See the Vienna Philharmonic for FREE
Schoenbrunn Gardens
Continuing with the free music theme for this week, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra performs a free concert tonight at 8:30 pm in the gardens behind Schönbrunn Palace. This is a wonderful opportunity to see the Philharmonic, because the expensive seats for their regular performances at the Musik Verein often sell out before the programs are printed. Standing-room tickets for about 6 euro are usually the only option for catching a performance. The venue for tonight’s free concert provides a more comfortable experience by allowing those in attendance to wander through Schönbrunn’s beautifully landscaped grounds a bit as they listen.
In addition to the music, the event provides a rare opportunity to see the Schönbrunn grounds after dark. The view of the illuminated Gloriette alone is worth the trip. The concert serves as the 4th annual Concert for Europe (“Konzert für Europa” in German). The Vienna Philharmonic is the usual headliner, with special guests varying from year to year. Esteemed Russian conductor Valéry Gergiev will lead the orchestra tonight and Austrian Federal President Dr. Heinz Fischer will speak as one of the commentators. Pieces by Mussorgsky,Tschaikowsky, Rimsky-Korsakoff and Johann Strauss are included in the program, which will also be broadcast live on Eurovision and ORF 2 at 9:05 pm.
For more information, visit www.europa-konzert.at
