Vienna Musikverein

Vienna Musikverein

Attraction Introduction

This is the oldest and most modern concert hall in Vienna. It is the official venue for the annual "Vienna New Year's Concert." Built in 1867 and completed in 1869, it features Italian Renaissance architecture. The exterior is adorned with alternating yellow and red colors, and the roof is lined with numerous statues of muses, giving it an antique and unique charm. The Vienna Symphony Orchestra holds at least 12 concerts here each quarter. On January 6, 1870, the first performance took place in the Golden Hall. Between 1872 and 1875, the renowned composer Brahms was responsible for organizing concerts at the venue. Since 1939, the Vienna New Year's Concert has been held here annually on January 1, which was temporarily suspended due to war and resumed in 1959.

The Vienna New Year's Concert is world-renowned. In 1993, over 30 countries and regions watched the live broadcast via satellite, with an audience of more than 1 billion. Inside the hall is a collection museum divided into two rooms. One room is an exhibition space that hosts regular displays of collected items for public viewing. The other is an archive room where one side of the bookshelves is filled with numerous handwritten, woodblock-printed, and letterpress music books and sheet music; the other side contains rows of iron cabinets holding manuscripts, letters, and other handwritten works by musical masters, including Mozart’s manuscript of his “Last Symphony” and Schubert’s manuscript of the “Unfinished Symphony.” In the middle of the room is a long row of tables for researchers to consult materials.

The archive room was originally Brahms’ office. Before his death, he repeatedly instructed that his treasured collection of several thousand music books and sheet music be donated to the archive. The concert hall belongs to the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Wien (Society of Friends of Music in Vienna), which has over 7,000 members and is said to be the oldest and largest musical organization in the world. The first performance in 1812 was played by members of the society.

Vienna, Austria