Vienna Symphony Orchestra unites generations: musical festival in Liebhartstal

Vienna Symphony Orchestra unites generations: musical festival in Liebhartstal

Music connects generations! Today, June 3, 2025, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra presents its anniversary celebrations in the Liebhartstal Pensioners' House. On the occasion of the orchestra's 125th anniversary, they invite school students, apprentices and senior citizens to learn and experience music together. This cross-generational project brings together 48 students from VS Grundsteingasse, residents of the Liebhartstaler Haus and 15 apprentices from Jugend am Werk. The goal: to develop joint musical contributions that will be celebrated in a concert today. Jan Nast, the director of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, emphasizes the unifying power of music and lets visitors feel that a good spirit blows here.

The program is not only a celebration of joy, but also a look back at the orchestra's long history. On October 30, 2025, this 125-year journey will be celebrated even more solemnly, when the 2024-2025 season will include eleven concerts. Petr Popelka, the new chief conductor, will lead the first concert, recalling the premiere of Schönberg's “Gurre-Lieder” 111 years ago, also presented by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. Under his direction, works by Béla Bartók and the Rosenkavalier Suite by Richard Strauss are performed, which impressively demonstrate the orchestra's high artistry.

A look into the future

There will be another concert in the Sandleitenhof in the coming weeks, on Friday, June 13th. This is not only organized to celebrate the orchestra, but also to mark the 100th anniversary of the Sandleitenhof. All interested parties are warmly invited. A great opportunity to experience music in all its diversity!

But what makes the Vienna Symphony Orchestra so unique? With around 160 performances per year, around 110 of which take place in Vienna, they are not only an integral part of the city's music scene, but also a renowned touring orchestra that resides at the Bregenz Festival. Founded as the Vienna Concert Association in 1900, the orchestra has premiered important works over its 120-year history, including Anton Bruckner's 9th Symphony and Gustav Mahler's 6th Symphony.

Historical milestones and the path of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra are marked by various developments: from the inauguration of the Vienna Konzerthaus in 1913 to the merger with the Vienna Tonkunstler Orchestra during the First World War, the orchestra's adaptability is evident. Challenges such as communalization in 1938 and the subsequent war years were also overcome. Thanks to the committed work of conductors such as Herbert von Karajan, Claudio Abbado and Zubin Mehta, the orchestra never fell behind. Today, new impulses from conductors like Andrés Orozco-Estrada and the excellent youth work at Jugend am Werk are currently at work.

The Vienna Symphony Orchestra knows: Music is a cultural asset that connects people across all generations. Today's and future celebrations are testament to this philosophy and continue to offer the city of Vienna an enriching cultural life. Don't miss the upcoming events and become part of this unforgettable musical journey!

Find out more about the upcoming concerts and the history of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra under the links: MyDistrict, Vienna Symphony Orchestra and Wikipedia.