Vienna orchestra is under threat

Vienna orchestra is under threat

News

norman lebrecht

February 21, 2023

The Austrian national broadcaster ORF has informed the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra that it cannot continue to expect funding at present levels and will need to seek alternative finance.

The message s almost identical to the one delivered to the BBC orchestras by director-general Tim Davie.

It appears we are entering the dying age of radio orchestras.

The Vienna RSO, which has Marin Alsop as music director,  plays subscription cycles in the Musikverein and Konzerthaus.

The Vienna Philharmonic has railled to its support, saying:  ‘The RSO represents an irreplaceable and important cultural asset for Austria and far beyond the country’s borders, which has had a significant impact on musical life worldwide since its beginnings.’

Stefan Herheim, director of the Theater an der Wien, said: ‘The end of the orchestra would bring the MusikTheater an der Wien into serious artistic and financial difficulties and would be a fatal cultural and political signal in a country whose internationally recognized cultural legacy of institutions like ours is carried and preserved.’

Watch this space.

 

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