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Vienna, October 29, 2026

Dear Madam or Sir,

On January 1, 2027, Maestro Tugan Sokhiev will for the first time take the podium of the Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Concert. The artistic collaboration began in 2009 during an Asian tour in Seoul and has been followed by subscription concerts in Vienna and concerts in many other cities around the world. In 2025, in addition to subscription concerts and a European tour, Sokhiev conducted the Summer Night Concert for the first time, as well as a Johann Strauss anniversary concert entitled Once Every 100 Years.
Tugan Sokhiev is also a sought-after opera conductor and served from 2014 to 2022 as music director and principal conductor of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. He has made guest appearances at the world’s major opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Vienna State Opera—where, among other productions, he conducted the premiere run of Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta. He is also deeply committed to the training of young musicians, having been involved with the  Vienna Philharmonic’s academies for young artists, and the foundation of a conducting academy in Toulouse in 2016. 

Professor Daniel Froschauer, Chairman of the Vienna Philharmonic, highlights the conductor’s significance to the orchestra: "Tugan Sokhiev has been closely linked to us—both musically and personally—since 2009. Beginning with our earliest performances, a profound mutual musical trust and understanding emerged, which has continued to deepen and develope ever since—as evidenced by our highly successful tours across Europe and Asia. We look forward to the New Year’s Concert with great anticipation. This year’s program will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Josef Strauss. For the first time, a work by the French composer Cécile Chaminade (1857–1944) will be featured on the program of a New Year’s Concert.We also welcome back the Vienna Girls Choir, which will perform two compositions on the program."

We are pleased to present the program for the upcoming New Year’s Concert and kindly request that you take note of the press conference that will be held on Monday, December 29, 2026, at 1:00 PM at the Hotel Imperial.

Registrations should be made no later than December 23, 2026, at 10:00 AM at presse@wienerphilharmoniker.at

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Programm:

Teil 1

01. Johann und Josef Strauß, Vaterländischer Marsch. o. op.

02. Josef Strauß, Delirien. Walzer, op. 212

03. Eduard Strauß, Saat und Ernte. Polka schnell, op. 159 *

04. Johann Strauß, Künstlerleben. Walzer, op. 316

05. Josef Strauß, Auf Ferienreisen. Polka schnell, op. 133

Teil 2

06. Joseph Hellmesberger, Danse diabolique

07. Johann Strauß, Schatz-Walzer. op. 418

08. Johann Strauß, Bitte schön! Polka francaise, op. 372  (Anonym/Helmuth Froschauer)**

09. Johann Strauß, Leichtes Blut. Polka schnell, op. 319 (Tina Breckwoldt/Wolfgang Dörner)**

10. Cécile Chaminade, Callirhoë, Air de Ballet. op. 37 Nr. 4 (Arrangement: Wolfgang Dörner) *

11. Johann Strauß, Perpetuum mobile. Musikalischer Scherz, op. 257 (2. Fassung)

12. Johann Strauß, Sophien-Quadrille. op. 75 (Instrumentierung: Wolfgang Dörner) *

13. Johann und Josef Strauß, Pizzicato-Polka. Polka française, o. op. (1. Fassung)

14. Peter I. Tschaikowsky, Walzer aus dem Ballett Dornröschen

15. Philipp Fahrbach (junior), Storchschnäbel. Galopp, op. 149 *

16. Josef Strauß, Jocus-Polka. Polka schnell, op. 216

17. Josef Strauß, Mein Lebenslauf ist Lieb und Lust. Walzer, op. 263

18. Johann Strauß, Éljen a Magyar! Polka schnell, op. 332

* Erstaufführung bei einem Neujahrskonzert der Wiener Philharmoniker

**Mitwirkung der Wiener Chormädchen

Programm:

