26 April 2025  Music Where Life Happens: Beisl Konzerte 2025On Tuesday, 29 April 2025, the Wiener Symphoniker invite audiences to experience chamber music in an entirely new atmosphere at the Beisl Konzerte in Vienna's second district. "Beisl" is a Viennese term describing small, cozy taverns, cafés, or bars, often characterized by a casual, welcoming environment. True to this spirit, ensembles of the orchestra will perform outside the traditional concert halls, bringing music into the everyday life of the city.125 Years of Wiener Symphoniker: A Tradition of InnovationFounded in 1900, the Wiener Symphoniker celebrate their 125th anniversary in 2025. The orchestra has played a defining role in shaping Vienna’s musical life and premiered major works that today are firmly anchored in the repertoire, including Anton Bruckner’s Ninth Symphony, Arnold Schönberg’s Pelleas and Melisande and Gurre-Lieder, as well as Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand. Renowned conductors such as Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss stood at the podium, and names like Herbert von Karajan, who served as Music Director from 1948 to 1960, are part of its distinguished leadership history. Today, the Wiener Symphoniker are internationally active, with recent appearances at the newly founded Primavera da Vienna spring festival in Trieste and their first residency at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing. (Sources: Wiener Symphoniker Historie, Primavera da Vienna, Residency Beijing)An Evening of Free Concerts Across the KarmeliterviertelThe Beisl Konzerte series will begin with a festive opening at the Karmelitermarkt at 18:00, where SymphonikerBlås — a septet rooted in the Bohemian-Austrian brass tradition — will set the tone for the evening with lively, family-friendly performances. If weather conditions are unfavorable, the opening will take place in the Bezirksmuseum Leopoldstadt.Afterwards, ten different locations throughout the Karmeliterviertel — a vibrant neighborhood known for its village-like atmosphere — will host a wide range of musical performances. Entry to all concerts is free. Each ensemble will perform three sets per location, with breaks in between allowing visitors to wander from venue to venue, sampling different styles from classical and jazz to folk, pop, tango, avant-garde, and traditional Viennese Schrammelmusik. Among the highlights of the evening are the performances at CAFÉ BAR EINFAHRT, where the Symphonic Brass Trio Plus will present arrangements from the American Songbook, including pieces from The Threepenny Opera by Kurt Weill, West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein, and Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen — blending brass, percussion, and vocals for a lively atmosphere. Another notable station is CONTOR, featuring Dolby's Around. This ensemble of five string players will offer a dynamic program spanning classical, folk, pop, jazz, and avant-garde, including imaginative arrangements from Tchaikovsky to Sting, enhanced by improvisations and original compositions. A full overview of all participating venues, performance times, and a detailed map of the Karmeliterviertel can be found in the official program folder, available for download at wienersymphoniker.at/beisl-konzerte. With the Beisl Konzerte, the Wiener Symphoniker continue to honor their founding mission: to make music accessible and to bring it directly to where people live and gather. Intendant Jan Nast emphasized that the music of the Wiener Symphoniker should not be confined to concert halls but also be present where the everyday life of the city unfolds. With the Beisl Konzerte, the aim was to bring music to the people in an uncomplicated and approachable manner, creating an atmosphere that encourages connection and exchange. The Beisl Konzerte promise an evening of musical discovery, community spirit, and Viennese charm. Image: This AI-generated street photography scene captures the silhouette of an anonymous trumpet player at Vienna's Karmeliter Markt in the early evening. Set against the intense, fading fading sunlight, the musician is a striking dark outline, bathed in a warm golden glow with no visible facial features. Created by Fashion.at in collaboration with Grok, the image fuses artistic vision and AI innovation to celebrate the beauty of urban life and music. |