Classical Concerts in Vienna

Vienna has a stronger claim than any other city to be the capital of classical music. Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert lived and worked here; the Strauss family made the waltz the sound of the city; Brahms, Bruckner and Mahler followed; and the Vienna Philharmonic still plays its New Year's Concert to a worldwide audience from the Golden Hall of the Musikverein. For visitors, the easiest way into that tradition is the city's large and lively scene of concerts aimed at a broad audience: shorter programmes of the most loved works, Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik and arias, Strauss waltzes and polkas, Vivaldi's Four Seasons, often played by ensembles in period costume, in some of the most beautiful rooms in Europe. The venues are part of the appeal. The Vienna Mozart Orchestra performs at the Musikverein, the gilded 1870 concert hall famous for its acoustics; concerts at Schonbrunn take place in the Orangery, where Mozart once competed with Salieri in front of the emperor; the Hofburg hosts Strauss and Mozart evenings in its imperial halls; and Baroque churches such as St Peter's, St Charles' and St Anne's, as well as St Stephens Cathedral, stage chamber, organ and Christmas concerts. Prices range from modest church concerts to premium seats with dinner, and seasonal programmes multiply in Advent and around New Year. These are not the Vienna Philharmonic's subscription concerts, which are mostly sold out to subscribers, but they are played by professional musicians with real polish, and for most visitors a candlelit church or a gilded hall with a Strauss waltz is exactly what they came for. Serious music lovers should also check the main programmes of the Musikverein and the Konzerthaus, where world-class orchestras and soloists appear through the season, and the State Opera.

Choosing a concert: decide first between the hall and the music. For the full Viennese experience, a Mozart and Strauss evening in the Musikverein's Golden Hall or a palace concert at Schonbrunn or the Hofburg delivers the setting; for intimate atmosphere and lower prices, a Vivaldi or Mozart programme in one of the Baroque churches, where the acoustic is resonant and the candlelight is real, is hard to beat. Programmes for visitors usually run about an hour and a half with an interval, and many offer combinations with dinner or with a museum ticket, such as a Mozarthaus visit before the concert. Book a day or two ahead, more in Advent, and choose your seat category carefully, as the cheapest seats in large halls can have restricted views.

The serious side: Vienna's main concert halls, the Musikverein and the Konzerthaus, run a full season from autumn to early summer with the city's own orchestras, the Vienna Philharmonic and the Vienna Symphony, and visiting stars. Tickets for these concerts go on sale months ahead, but returns and standing places often appear closer to the date, and the halls' websites are the place to look. The Vienna Boys Choir sings Sunday mass in the Hofburg Chapel during the season, and the Haus der Musik, a hands-on museum of sound, is a good introduction for families.

Practical tips: there is no strict dress code for most concerts, but the Viennese dress up a little for evenings in the great halls, and smart casual is always safe. Be wary of costumed ticket sellers on the streets around St Stephens and the opera: some sell genuine tickets for the concerts aimed at visitors, but at prices you can usually beat online, with a clear choice of seat. Arrive twenty minutes early to find your place and enjoy the room. In summer, when the State Opera and the main halls pause, the visitor concerts continue and are often the main show in town.