Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra: history, conductors, composition

The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra is considered one of the best not only in Austria, but all over the world. The main hall, where musicians perform, belongs to the Society of Music Lovers.

History of the Orchestra

The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, whose photo is presented in this article, was founded in 1842. Its creator is the conductor Otto Nikolai. Until 1842, orchestras, consisting of professional musicians, existed only at opera houses, and only amateur ensembles took part in concerts. The need for professional musicians who would participate in public programs, was acute in the beginning of the 19th century. Therefore, the Society of Music Lovers helped to create the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

The first foreign tours of the orchestra took place in 1900 in Paris. Since then, tours have become regular.

The Vienna Orchestra was the first performer of many works by great composers, such as Anton Bruckner and Johannes Brahms.

Conducting politics

The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra does not have a permanent artistic director and does not conclude contracts with conductors for a long time. Every season there is a vote. Thus, another temporary "subscription" conductor is chosen. But there are cases when many consecutive seasons for this position, the voters appoint the same person.

In different years the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra collaborated with such world-famous conductors as:

• Hans Richter.
• Leonard Bernstein.
• Otto Dessoff.
• Valery Gergiev.
• Felix Weingartner.
• Carlo Maria Julini.
• Gustav Mahler.
• Wilhelm Furtwängler.
• Carl Böhm.
• Georg Sholty.
• Herbert von Karajan and others.

The Vienna Philharmonic presents the most outstanding musicians of the orchestra and conductors the honorable Golden Ring and the Nikolai medal as a token of gratitude for fruitful cooperation.

Musicians

The composition of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra often changes. Musicians work in it on a temporary basis - so they undergo an internship. The orchestra is numerous and multinational. It employs more than two hundred musicians from different countries.

In the season 2015-2016 in the orchestra serve:

• Joseph Hell.
• Olesya Kurylyak.
• Tilman Kyun.
• Rainer Kuhl.
• Pavel Kuzmichov.
• Michael Strasser.
• Martin Kubik.
• Henry Coll.
• Wolfgang Brinschmidt.
• Cyril Kobanchenko.
• Dietmar Zeman.
• Tibor Kovacs.
• Patricia Call.
• Thomas Hayek.
• Alexander Steinberger.
• Innocent Grabko.
• Evgeny Andrusenko.
• Wolfgang Koblitz.
• Martin Lemberg.
• Daniela Ivanova.
• Jerzy Dybal.
• Bruno Hartle.
• Bartosz Sikorsky.
• Wolfgang Strasser.
• Helmut Weiss.
• Martin Gabriel.
• Erwin Falk.
• Roland Horvath and many others.

Conductor

The conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (not the only one) who periodically collaborates with Austrian musicians in the last 12 years is Maris Janson. He was born in Riga in 1943. In 1986 he was awarded the title People's Artist of the RSFSR.

The mother of the conductor was an opera singer of Jewish origin. She gave birth to Marisa in a hideout, where she hid from the Germans during the occupation. All her family died in the Holocaust. The music of the future conductor was taught by his father. Maris played the violin from childhood. In 1962, M. Janson studied at the music school at the Leningrad Conservatory, which he then brilliantly graduated in classes of conducting and pianoforte. Trained in Salzburg and Vienna with such masters as Hans Swarovski and Herbert von Karajan. In 1973 he entered the Leningrad Philharmonic Society. Received the post of assistant conductor.

In 1979 he was the musical director of the Philharmonic Orchestra in Oslo.

In addition to the Vienna Orchestra, he also collaborates with other bands. Works in different countries. Orchestras, with whom M. Janson collaborated: Pittsburgh Symphony, Concertgebouw (the main conductor since 2004 to this day), Chicago, Bavarian Radio, Berlin Philharmonic, Latvian National and Cleveland.

Maris Jansons also leads and teaching. Since 1995 he has been a conductor at the St. Petersburg Conservatory and head of the student orchestra.

Maris is the owner of a large number of awards, diplomas of festivals and competitions, including his well-known honorary Grammy Award.