City Life
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.
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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...
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...
Culture
Culture Music | November
Mesmeric Metamusic
Composer Olga Neuwirth creates magnificent soundscapes from apparent chaosFollowing one modernist paradigm in the fine arts ...
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...
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...
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...
Culture
Californian Alt Rockers Incubus Are Finally Back in Vienna
After a six-year hiatus, the Californian alt rockers are finally back on tourOnce labeled as “a nu-metal band for people who don’t like nu-metal...
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...
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...
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 eventsFor much of July and August, Vienna...
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-...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
Music
The new Jazz Star Morgan James is Coming to Vienna
The rising diva graces the Vienna jazz firmamentA new star on the jazz-horizon, Morgan James – who cut her teeth with co...
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...
Music
Harri Stojka is Celebrating his 60th Birthday and Isn’t Slowing Down Anytime Soon
Viennese music legend Harri Stojka looks ahead at 60There’s very little certainty in the life and career of an artist. M...
Music
30 Years of Wien Modern: Where Vienna Meets Contemporary Performing Arts and Music
Contemporary music is center stage again for the 30th year runningLoud, emotional, noisy or sublime – contemporary music has m...
Music
The Blue Bird Festival is Coming to Vienna!
Twelve singer-songwriters take the stage for Vienna’s best-known festival of its kindIntimate, emotional and atmospheric, singer-songwrite...
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.
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 musicYou took piano lessons and then you quit. The lessons ...
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 traditionExpressive melodies that draw from Yiddis...
Culture
At the Theater an der Wien René Jacobs Does The Magic Flute
Enchanting and confusing, Die Zauberflöte returns to the house it helped buildHowever you look at it, the story is confusing. Somehow, Mozart’s ...
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 gloryPresenting the city’s clubscape alongsid...
Culture
DJ Shadow is Spinning at the WUK This September
The alternative hip-hop legend returns with a new album in towA seminal figure among turntablists, DJ Shadow (Josh Davis) greatly contributed to...
Music
Summer at Schloss Grafenegg, Where Classical Music Meets the Outdoors
Outdoor concerts at Schloß Grafenegg are the perfect setting for an ambrosial sound experienceMy first summer job as a teenager was ushering at ...
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 albumWhen it comes to late 20th century rock, Dinosaur Jr. ...
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 againRock-goddess, poet, MBE – for three decades, t...
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...
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...
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...
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 performanceOften mentioned along with conte...
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 decadesNo one ...
Music
Celebrating the Strauss Dynasty and the 150th Birthday of the Viennese Waltz
The Strauss Family: Kings of the Blue DanubeMusic megastars are the kings: the king of pop, the king of rock, the king of the guitar. Vienna’s...
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...
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...
Music
Don’t Miss Ron Carter & Richard Galliano at the Konzerthaus
Jazz greats Ron Carter & Richard Galliano team up for a rare live performanceTurning 80 this year, bass man Ron Carter has few peers left st...
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 eventsFriends of mine used to live a...
Music
Accordion Festival
On its 18th birthday, this world music festival explores SpainStill going strong after 18 years, the city's own International Accordion Festival...
Music
The Power of Four
The enduring fascination of string quartets for musicians, composers and audiencesThe remarkable thing about the string quartet is how it endure...
Music
Ennio Morricone
The legendary soundtrack composer goes on tour, celebrating 60 years of musicIconic, influential and prolific with over 500 film and TV scores a...
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...
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...
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 ...
Music
Dropkick Murphys in Vienna
The Irish-American punk rockers kick off their European tour in ViennaRaucous and bursting with Celtic pride, The Dropkick Murphys have been mixin...
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 yearA curious thing, tradition. On the firs...
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...
Music
Blue Bird Festival
The Vienna Songwriting Association puts indie music on center stageGiving artists the chance to wow an audience hungry for newcomers, the Blue B...
Music
The Pixies are in Town!
The alternative rock icons come to town with a brand new albumA huge influence on the grunge movement and bands like Nirvana, Blur or Radiohead,...
