It’s music o’clock in Vienna — the capital of elegant balls, classical music, waltz dancing and traditional coffee houses. It’s fascinating to think that “The Blue Danube” and more of the world’s most important and celebrated classical music was composed here, during the time when Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Beethoven, Gustav Mahler and Johann Strauss called Vienna home.
This time I was back in town to attend both a classical music concert before a business festival. While strolling through its historic streets, you can’t help but notice how timeless, yet modern and innovative Vienna is. Grand imperial architecture is standing next to contemporary art museums, or traditional coffee houses are hosting business festivals. Past and present at every turn.
In the historic Innere Stadt (Old Town) and along the famous boulevard Vienna Ringstrasse (or Ring Road) we can admire the Gothic Stephansdom, the Wiener Stadtsopera (Vienna State Opera), Austrian Parliament Building, Hofburg Imperial Palace and Volksgarten near Rathaus, among other palaces and music installations.
After a stop at Albertina Museum Square or a slice of Sachertorte, it continues at favorite Museums Quartier and many other important museums as Kunsthistorische Museum or the Mozarthaus, plus music institutions as Konzerthaus and Musikverein. So many cultural spaces per square meter.
Musikverein
Have you ever been to the Musikverein? Known for the world famous New Year’s Concert, I finally attended a concert there this May for the first time. The Wiener Symphoniker (Vienna Symphony Orchestra) in the Golden Hall (Großer Saal) under the baton of Alain Altinoglu it was absolutely breathtaking.
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I want to remember that program of one of the most prestigious orchestras in the world. The evening started with Mussorgsky’s Vorspiel zur Oper ‘Chowanschtschina’, a powerful piece I listened while admiring the architecture surrounding me – the ceiling details, gilded columns and bronze statues. The concert ended with the classical piece that moved me the most – Maurice Ravel – La Valse. Poème chorégraphique pour Orchestre.
Being there is a memory and experience I will never forget. Luckily I sat next to an elegant Viennese lady in her 70s who shared with me anecdotes about Vienna and that she had been at Musikverein events many times—including once for their famous New Year’s Concert.
Creative economy
Surrounded by culture and art, I attended Vienna UP business festival to learn more about innovation, Artificial Intelligence and growth finance. The festival HQ was across from Musikverein, in Karlsplatz. But the morning session Investing in the creative economy was hosted by EIT Culture & Creativity and New Renaissance Venture at the beautiful Belvedere 21.
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Last but not least, with global and inclusive museums as creative hubs, the main topic of the event was “to explore opportunities in the cultural and creative economy — with a spotlight on innovation and digitalisation in museums” and the importance of staying open to see all the opportunities out there.
At the end of the long weekend in Vienna, while in the train back to Berlin, feeling grateful for my profession and the mindset of continuous learning. A reminder that how we do one thing is how we do everything
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