Vienna Philharmonic & Music Scene

The Vienna Philharmonic is considered one of the best orchestras in the world — founded in 1842, democratically self-governed (the musicians choose their conductor), and with a distinctive sound: warm, golden, with the famous "Viennese Legato". Their home is the Golden Hall of the Musikverein (opened in 1870), whose acoustics are considered the best in the world.

In addition to the Philharmonic tradition, Vienna is home to the Vienna Symphony (the second top orchestra), the Vienna State Opera (300 performances per year, 60 different operas per season — no opera house worldwide offers more), the Vienna Volksoper (operetta, musical, ballet), and the Vienna Boys' Choir (founded in 1498, heard on Sundays in the Hofburg Chapel).

Vienna's music history is unparalleled: Here worked Beethoven (who spent most of his life in Vienna), Brahms, Bruckner, Mahler (as director of the Court Opera), Schoenberg (who revolutionized music with the twelve-tone technique), Alban Berg, and Anton Webern (the Second Viennese School).

Today, Vienna is also significant for contemporary music: The Donaueschingen Music Days and the Wien Modern festival are platforms for new music. The electronic scene is vibrant — labels like Mego and artists like Christian Fennesz and Fennesz enjoy international acclaim. The pop and rock scene has produced distinctive voices with Falco ("Rock Me Amadeus", the only German-language No. 1 hit in the USA), Bilderbuch, Wanda, and Soap&Skin.