic musician reunites with his backing band The Innocent Criminals for a new album A darling of the alternative crowd, socially conscious ...

The Editors - September 1, 2016

Music

Waves Vienna

The club culture festival presents emerging international artists Now going into its sixth iteration, the Waves Vienna Music Festival and Conferenc...

The Editors - September 1, 2016

July/August 2016

On Music: Rufus Wainwright

After 18 years, the Canadian-American singer-songwriter is still going strong Known for his characteristic, warm voice, a complex, ever-changing st...

The Editors - July 1, 2016

July/August 2016

On Music: World Peace Choral Festival

Youth choirs from around the world sing for a better tomorrow Hosted by Vienna’s classical music posterboys the Wiener Sängerknaben, the World Pe...

The Editors - July 1, 2016

July/August 2016

On the Road: Classical Indulgence – Salzburg Festival

Salzburg is far more than Mozartkugeln, especially during festival season The majestic Salzburg cathedral is the scenic backdrop for the seminal...

Catherine Lankes - July 1, 2016

July/August 2016

On Music: Summers of Love and Music – Festivals

The nearby open air festivals will keep you busy while Vienna is on vacation Bathed in sunshine, white wine and world-class entertainment, the Au...

Tristan Bath - July 1, 2016

June 2016

On Music: Jazz Fest Wien

An impressive line-up of big names in venerable venues await Going strong since 1991, this major date on the summer festival circuit starts right...

The Editors - June 1, 2016

June 2016

On Music: Donauinselfest

The city’s monster festival offers a little something for everyone Drawing a staggering 3.3 million over three days last year, Donauinselfest, th...

The Editors - June 1, 2016

June 2016

On Music: Profound Lightness

Pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja celebrates her 70th birthday performing Franz Schubert Pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja doesn’t take time for pleasantries...

Cynthia Peck - June 1, 2016

Music

Wiener Festwochen: Music Highlights

Throughout its 65 year history, this festival has consistently presented the year’s most innovative offering of music, drama, performance, and dialogu...

The Editors - May 9, 2016

May 2016

On Music: Winner Takes All

Austrian band contests and the next generation in pursuit of the big stage by Benjamin Kubaczek & Cynthia Peck “Competitions are...

The Editors - May 1, 2016

May 2016

On Music: Eurovision 2016

This year’s Europop fiesta has the The Good, The Bad, The Bizarre… and The Australians Best known as the launch pad of ABBA, the European Broadca...

The Editors - May 1, 2016

May 2016

On Music: Donaukanaltreiben

The popular urban happening celebrates a decade on Vienna’s inner-city waterway Originally set in motion by Martin Staudinger in 2007, the free f...

The Editors - May 1, 2016

April 2016

On Music: Nigel Kennedy – Irreverently Reverent

Nigel Kennedy pays tribute to the king of electric guitar with his Jimi Hendrix Project Lime green sneakers, a messy, greying punk haircut, baggy...

Cynthia Peck - April 1, 2016

April 2016

On Music: Cool Britannia

The Radiokulturhaus introduces Britain’s post-jazz scene Attracting a plethora of talent, London has long boasted a lively jazz scene, with many ...

Binu Starnegg - April 1, 2016

April 2016

On Music: Electric Spring Festival

Art and music collide at this two-day electronic music festival Kicking off the warm season at MusemsQuartier, Electric Spring both showcases and...

Binu Starnegg - April 1, 2016

March 2016

On Music: The Libertines

The garage rockers re-form and hit the road again, with a new album out With a musical style reminiscent of The Clash with a bit of The Smiths mi...

The Editors - March 1, 2016

Culture

Halls of Records | Vinyl in Vienna

With the resurgence of vinyl going global, the City of Music finds itself punching far above its weight with a thriving record store culture As t...

Tristan Bath - March 1, 2016

March 2016

On Music: Of Triangles and Other Groups of Three

Péter Eötvös’s Tri Sestri at the Staatsoper: A cornerstone work about paths not taken, memory and farewells It takes only about ten notes of a lo...

Cynthia Peck - March 1, 2016

March 2016

On Music: Vienna International Saxfest

Classical saxophone gets its due at this festival, featuring a week of international talent performing all over town Usually associated with jazz...

The Editors - March 1, 2016

February 2016

Concert: Gambling on a Gothic Master

René Clemencic and his Consort celebrate half a century of early music concerts at the Musikverein What do we know about European music in 1492, ...

Cynthia Peck - February 1, 2016

February 2016

Vienna Accordion Festival

Showing off the instrument’s versatility, this international festival offers a month of squeezebox fever. Featuring both regional and i...

Binu Starnegg - February 1, 2016

Culture

Yes, Uke Can! Ukulele Meetup in Vienna

The Wiener Ukulele Stammtisch brings amateur ukulele players together every month for an informal strum-and-sing meetup On a Monday evening, in t...

Michael Bernstein - January 17, 2016

December/January 2015/2016

On Music: Stages for the Little Ones

A plethora of performances on stages both large and small, to delight even the youngest. So borrow a child and go! One of the most wondrous momen...

Cynthia Peck - December 15, 2015

Music

On Stage: Pop.Song.Voice. – Wien Modern

Wien Modern, the festival for new music, in its 28th year Apparently Wien Modern wants to change its image. This year the nearly month-long festiva...

Cynthia Peck - November 1, 2015

Music

On Tonight: The Vienna Underground – Tunnel

Tunnel: the popular student hangout and live jazz club gets a “reboot”, refusing to fix what’s not broken Reinventing a classic is fraught with p...

Binu Starnegg - November 1, 2015