Vienna Philharmonic facts for kids
The Vienna Philharmonic (called Wiener Philharmoniker in German) is a famous orchestra from Vienna, Austria. Many people think it's one of the best orchestras in the world!
This orchestra plays in a concert hall called the Musikverein. Before musicians can join the Vienna Philharmonic, they must work for at least three years at the Vienna State Opera. After that, they can try out to become a member of the Vienna Philharmonic.
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History of the Orchestra
The Vienna Philharmonic started in 1842. A musician named Otto Nicolai created the group, calling it the Philharmonische Academie. From the very beginning, the musicians themselves made all the decisions about how the orchestra would be run. This special way of working is still used today!
When Nicolai left in 1847, the orchestra almost stopped playing. They didn't perform much until 1860, when Karl Anton Eckert became their conductor. Since then, the orchestra has given concerts regularly.
From 1875 to 1898, Hans Richter was the main conductor. He helped the orchestra perform many important new pieces for the first time. These included famous symphonies by Johannes Brahms (Symphonies No. 2 and 3) and Anton Bruckner (Symphony No. 8).
Gustav Mahler led the orchestra from 1898 to 1901. During his time, the orchestra traveled outside Austria to play for the first time. They performed at the 1900 Paris World Exposition. Other important conductors who followed included Felix Weingartner, Wilhelm Furtwängler, and Clemens Krauss.
Since 1933, the orchestra has not had one main conductor. Instead, they invite many different guest conductors to lead them for short periods. Many of the world's best conductors have worked with them, like Richard Strauss, Arturo Toscanini, Herbert von Karajan, Leonard Bernstein, and Riccardo Muti. After World War II, three conductors became especially important to the orchestra: Karajan and Karl Böhm were made honorary conductors, and Bernstein became an honorary member.
Since 1941, the orchestra has played a special New Year's Day concert every January 1st. This concert takes place in their Musikverein hall. It features music by the Strauss family composers, especially Johann Strauss II. People all over the world watch this concert on television.
In recent years, the orchestra has been criticized because they did not allow women to become full members. This is now slowly changing. They were also criticized for racism because they mostly accepted only white musicians. In 2001, they welcomed a violinist who was half-Asian, showing a step towards more diversity.
Conductors Who Led the Orchestra
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Guest Conductors (since 1933)
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Related pages
Images for kids
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Overflow crowd outside Taiwan's National Concert Hall for a performance by Simon Rattle and the Vienna Philharmonic
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The Wiener Philharmoniker Gold coin
See also
In Spanish: Orquesta Filarmónica de Viena para niños
