Wiener Symphoniker

Die Wiener Symphoniker

With their rich history, the courage to uphold their own identity, and an enduring joy of discovery, the Wiener Symphoniker is the beating heart of the classical metropolis of Vienna. For 125 years, the orchestra has shaped and cultivated the unique musical culture of its hometown, connecting the past, present, and future like few others. Chief conductor is Petr Popelka.

Founded in 1900, the orchestra faced the challenges of the 20th century with confidence from the very beginning. This initially included a confident approach to the past - the symphony orchestra was the first in Vienna to present all of Beethoven's symphonies in one cycle.

Beethoven's pioneering legacy and Viennese Romanticism in general were and are tailor-made for the symphony orchestra, and to this day they are regarded as the leading lights in this repertoire. At the same time, the Wiener Symphoniker quickly became one of the most important premiere orchestras in Europe: milestones in music history such as Bruckner's 9th Symphony, Schönberg's ‘Gurre-Lieder’ and Ravel's Concerto for the Left Hand were launched by them. Past chief conductors such as Wilhelm Furtwängler, Hans Swarowsky, Herbert von Karajan, Wolfgang Sawallisch and Georges Prêtre also include numerous visionaries of the classical music scene.

Despite their commitment to progress, the Wiener Symphoniker has always been characterized by their extraordinary grounding and closeness to the audience. With the so-called ‘popular concerts’ in Vienna's Volksgarten and the legendary Workers' Symphony Concerts, they ensured from the very beginning that classical music was no longer reserved for a narrow elite. Today, the orchestra performs at unusual venues in all of Vienna's neighbourhoods as part of the Grätzl Concerts, meets the Viennese at the Beisl Concerts in their traditional pubs and conquers new venues in the city. In the open air, in the centre of the vibrant city and with low-threshold access - this is how the Wiener Symphoniker presents itself at the Prater-Picnic.

As the city's official cultural ambassador, the Wiener Symphoniker is a regular guest on the most important international stages, and just as often the world comes to Vienna. Guest conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Daniel Harding, Manfred Honeck and Klaus Mäkelä bear witness to this. They can be heard regularly as an opera orchestra at the Theater an der Wien. Since the founding of the Bregenz Festival in 1946, the Wiener Symphoniker has had a second home on Lake Constance as Orchestra in Residence. Since 2025, the orchestra has celebrated spring every year with its own festival in Trieste.