Music will once again be in the air when the Festival Wien Modern launches next week in the Austrian capital. Music is already part of Vienna’s every day life but local residents and visitors will enjoy more of it come October 29. The festival will run November 21.
Festival Wien Modern will showcases contemporary music across Vienna. It is a mix of tradition and innovation and for this year, modern music will focus on famous Austrian composer Georg Friedrich Haas.
When this yearly event opens, the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna will play the “concerto grosso No. 2,” a commissioned composition by Haas. On November 4, his “concerto grosso No. 1” will be performed at the Musikverein. Other performances of Haas’ compositions will be done by the SWR Symphony Orchestra Baden-Baden and Freiburg, the Klangforum Wien and ensembles Phace and Kontrapunkte.
Also among the highlights of the event are a film music (to be performed live and shown in cinemas as well) and a seven-part sitcom opera.
The kids will not be left out in this festival. In fact, a special activity has been prepared for them at Dschungel Wien. There, they will be introduced to modern music via the singing game entitled “The Story of the Little Mole Who Knew It Was None of His Business.”
Unknown to some people, Vienna has a long tradition of new music apart from being the capital of classic music. Did you know that the 12-tone technique actually originated in the Austrian capital.
