The New Year’s Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic is firmly established as one of the longest-standing and most prestigious music events worldwide. In its history of more than seven decades, the orchestra has been led by many of the most famous conductors and experienced by millions of people via TV broadcasts in over 70 countries.

The distinguished Austrian conductor Franz Welser-Möst returns to direct the 2013 concert following the success of his debut in 2011. As Clemens Hellsberg, the chairman of the Vienna Philharmonic, emphasised, the plaudits that Franz Welser-Möst earned for this event in 2011 and his close association with the musical life of Vienna as General Music Director of the State Opera make him a natural choice for the role in 2013.

“For decades the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra has presented from Vienna’s Musikverein an entertaining and heartfelt annual programme of music from the wide repertoire of the Strauss dynasty and their contemporaries. The proven formula blends well-known classics with premieres of works that have never been performed before at the New Year´s Concert and the result is invariably both joyful and moving. The programme will remain a closely guarded secret until a few days before the event, but it can already be revealed that in 2013 the concert will include more premieres than ever before and probably some unexpected surprises.”