The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra is considered one of the best not only in Austria, but throughout the world. The main hall where musicians perform belongs to the Society of Music Lovers.
History of the orchestra
The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the photo of which is presented in this article, was founded in 1842. Its creator is conductor Otto Nikolai. Until 1842, orchestras consisting of professional musicians existed only at opera houses, and only amateur groups took part in concerts. The need for professional musicians who would participate in public programs was urgently ripened in the early 19th century. Therefore, the Society of Music Lovers contributed to the creation of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
The first foreign tour of the orchestra took place in 1900 in Paris. Since then, tours have become regular.
The Vienna Orchestra was the first performer of many works by great composers such as Anton Bruckner and Johannes Brahms.
Conductor Policy
The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra does not have a permanent artistic director and does not conclude contracts with conductors for the long term. Each season, a vote takes place. Thus, the next temporary “subscription” conductor is selected. But there are cases when for many seasons in a row voters appoint the same person to this position.
Over the years, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra collaborated with such world-famous conductors as:
- Hans Richter.
- Leonard Bernstein.
- Otto Dessof.
- Valery Gergiev.
- Felix Weingartner
- Carlo Maria Giulini.
- Gustav Mahler.
- Wilhelm Furtwengler.
- Karl Boehm.
- Georg Solty.
- Herbert von Karajan and others.
The Vienna Philharmonic presents the Golden Ring and the Nikolai Medal to the most outstanding musicians of the orchestra and conductors as a token of gratitude for the fruitful cooperation.
Musicians
The composition of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra often changes. Musicians work in it on a temporary basis - in this way they undergo an internship. The orchestra is numerous and multinational. It employs more than two hundred musicians from different countries.
In the season 2015-2016 in the orchestra are:
- Joseph Hell.
- Olesya Kurylyak.
- Tilman Kühn.
- Rainer Kuhl.
- Pavel Kuzmichyov.
- Michael Strasser.
- Martin Cube.
- Heinrich Call.
- Wolfgang Brainschmidt.
- Kirill Kobanchenko.
- Dietmar Zeman.
- Tibor Kovacs.
- Patricia Call
- Thomas Hayek.
- Alexander Steinberger.
- Innocent Grabko.
- Evgeny Andrusenko.
- Wolfgang Koblitz.
- Martin Lemberg.
- Daniela Ivanova.
- Jerzy Dybal.
- Bruno Hartle.
- Bartosh Sikorsky.
- Wolfgang Strasser.
- Helmut Weiss.
- Martin Gabriel
- Erwin Falk.
- Roland Horvath and many others.
Conductor
The conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (not the only one) who periodically collaborates with Austrian musicians for the past 12 years is Maris Janson. He was born in Riga in 1943. In 1986, he was awarded the title of People's Artist of the RSFSR.
The mother of the conductor was an opera singer of Jewish origin. She gave birth to Marisa in a shelter where she hid from the Germans during the years of occupation. All her relatives died during the Holocaust. The father taught the music of the future conductor. Maris has been playing the violin since childhood. In 1962, M. Janson studied at a music school at the Leningrad Conservatory, which he then brilliantly graduated from in conducting and piano classes. Trained in Salzburg and Vienna with such masters as Hans Swarovski and Herbert von Karajan. In 1973 he entered the Leningradkus Philharmonic. Received the position of assistant conductor.
In 1979 he was the musical director of the Philharmonic Orchestra in the city of Oslo.
In addition to the Vienna Orchestra, he collaborates with other groups. It works in different countries. Orchestras M. Janson collaborated with: Pittsburgh Symphony, Concertgebouw (chief conductor from 2004 to this day), Chicago, Bavarian Radio, Berlin Philharmonic, Latvian National and Cleveland.
Maris Jansons also teaches. Since 1995, he is a conducting teacher at the St. Petersburg Conservatory and the head of the student orchestra.
Maris is the owner of a large number of awards, diplomas of festivals and competitions, including the famous Grammy Award in his piggy bank.