The history of the Wiener Symphoniker dates back to the turn of the 20th century, when artists created the legendary Backhausen fabrics—icons of modernity and defining elements of the Art Nouveau movement. They form the guiding motif of the Wiener Symphoniker’s 2026–27 season campaign. The musical fabric woven by the orchestra is closely intertwined with its city - its unique atmosphere, its rich past, and its spirit of looking toward the future.

Chief Conductor Petr Popelka continues his Mahler cycle this season, places a strong focus on the symphonies of Ludwig van Beethoven and Robert Schumann, and once again presents exceptional works in an intimate setting through his Hör-Bar format. Hong Kong-born conductor Elim Chan joins the orchestra as Artistic Partner this season, showcasing classical repertoire in freshly curated contexts in her programmes—including at the traditional Vienna Advent concert in St Stephen’s Cathedral.

The roster of guest conductors is led by Giedrė Šlekytė with Beethoven’s Leonore, Philippe Jordan, who returns with Mahler, Ton Koopman with Mozart’s Requiem, Manfred Honeck with Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s Elijah, and Ádám Fischer with Haydn and Brahms. Expressive soloists such as Yuja Wang, María Dueñas, Kian Soltani and Patricia Kopatchinskaja, along with outstanding vocalists including Julian Prégardien, Andrè Schuen, Benjamin Bernheim and Natalie Lewis, shape the concerts at the Wiener Konzerthaus and the Musikverein Wien.

Before the season is presented with a sneak peek at the Badeschiff on the Danube Canal, the Wiener Symphoniker open the season with a commemorative concert marking the 20th anniversary of Exilarte.

TRADITIONAL CONCERT HIGHLIGHTS

Alongside concert and opera performances, the Wiener Symphoniker are also distinguished by special formats in unique venues, which Vienna looks forward to every year.

• At the Vienna Advent concert in St Stephen’s Cathedral, new Artistic Partner Elim Chan conducts a programme featuring Saint-Saëns, Mozart and Tchaikovsky.
• At the Marathon Concert, held one day before the Vienna City Marathon, we invite runners to join us in making music at the Musikverein.
• In the Cinema:Sound series, this season features the magnificent film music of Danny Elfman in the Great Hall of the Musikverein.
• With the Beisl Concerts, we take up residence in Vienna’s Neubau district in spring and invite audiences to a musical “beisl-hopping” experience.
• The Prater Picnic once again ushers in the summer holidays with a large open-air concert beneath the Giant Ferris Wheel, featuring music from around the world.

Subscriptions

THE BEST CONCERTS IN A PACKAGE

In addition to their spring festival in Trieste, the Wiener Symphoniker, in cooperation with the Wiener Konzerthausgesellschaft, offer their successful subscription series: the major Wiener Symphoniker Cycle, the popular Sunday Matinees, the Fridays@7 series with a relaxed post-concert gathering in the foyer, the festive gala concerts, and the youth series Vorhören!.

The Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde presents the Wiener Symphoniker Cycle and The Great Symphony, featuring concerts by the Wiener Symphoniker at the Musikverein.

We would like to thank the Leopold Museum as well as the Kiesling family for providing the images of fabrics and patterns from the Backhausen Archive. The following lender credit applies to all images: Backhausen Archive, bequest of Dr Louise Kiesling, permanent loan to the Leopold Museum. Photo credit: Backhausen Archive, bequest of Dr Louise Kiesling, permanent loan to the Leopold Museum. For Design 6314, the photo credit reads: Leopold Museum, Vienna. Image series: Vrinda Jelinek