Teil 1

01. Johann und Josef Strauß, Vaterländischer Marsch. o. op.

02. Josef Strauß, Delirien. Walzer, op. 212

03. Eduard Strauß, Saat und Ernte. Polka schnell, op. 159 *

04. Johann Strauß, Künstlerleben. Walzer, op. 316

05. Josef Strauß, Auf Ferienreisen. Polka schnell, op. 133

Teil 2

06. Joseph Hellmesberger, Danse diabolique

07. Johann Strauß, Schatz-Walzer. op. 418

08. Johann Strauß, Bitte schön! Polka francaise, op. 372  (Anonym/Helmuth Froschauer)**

09. Johann Strauß, Leichtes Blut. Polka schnell, op. 319 (Tina Breckwoldt/Wolfgang Dörner)**

10. Cécile Chaminade, Callirhoë, Air de Ballet. op. 37 Nr. 4 (Arrangement: Wolfgang Dörner) *

11. Johann Strauß, Perpetuum mobile. Musikalischer Scherz, op. 257 (2. Fassung)

12. Johann Strauß, Sophien-Quadrille. op. 75 (Instrumentierung: Wolfgang Dörner) *

13. Johann und Josef Strauß, Pizzicato-Polka. Polka française, o. op. (1. Fassung)

14. Peter I. Tschaikowsky, Walzer aus dem Ballett Dornröschen

15. Philipp Fahrbach (junior), Storchschnäbel. Galopp, op. 149 *

16. Josef Strauß, Jocus-Polka. Polka schnell, op. 216

17. Josef Strauß, Mein Lebenslauf ist Lieb und Lust. Walzer, op. 263

18. Johann Strauß, Éljen a Magyar! Polka schnell, op. 332

* Erstaufführung bei einem Neujahrskonzert der Wiener Philharmoniker

**Mitwirkung der Wiener Chormädchen

The New Year's Concert is broadcast worldwide in over 150 countries via TV and stream and is watched by around 50 million viewers.

Cécile Louise Stéphanie Chaminade (8 August 1857 in Paris – 13 April 1944 in Monte-Carlo) was a French composer and pianist. In 1913, she was awarded the Légion d'Honneur, a first for a female composer.

The Vienna Girls Choir was founded in 2004 as the female counterpart to the Vienna Boys Choir. Their recent projects underscore their international calibre: In 2026, the girls' choir joined the Vienna Chapel Imperial (Wiener Hofmusikkapelle) as full members, taking turns with the boys’ choirs at singing Sunday Mass in the Imperial Chapel. Another milestone will follow in early 2027, when the girls will perform as guests in the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Concert, conducted by Tugan Sokhiev. The ensemble is also in demand internationally: Following their first major tour through five European countries in 2025, they completed a highly acclaimed tour of China in 2026. Their next highlights include a tour of the USA and a performance at the EXPO 2027 in Belgrade. The release of their highly anticipated debut album on the Supreme Classics label is scheduled for the 2026/27 season.

What began with a handful of choristers has evolved into a professional ensemble of 26 young singers aged between 10 and 14, under the direction of choirmaster Stefan Foidl. Since the 2024/25 school year, the girls have attended the grammar school at Campus Augarten. They are given the same training as their male counterparts: daily singing lessons, individual voice training, and intensive rehearsal and touring phases are integral parts of their school routine. Due to the different biological development in this age group, the girls’ choir and boys’ choirs train and perform separately. Both share the tonal precision and high musical standards; their training and tradition are part of UNESCO’s Cultural Heritage.

The ensemble's artistic profile is highly versatile. The repertoire spans from medieval music and works by Bach to contemporary compositions, jazz, bossa nova, and popular music. A special focus is placed on works by female composers, including Barbara Strozzi, Fanny Hensel, Alma Mahler, and Nancy Telfer.

In addition to their own concerts, the Vienna Girls Choir is a sought-after partner for choral-symphonic projects with renowned orchestras. Recent performances include Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Philharmonia Orchestra London under Cristian Măcelaru at the opening of the Grafenegg Festival in August 2026, a production of Arthur Honegger’s Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher at the Vienna Musikverein featuring Marion Cotillard and the hr-Sinfonieorchester under Alain Altinoglu, Carmina Burana with the Vienna RSO at the Vienna Konzerthaus, and Liszt’s Dante Symphony with the Wiener Akademie under Martin Haselböck at the Liszt Festival in Raiding, Austria. A performance of Michael Haydn’s Leopoldi Mass with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra under Erwin Ortner at the Vienna Konzerthaus completes the list of collaborations. The choir's artistic achievements were recognised in 2024, when the Vienna Girls Choir, alongside the Vienna Boys Choir, received the European Cultural Award at the Luxembourg Philharmonie.