Music
Bernhard Günther of the Wien Modern Festival Answers Unanswered Questions
Bernhard Günther, the new artistic director of the Wien Modern festival, sets his courseWhere do we come from? Where are we going? And where the...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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 ticketsThe concert season has finally reopened. From...
Music
Ben Harper
The eclectic musician reunites with his backing band The Innocent Criminals for a new albumA darling of the alternative crowd, socially conscious ...
Music
Waves Vienna
The club culture festival presents emerging international artistsNow going into its sixth iteration, the Waves Vienna Music Festival and Conferenc...
July/August 2016
On Music: Rufus Wainwright
After 18 years, the Canadian-American singer-songwriter is still going strongKnown for his characteristic, warm voice, a complex, ever-changing st...
July/August 2016
On Music: World Peace Choral Festival
Youth choirs from around the world sing for a better tomorrowHosted by Vienna’s classical music posterboys the Wiener Sängerknaben, the World Pe...
July/August 2016
On the Road: Classical Indulgence – Salzburg Festival
Salzburg is far more than Mozartkugeln, especially during festival seasonThe majestic Salzburg cathedral is the scenic backdrop for the seminal...
July/August 2016
On Music: Summers of Love and Music – Festivals
The nearby open air festivals will keep you busy while Vienna is on vacationBathed in sunshine, white wine and world-class entertainment, the Au...
June 2016
On Music: Jazz Fest Wien
An impressive line-up of big names in venerable venues awaitGoing strong since 1991, this major date on the summer festival circuit starts right...
June 2016
On Music: Donauinselfest
The city’s monster festival offers a little something for everyoneDrawing a staggering 3.3 million over three days last year, Donauinselfest, th...
June 2016
On Music: Profound Lightness
Pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja celebrates her 70th birthday performing Franz SchubertPianist Elisabeth Leonskaja doesn’t take time for pleasantries...
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...
May 2016
On Music: Winner Takes All
Austrian band contests and the next generation in pursuit of the big stageby Benjamin Kubaczek & Cynthia Peck “Competitions are...
May 2016
On Music: Eurovision 2016
This year’s Europop fiesta has the The Good, The Bad, The Bizarre… and The AustraliansBest known as the launch pad of ABBA, the European Broadca...
May 2016
On Music: Donaukanaltreiben
The popular urban happening celebrates a decade on Vienna’s inner-city waterwayOriginally set in motion by Martin Staudinger in 2007, the free f...
April 2016
On Music: Nigel Kennedy – Irreverently Reverent
Nigel Kennedy pays tribute to the king of electric guitar with his Jimi Hendrix ProjectLime green sneakers, a messy, greying punk haircut, baggy...
April 2016
On Music: Cool Britannia
The Radiokulturhaus introduces Britain’s post-jazz sceneAttracting a plethora of talent, London has long boasted a lively jazz scene, with many ...
April 2016
On Music: Electric Spring Festival
Art and music collide at this two-day electronic music festivalKicking off the warm season at MusemsQuartier, Electric Spring both showcases and...
March 2016
On Music: The Libertines
The garage rockers re-form and hit the road again, with a new album outWith a musical style reminiscent of The Clash with a bit of The Smiths mi...
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 cultureAs t...
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 farewellsIt takes only about ten notes of a lo...
March 2016
On Music: Vienna International Saxfest
Classical saxophone gets its due at this festival, featuring a week of international talent performing all over townUsually associated with jazz...
February 2016
Concert: Gambling on a Gothic Master
René Clemencic and his Consort celebrate half a century of early music concerts at the MusikvereinWhat do we know about European music in 1492, ...
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...
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 meetupOn a Monday evening, in t...
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...
Music
On Stage: Pop.Song.Voice. – Wien Modern
Wien Modern, the festival for new music, in its 28th yearApparently Wien Modern wants to change its image. This year the nearly month-long festiva...
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 brokenReinventing a classic is fraught with p...
