Just in: Vienna hits Musikverein with 58% funding cut

Just in: Vienna hits Musikverein with 58% funding cut

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norman lebrecht

March 17, 2015

The famous hall puts on 385 concerts a year, many of the highest calibre. But the city has decided to slash its subsidy from 475,000 Euros to 200,000 as part of a general budget trim.

‘Don’t ask me about consequences,’ said a grim-faced Intendant, Thomas Angyan.

Details here.

vienna phil pose

Comments

  • John Borstlap says:

    Amazing that even one of the most important Austrian institutions, at the heart of the country’s identity, has to face cuts. The Musikverein should receive compensation from the EU because of also being an European item of cultural identity.

  • Anon says:

    There is probably more to this story. Maybe generous revenues to Vienna Phil for the New Years concert play a role here…

    • Rüdiger says:

      This is definitely wrong.
      The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra does not receive a salary for their concerts.
      The orchestra is an independent society that rents the Musikverein for its events.

      • Anon says:

        The orchestra receives a huge revenue from the New Year’s concert broadcast licensing, no?

        If they rent the Musikverein, they have also income (as an orchestra) obviously, or how are they supposed to pay for the rent?

        Maybe the rent has to go up for these concerts, that create big revenues for the orchestra.

  • David Boxwell says:

    . . . and MORE high-priced “Mozart in Breeches and Wigs” clap-along concerts for tourists!

  • william osborne says:

    The article notes that 275 thousand Euros is being cut by the Federal government from the Konzertverein, but the city has raised its funding by 100K so the total loss is 175k. The previous budget was in the area of 920k, and will drop to 745k, which is a 19% cut from previous total budget. The city will pay 545k of the 745k total.

    In 2011, the last year for which I have figures, Austria spent 2,298,250,000 Euros on culture, which comes to 287 Euros per capita (or $304.) The sources for this funding are divided more or less evenly between the Federal, State, and Municipal governments. Total cultural spending in the USA, both public and private, comes to about $23 per capita – 1/13th the amount spent in Austria.

  • Michael says:

    It’s the federal government which has reduced its subsidy from 475,000 euros to 200,000.

    The city of Vienna will continue to provide 545,000 euros. The reduction is therefore 27% (still significant), not 58%.

  • Anon says:

    The cut should probably be interpreted as a good sign, namely that the Konzertverein is doing very well financially and thus needs less subsidies.

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