On special occasions, the girls perform together with the boys, such as during the 2023 Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Concert, the reopening of the Austrian Parliament in the same year, or the annual Mother's Day concert at the Musikverein.

October 2026

https://www.wsk.at/choere/wiener-chormaedchen/

From December 27 on rehearsal and concert photos are available under the following link:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1V6n7-nALgcTPOn-8MlQ7fzoDHzF0EMvS

Credit:
Dieter Nagl for the Vienna Philharmonic

On January 1, 2027, Maestro Tugan Sokhiev will for the first time take the podium of the Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Concert. The artistic collaboration began in 2009 during an Asian tour in Seoul and has been followed by subscription concerts in Vienna and concerts in many other cities around the world. In 2025, in addition to subscription concerts and a European tour, Sokhiev conducted the Summer Night Concert for the first time, as well as a Johann Strauss anniversary concert entitled Once Every 100 Years.
Tugan Sokhiev is also a sought-after opera conductor and served from 2014 to 2022 as music director and principal conductor of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. He has made guest appearances at the world’s major opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Vienna State Opera—where, among other productions, he conducted the premiere run of Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta. He is also deeply committed to the training of young musicians, having been involved with the  Vienna Philharmonic’s academies for young artists, and the foundation of a conducting academy in Toulouse in 2016. 

The Vienna Philharmonic is pleased to invite you to a press talk on Thursday, August 6, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. in the Winter Garden of the Hotel Sacher (Schwarzstrasse 5-7, 5020 Salzburg).

The Vienna Philharmonic Chairman, Daniel Froschauer, and the Managing Director, Michael Bladerer, will present the 2026/2027 season. ORF Director General Ingrid Thurnher and Maestro Tugan Sokhiev have confirmed their participation as guest speakers.

The following topics will be discussed:

• Partnership Vienna Philharmonic - ORF
• Salzburg Festival Collaboration
• Vienna Philharmonic Tours 
• Subscription Concerts 2026/27
• Collaboration with Maestro Tugan Sokhiev
• New Year's Concert 2027

Following the presentation, we would like to invite you to join us for finger food and drinks.

We look forward to welcoming you and kindly request registration by August 3rd at: presse@wienerphilharmoniker.at

News

The Vienna Philharmonic – who organizes and presents the annual Summer Night Concert in Schönbrunn at free admission since 2004 – is delighted to announce that the Concert will take place on June 19, 2026 at 08:45  p.m. in the usual setting at Schönbrunn Palace Park, thanks to the generous support of its valued Partners in challenging times.

Besides the Institutional Partners, the Austrian Government, the City of Vienna and the Schönbrunn Group as well as Rolex – the Exclusive and Presenting Sponsor of the Vienna Philharmonic – the Event Partners include: 
Austrian Mint (Münze Österreich), Palais Coburg, Raiffeisen Bank International and – new this year – the Abu Dhabi Festival, which will present two Concerts of the Vienna Philharmonic in Abu Dhabi in 2027. 

“Fortunately, the idea of making classical music accessible to everyone—and thus offering a gift to all music lovers—is once again the guiding principle behind this year’s Summer Night Concert. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our Partners – including, of course, the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF) and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), as well as our worldwide media partners – who have enabled us to continue this beautiful project. It goes without saying that organizing and staging an event of this magnitude – now the second largest classical music event broadcast worldwide each year, after our New Year's Concert – presents an enormous challenge for an Orchestra.  This year’s program offers a diverse and high-caliber selection of well-known melodies ranging from the worlds of opera, operetta, and musical to ballet music and symphonic works. It is important to us to embrace a wide spectrum of different styles and genres in order to appeal to as many people as possible,” said Daniel Froschauer, Chairman of the Vienna Philharmonic.

