Vienna celebrates Beethoven

From its melodic vibes to high quality of life, Austria's capital city offers visitors an exhilarating experience

It's mesmerizingly musical. It's smartly sustainable. It's neat for networking. Year after year Austria's capital Vienna scores high with both leisure travellers and business visitors thanks to its rich operatic traditions, high and environmentally friendly standards of living and excellent conference infrastructure.

In 2020, Vienna scales its musical legacy a pitch or two higher as the city pays homage to Ludwig Van Beethoven on the great composer's 250th birth anniversary. The musical genius made Vienna his home at the age of 22 and most of his scintillating pieces premiered in the city. All through the year visitors can enjoy shimmering melodies as there is a great line up of musical events in Vienna's 2020 calendar.

Venerable venues

Vienna's classical music scene is dominated by two venues: the Musikverein and the Konzerthaus. The Musikverein – which celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2020 – is one of the most illustrious concert halls of them all, where only the crème de la crème are invited to perform. Architecturally speaking, the Musikverein's crowning glory is the Golden Hall. Every year television audiences all over the world tune in to the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra's New Year's Concert in a live broadcast of works by Strauss (father and son) and their contemporaries from the Golden Hall.

The Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and the Klangforum Wien are all resident at the Konzerthaus, which first opened its doors to the public in 1913. The Wiener Singakademie choir made the Konzerthaus its permanent home in the same year. Among the Konzerthaus's self-produced events are regular performances by the Vienna Philharmonic and other international orchestras, as well as soloists and chamber ensembles.

As for opera houses, the city boasts the fabulous Vienna State Opera which is credited with having the largest repertoire of any of its peers. An institution by the very definition of the word, the Staatsoper offers performances by leading international artists all through the year.

Vienna's second largest opera house, the Volksoper, offers a rich variety of stage performances, from opera to operettas, musicals, ballet and contemporary dance. Originally conceived as an ordinary theatre stage in 1898, the Volksoper would not go on to list operas and other lyrical works on its schedules until 1903. Subtitles at selected operettas and musicals now give non-German speakers the chance to follow the action on stage.

The Theater an der Wien is not just any old theatre. In fact, it is located in the building that renaissance man, actor, talented producer and Magic Flute librettist Emanuel Schikaneder built in 1801 in the spirit of Mozart. In 2006, which marked the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth, the Theater an der Wien was given a new lease of life as Vienna's third opera house. Each year it hosts ten premieres from Baroque operas to contemporary pieces with a focus on contemporary productions.

What makes the music of Vienna extra special is the salubrious environs of the city.

- With inputs from Vienna Tourist Board