Vienna Philharmonic

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About Vienna Philharmonic

The Wiener Philharmoniker, or Vienna Philharmonic, is unusual among the world’s great orchestras in having never appointed a principal conductor to oversee its music-making. Working instead with a succession of pre-eminent guest conductors—Wilhelm Furtwängler, Bruno Walter, Clemens Krauss, and Herbert von Karajan among them—has not prevented the Philharmonic from developing a worldwide reputation for its wonderfully burnished tonal blend, and impeccable standards of taste and execution. Founded in 1842, the Vienna Philharmonic was from the outset a self-governing body, drawing its members from the orchestra of the Vienna State Opera. Early in its history, the orchestra premiered symphonies by Brahms and Bruckner, and to this day retains a special proficiency in music from the Austro-Germanic tradition. In 1939, the Philharmonic initiated its celebrated New Year concert in Vienna, an event that nowadays attracts a global television audience of millions. Despite controversy in recent years surrounding the orchestra’s relationship with the Nazi regime during World War II, and its belated decision to admit women players—the first, a harpist, was recruited in 1997—the Vienna Philharmonic remains a touchstone of class and sophistication in its live performances and innumerable studio recordings.

ORIGIN
Vienna, Austria
FORMED
1842
GENRE
Classical
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