The Wiener Symphoniker presented the programme of its new spring festival ‘Springtime from Vienna - the Wiener Symphoniker in Trieste’ at the Italian Embassy in Vienna today. From 2025, the traditional Viennese orchestra will move the start of its musical spring to Trieste and give three concerts as part of the newly founded festival. All concerts, which will take place on Palm Weekend, will be conducted by Petr Popelka, the orchestra's chief conductor. The programme was presented by Intendant Jan Nast, Chief Conductor Petr Popelka, Franesco Granbassi, President of the Teatro Stabile del Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italian Senator Tatjana Rojc, Trieste's Deputy Mayor Serena Tonel and Giovanni Pugliese, the Italian Ambassador. 

Intendant Jan Nast on the new festival Springtime from Vienna: ‘We want to combine the best of two cultures: Trieste, one of the most diverse cities in Central Europe, and our Easter concert, a favourite greeting to spring for decades. As the musical ambassador of the city of Vienna, we want to revitalise and interpret the shared history of the two cities of Vienna and Trieste and the great cultural heritage of the entire Alps-Danube-Adriatic region in a modern way with the newly founded festival. Music as a connection from yesterday to today and across borders.’

The Wiener Symphoniker and the Politeama Rossetti have a long tradition: the orchestra first gave a concert in this venue back in 1902. In the orchestra's 125-year history, nine concerts have taken place in Trieste. From 2025, the musicians of the Wiener Symphoniker will make the Politeama Rossetti their home for around a week and revitalise the cultural exchange between Italy and Austria. 

‘The Politeama Rossetti was the first theatre in which the Wiener Symphoniker performed outside Austria under the direction of Ferdinand Löwe. It was 4 April 1902 and Trieste was still part of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, so it will be an exciting ‘homecoming’ for the Viennese. And an opportunity for our audience to hear one of the most famous orchestras in the world. The cultural ties between Vienna and Trieste are indissoluble. And with the ‘Wiener Frühling’, this ideal bridge will be strengthened even further', says Francesco Granbassi, president of the Teatro Stabile del Friuli Venezia Giulia

Chief conductor Petr Popelka: ‘I am looking forward to the Wiener Symphoniker's spring residency in Trieste! In this wonderful place on the Adriatic, the cultures of East and West have always been in dialogue with each other. Trieste, the città mitteleuropea, is a source of inspiration for us musicians. It is a pleasure and an honour to revive the musical tradition in the beautiful Politeama Rossetti together with the Wiener Symphoniker.’

International encounters are also reflected in the programme: On the first evening (11 April 2025), excerpts from Giuseppe Verdi's operas Macbeth, Aida and Don Carlo will be juxtaposed with the first act of Richard Wagner's Die Walküre. Michael Spyres, Sarah Wegener and Georg Zeppenfeld will appear as soloists. On the second evening (12 April 2025), Petr Popelka combines Mozart's Prague Symphony and Mahler's Fourth, in which soprano Julia Kleiter will be heard. On the final evening (13 April 2025), the programme will once again span the globe: in addition to polkas and waltzes by Johann Strauss Sohn, the second part will include works by Giacomo Puccini, Pyotr Tchaikovsky (Capriccio Italien) and Franz Schmidt (Notre Dame). The final concert will be recorded and broadcast by ORF.