Wiener Symphoniker

The Wiener Symphoniker stands as a cornerstone of European orchestral tradition, having introduced numerous works that now rank among the standard repertoire. Although the Wiener Philharmoniker often draws greater public notice, the Wiener Symphoniker has established itself as an ensemble of the highest caliber.

Formed in 1900 under the name Wiener Concertverein, the orchestra was created by Ferdinand Löwe, its founding conductor, with the aim of expanding concert opportunities for the public while also championing contemporary music. Its inaugural performance occurred at the Wiener Musikverein on October 30, 1900. A former pupil of Anton Bruckner, Löwe directed the Wiener Symphoniker in the first presentation of Bruckner’s Ninth Symphony in 1903. The ensemble relocated its primary venue to the newly constructed Wiener Konzerthaus in 1913. Financial pressures after World War I prompted a merger with the Wiener Tonkünstlerorchester in 1919. Löwe remained chief conductor until 1925, after which Otto Gottesmann and Wilhelm Furtwängler assumed the role. The orchestra adopted its present name, Wiener Symphoniker, in 1933. Oswald Kabasta served as chief conductor from 1934 to 1938, during which time the ensemble undertook its first overseas tour, visiting England and Italy. Following the 1938 annexation of Austria, municipal authorities assumed control of the orchestra, employing it for propaganda purposes throughout World War II until its dissolution in September 1944.

Reconstituted in 1945, the Wiener Symphoniker presented its initial postwar concert the following September under the joint direction of Hans Swarowsky and Josef Krips. Since 1946 the orchestra has participated in and provided major sponsorship for the Bregenzer Festspiele. The distinctive Viennese sound long associated with the ensemble owes much to the leadership of Herbert von Karajan, who held the chief conductor post from 1950 to 1960, and Wolfgang Sawallisch, who succeeded him from 1960 to 1970. With the reopening of the Theater an der Wien in 1962, the Wiener Symphoniker became the resident orchestra for its staged productions. Subsequent chief conductors have included Carlo Maria Giulini (1973–1976), Gennady Rozhdestvensky (1981–1983), and Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos (1991–1996). Philippe Jordan assumed the chief conductor position in 2014 under a contract extending through 2021. In 2018 the orchestra named Andrés Orozco-Estrada as Jordan’s successor, with Orozco-Estrada scheduled to begin his tenure in 2021. Distinguished guest conductors who have appeared with the Wiener Symphoniker include Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Mehta, and Claudio Abbado.

The orchestra’s discography encompasses hundreds of releases on major labels including Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, EMI Classics, and Orfeo. Since 2012 it has also issued recordings on its own Wiener Symphoniker imprint, featuring music by Mahler, Bruckner, and Berlioz. Under Jordan’s direction the ensemble completed a cycle of Beethoven’s symphonies; the opening release, Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3, appeared in 2017, while the concluding volumes—Symphonies Nos. 6 & 8, Symphony No. 9, and the complete boxed set—were issued in 2019.