We are pleased to announce that Lorenzo Viotti will be conducting the Summer Night Concert for the first time. Welsh opera singer Sir Bryn Terfel will perform as soloist. Terfel will sing arias from Arrigo Boito’s Mefistofele and Giuseppe Verdi’s Falstaff, as well as  Wotan's finale from Richard Wagner’s Das Rheingold and Tevye’s song from the musical Fiddler on the Roof  by Jerry Bock.

Programm:

01. Franz von Suppè, Ouvertüre zur Operette Leichte Kavallerie

02. Arrigo Boito, „Son lo spirito che nega“, Arie des Mefistofele aus der Oper Mefistofele

03. Giacomo Puccini, Intermezzo zum 3. Akt aus der Oper Manon Lescaut

04. Giuseppe Verdi, „Ehi! paggio!“, Arie des Falstaff aus der Oper Falstaff

05. Peter I. Tschaikowsky, Trepak aus dem Ballett Der Nussknacker

06. Florence Price, Adoration (Arrangement: Elaine Fine)

07. Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Straussiana

08. Richard Wagner, „Abendlich strahlt der Sonne Auge“ aus der Oper Das Rheingold

09. Jules Massenet, Méditation aus der Oper Thaïs, Solistin: Albena Danailova

10. Maurice Ravel, Daphnis et Chloé Suite Nr. 2

11. Jerry Bock, „If I were a rich man”, Lied des Tevje aus dem Musical Fiddler on the roof

(Program subject to change)

The 2026 Summer Night Concert will be available for everyone to watch on television or via livestream (in over 100 countries). The ORF will broadcast the concert live, time-delayed, beginning at 9:20 p.m. in ORF 2. 
3sat will air a recording of the event on June 20 starting at 8:15 p.m. 
Medici.tv offers a livestream in all areas where there is no TV broadcast, as well as in selected regions where neither a live nor a delayed TV broadcast takes place.
We kindly ask you to check the TV program listings in your respective home country.

Further information can be found on the website of the Vienna Philharmonic:
www.sommernachtskonzert.at

From June 18 on, rehearsal and concert photos of the Summer Night Concert 2026 are available under the following link:

Credit: Vienna Philharmonic/Niklas Schnaubelt

Press Photos Summer Night Concert 2026

Die inoffizielle Eröffnung des Philharmonikerballs erfolgt zum zweiten Mal mit einem Ballkonzert für junges Publikum am Nachmittag. Mit Walzer, Galopp und Polka schaffen die mitwirkenden Mitglieder der Wiener Philharmoniker eine einzigartige Ballatmosphäre, die auch zum Tanz einlädt. 

Die Wiener Philharmoniker ermöglichen dieses unvergessliche Erlebnis vierhundert Schülerinnen und Schülern aus unterschiedlichen Schulen in Wien und den Bundesländern. 

Es spielen Mitglieder der Wiener Philharmoniker, des Bühnenorchesters der Wiener Staatsoper, des Wiener Staatsballetts: Katharina Engelbrecht, Violine / Luka Kusztrich, Violine / Georg Wimmer, Viola / Tamás Varga, Violoncello / Herbert Mayr, Kontrabass / Wolfgang Breinschmid, Flöte / Stefan Neubauer, Klarinette / Benedikt Dinkhauser, Fagott / Josef Reif, Horn / Gleb Shilov, Tänzer

Donnerstag, 22. Jänner 2026, 14.30 Uhr, Musikverein Wien, Großer Saal

Fotos vom Ball der Wiener Philharmoniker 2026
Copyright: Wiener Philharmoniker/Richard Schuster

Password: WPH2026

Frisur: Steinmetz-Bundy Privatsalon// Diadem: Christof Cremer
Copyright: Wolfgang Hirt

Daniel Froschauer - Biography

Michael Bladerer - Biography

Alexander Steinberger - Biography

Bernhard Hedenborg - Biography