The Vienna Hofburg Orchestra (in German: Wiener Hofburg Orchester) is an

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

n classical orchestra based in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

History

The orchestra was founded by the conductor

Gert Hofbauer Gert Hofbauer (born 13 March 1937 in Knittelfeld, Styria, died 4 August 2017 in Marz) was an Austrian conductor and trumpeter. Born in Knittelfeld, Hofbauer studied the trumpet in Graz in 1958 and in 1960 at the University of Music and Perf ...

in 1971 and consists of 52 professional musicians from all large orchestral societies of Vienna and international vocal soloists: Andrea Olah (

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

), Kayo Takemura (soprano), Ella Tyran (

), Elena Suvorova (

mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C ...

), Oskar Hillebrandt (

baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the r ...

), Georg Lehner (baritone),

Peter Edelmann Peter Edelmann (born 1962) is an Austrian operatic baritone. Since 1 January 2018, he has been the artistic director of the Seefestspiele Mörbisch. Life Born in Vienna, Edelmann graduated in singing from the under his father, the bass Otto E ...

(baritone) (son of the Austrian bass Otto Edelmann) and Bohan Choe (

tenor A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...

). The orchestra's defined aim is to "cultivate

Viennese waltz Viennese waltz (german: Wiener Walzer) is a genre of ballroom dance. At least four different meanings are recognized. In the historically first sense, the name may refer to several versions of the waltz, including the earliest waltzes done in b ...

and

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...

music", thus the orchestra's program is composed of waltz and operetta melodies by

Johann Strauss Johann Baptist Strauss II (25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger or the Son (german: links=no, Sohn), was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed ove ...

Franz Lehár Franz Lehár ( ; hu, Lehár Ferenc ; 30 April 1870 – 24 October 1948) was an Austro-Hungarian composer. He is mainly known for his operettas, of which the most successful and best known is ''The Merry Widow'' (''Die lustige Witwe''). Life ...

and

Emmerich Kalman Emmerich may refer to: Places * Emmerich am Rhein, city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany ** Emmerich Rhine Bridge ** Emmerich station * Emmerich, Wisconsin, unincorporated community in the town of Berlin, Wisconsin, United States Other uses * ...

along with opera

aria In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...

s and

duet A duet is a musical composition for two performers in which the performers have equal importance to the piece, often a composition involving two singers or two pianists. It differs from a harmony, as the performers take turns performing a solo ...

s by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

. The Vienna Hofburg Orchestra's concert season lasts from May to December. The concerts are performed in the Festival Hall and the Redoutensäle of Vienna's

Hofburg The Hofburg is the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty. Located in the centre of Vienna, it was built in the 13th century and expanded several times afterwards. It also served as the imperial winter residence, as Schönbrunn ...

Imperial Palace, further the

Wiener Konzerthaus The Konzerthaus is a concert hall located in Vienna, Austria, which opened in 1913. It is situated in the third district just at the edge of the first district in Vienna. Since it was founded it has always tried to emphasise both traditional and ...

and the

Wiener Musikverein The ( or ; ), commonly shortened to , is a concert hall in Vienna, Austria, which is located in the Innere Stadt district. The building opened in 1870 and is the home of the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra. The acoustics of the building's 'Great ...

. Each year on the evenings of December 31 and January 1 the Vienna Hofburg Orchestra performs traditional Viennese New Year's Eve and New Year's Concerts in the Hofburg's festival halls.

Gallery

File:Wiener_Hofburg_Orchester_Hofburg_Festsaal1.jpg, Concert in the Festsaal of

Hofburg Palace The Hofburg is the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty. Located in the centre of Vienna, it was built in the 13th century and expanded several times afterwards. It also served as the imperial winter residence, as Schönbrunn ...

(2007). File:Wiener_Hofburg_Orchester_Hofburg_Festsaal_Gesangssolisten.jpg, The vocal soloists of the Hofburg Orchestra (2007). File:Wiener Hofburg Orchester Hofburg Festsaal2.jpg, The entire ensemble in the Festsaal of

(2007). File:Wiener_Hofburg_Orchester_Hofburg_Redoutensaal1.jpg, Concert in the Grosser Redoutensaal of the Hofburg Palace(2008). File:Wiener_Hofburg_Orchester_Hofburg_Redoutensaal2.jpg, The ensemble in the Großer Redoutensaal (2008).

References

External links

Vienna Hofburg Orchestra Website in English
{{authority control Austrian orchestras Musical groups from Vienna 1971 establishments in Austria Musical groups established in 1971 Organisations based in Vienna