When the Pummerin in St Stephen's Cathedral rings in the New Year, it will also mark the 200th anniversary of Johann Strauss. The first tones of the ‘King of Waltz’ will be heard live at the Wiener Konzerthaus in 2025 after the last bell has rung, when the Wiener Symphoniker and their chief conductor Petr Popelka kick off the Strauss year. They will be joined by art whistler Nikolaus Habjan and pop artist Ankathi Koi - and of course the programme will include the Danube Waltz.

Johann Strauss has been part of the Wiener Symphoniker's DNA since the orchestra was founded and his music is an integral part of the repertoire. ‘I am delighted that we are welcoming the Johann Strauss year with the first second of the new year and accompanying his birthday celebrations in 2025,’ says Jan Nast, intendant of the Wiener Symphoniker. ‘Johann Strauss moved more people with his great music than almost any other Viennese composer and thus also reflects the spirit of our orchestra, which also wants to reach everyone in Vienna with the highest quality.’

In its anniversary year, the Wiener Symphoniker are collaborating intensively with Johann Strauss 2025, including a concert performance of the operetta ‘Carnival in Rome’ at the MusikTheater an der Wien on 22 February. Austrian conductor Patrick Hahn will conduct the performance with Vera Lotte Boecker in the leading role and Nikolaus Habjan as puppeteer and narrator.

Strauss takes centre stage at the traditional Prater Picnic on the last day of school in Vienna - the free concert once again heralds the summer holidays. This time, chief conductor Petr Popelka conducts the open-air concert in person. Just like the performances of ‘Die Fledermaus’, which will take place at the MusikTheater an der Wien from 4 October. Intendant Stefan Herheim is directing this original Viennese piece, the ‘Queen of all operettas’.

The concert on the composer's actual birthday, on 25 October, the ‘Homage to Johann Strauss’ at the Vienna Musikverein, is also part of the Johann Strauss 2025 series. Violin virtuoso Anne Sophie Mutter will join conductor Manfred Honeck on a search for traces of the violin genius Johann Strauss and, alongside pieces by the Waltz King, will perform a world premiere by Max Richter: The Fantasy for Violin & Orchestra echoes the waltz of the 19th century from our present day.

Of course, the Wiener Symphoniker will also be taking Johann Strauss with them on their first residency in Trieste, when the motto there will be ‘Springtime from Vienna’ for the first time. On 13 April, Petr Popelka will perform waltzes, polkas and operetta overtures by Strauss alongside music by Giacomo Puccini and Peter Tchaikovsky in Italy.  

Johann Strauss' work will be completely rethought in two further collaborations: with Red Bull Symphonic at the Danube Island Festival and in the Wiener Konzerthaus with the electronic music producers from Austria Camo & Krooked.