Begin: 10:00 PM Admission: 9:00 PM End: 5:00 AM

Floor-Length Evening Gown, Tails

In all halls of the Musikverein 1010 Vienna, Musikvereinsplatz 1

Vienna Philharmonic Conductor: Lahav Shani

Musical Entertainment:

Orchester Wolfgang Steubl Tom Henkes Dance Band

84th Vienna Philharmonic Ball

Synopsis/Details

The Concert Hall becomes a Ballroom

Once a year during "Fasching", the Vienna Musikverein is transformed from a venerated concert auditorium into an elegant ballroom and provides a stunning backdrop for the Vienna Philharmonic Ball, an event which has been a highlight of this festive season in Vienna for several decades.

The Musikverein in Vienna is not only the orchestra's artistic home, but serves as a magnificent venue for hosting the orchestra's annual ball as well. The Golden Hall and the entire building are decorated with countless floral arrangements to provide a festive atmosphere for the proceedings, and the seats on the main level are removed to form a large dance floor. Every year, the President of Austria is the honorary patron, and members of the Austrian government as well as the governors and mayors of Vienna and Salzburg belong to the honorary committee.

Ceremonial Opening

The first highlight of the evening's festivities is the ceremonial opening in the Golden Hall. The areas around the main floor and on the upper level fill an hour beforehand with guests securing for themselves a good vantage point from which to view the proceedings. Richard Strauss composed a festive fanfare for the first ball in 1924, and this work has been performed at every ball since that time. When the brass players of the Philharmonic begin the fanfare from the balcony overlooking the hall, the entrance of the guests of honor begins.

At the head of this long procession is the evening's Honorary Conductor. In contrast to its concerts, the Philharmonic sits in the middle of the dance floor on this occasion, in order to make room on the stage for the guests of honor, which include numerous luminaries from the world of art, politics and society, as well as supporters of the orchestra who comprise the membership of the ball's Patronage and Honorary Committee. Once all prominent guests are seated, the Honorary Conductor leads the Philharmonic in a performance of a popular composition from the orchestra's repertoire.

Debutante Procession

Following this musical treat, the Philharmonic clears the floor while a group of debutantes and their partners make their entrance to officially begin the dancing. Young ladies of at least 17 years of age, in floor length white ball gowns, and young men of at least 18, in black tails, promenade into the hall to the traditional sounds of a polonaise by Chopin or Ziehrer. Specially selected dancers from this group then perform an appealing dance number which is choreographed and rehearsed by the evening's Master of Dance who also directs the joint quadrille at midnight, which is repeated at 2 AM.

The Master of Dance speaks the only official words of the evening at the close of the opening ceremonies, when he proclaims "Alles Walzer!", inviting all ball guests to join in waltzing with the debutantes on the main floor.

Itinerary:
- Begin: 10:00 PM
- Admission: 9:00 PM
- End: 5:00 AM
Dress Code:
- Floor-Length Evening Gown, Tails
Venue:
- In all halls of the Musikverein
- 1010 Vienna, Musikvereinsplatz 1
Ceremonial Opening:
- Vienna Philharmonic
- Conductor: Lahav Shani
Musical Entertainment:
- Orchester Wolfgang Steubl
- Tom Henkes Dance Band

Cast

The program will be announced at a later date.

Venue

Musikverein Golden Hall

This building is located on Dumbastraße/Bösendorferstraße behind the Hotel Imperial near the Ringstraße boulevard and the Wien River, between Bösendorferstraße and Karlsplatz. However, since Bösendorferstraße is a relatively small street, the building is better known as being between Karlsplatz and Kärntner Ring (part of Ringstraße loop). It was erected as the new concert hall run by the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, on a piece of land provided by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria in 1863. The plans were designed by Danish architect Theophil Hansen in the Neoclassical style of an ancient Greek temple, including a concert hall as well as a smaller chamber music hall. The building was inaugurated on 6 January, 1870. A major donor was Nikolaus Dumba whose name the Austrian government gave to one of the streets surrounding the Musikverein.

Great Hall - Golden Hall

“As high as any expectations could be, they would still be exceeded by the first impression of the hall which displays an architectural beauty and a stylish splendour making it the only one of its kind.” This was the reaction of the press to the opening of the new Musikverein building and the first concert in the Großer Musikvereinssaal on 6 January 1870.

The impression must have been overwhelming – so overwhelming that Vienna’s leading critic, Eduard Hanslick, irritatingly brought up the question of whether this Großer Musikvereinssaal “was not too sparkling and magnificent for a concert hall”. “From all sides spring gold and colours.”

Brahms Hall

"In order not to promise too much it can be said that it has been made into the most beautiful, most magnificent, perfect example of a chamber concert hall that any of us knows in the world.” This was the reaction of a Vienna daily newspaper in October 1993 as the Brahms-Saal was presented to the public after extensive renovation work.

The surprise was perfect. It was a completely new hall. In contrast to the Grosse Musikvereinssaal, the Brahms-Saal had changed its appearance quite considerably over the years. When and how it acquired that slightly melancholy duskiness that was known to music lovers before 1993 cannot be precisely documented.

Glass Hall

As a venue for events from concerts to luxury banquets, the Glass Hall / Magna Auditorium is not only the largest of the Musikverein's 4 new halls but also the most flexible in terms of usage.

Hub podiums enable the smooth transformation of the concert hall into a conference centre, the cinema into a ballroom, or the stage into a catwalk. State-of-the-art equipment for sound, lighting, video and widescreen digital projection provide the ideal conditions for half-scenic productions.
The Glass Hall / Magna Auditorium was designed by the Viennese architect Wilhelm Holzbauer. With a height of 8 metres, the hall (including the gallery) can play host to up to 380 visitors.

See more info