Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra: My Concert Experience

I had the opportunity to watch the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra at the Musikverein in Vienna. And let me tell you, it was nothing short of spectacular! I had been so nervous for the performance (why do I sound like I was the one performing hahaha) – it was my first full day of solo traveling & I didn’t know what to wear, when to go, where my seat was, etc. However, as soon as that first note echoed through the concert hall, it became one of my most memorable experiences. This post details my concert experience as well as some things to know beforehand such as dress code, etiquette, etc!

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Growing up, I’d always had a love/ hate relationship with classical music. It wasn’t my go to genre for everyday life, but I didn’t dislike it either. Like many other children, I had spent years learning to play the piano; and like many other children, I quit. Beethoven, Chopin, Mozart… I was quite familiar with their music. Of course, my music journey did not stop there. I ended up playing the flute for 7 years all throughout middle and high school. It’s safe to say that I was quite burnt out from band/ orchestra music.

However, I rekindled my love for classical music in Vienna. I remember in the past when I would hear the names of various professional orchestras brought up in class, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra being one of them. As I researched and started planning how to spend my time in Vienna, a random thought popped into my head. Why don’t I just see if they are playing in the time frame that I’m there? High school me probably would’ve rather done ANYTHING but willingly go watch a musical performance. Yet here I was, hoping that there were tickets. And I was in luck.

About the Vienna Philharmonic

The Vienna Philharmonic (or Wiener Philharmoniker in German) is considered one of the best orchestras in the world. They’re based at the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria and have 150 members in the “general assembly”. The selection process is pretty intense and has remained unchanged since its inception. Musicians are selected from the Vienna State Opera Orchestra where they had to have performed for a minimum of 3 years. Following this period, they then qualify to request an application for a position in the Vienna Philharmonic. In addition, something I found super interesting is that they have never had principal conductors!

Wiener Musikverein

This is a traditional concert hall in Vienna first opened back in 1870. They have several different performance halls inside with their most famous being the Great (Golden) Hall. It’s considered to be one of the most beautiful halls in the world and has some of the best acoustics! The world’s most-watched classical music event, The New Year’s Concert, played by the Vienna Philharmonic is also held here.

As for architecture, the exterior and interior of the building display elements of Greek Renaissance style. The Golden hall itself is very grand with gold lining the walls. Gorgeous glass chandeliers hang from the ceilings painted with frescoes of Greek figures such as Apollo & the Nine Muses.

Address: Musikvereinspl. 1, 1010 Wien, Austria

Things to know

Buying Tickets

The Vienna Philharmonic does not perform at the Musikverein everyday, but you can find an updated list of their upcoming performances here! The website also notes the ticket release dates for each concert. If you’re not able to make any of the dates listed, you can try to buy tickets for the Vienna State Opera. They play 300 nights a year in the Opera House in addition to about 80 other concerts around the world!

Many different musicians are scheduled to perform at the Musikverein throughout the year if you want to watch a performance in the Musikverein itself. You can find the performers, showtimes & dates here! There are 5 ticket categories which decide where in the hall your seats are. The ticket prices will vary depending on the performer, but I ended up paying 126 euros for a category 3 ticket! This had me sitting near the middle of the 4th row from the stage!

Dress Code

I remember worrying so much about what I was going to wear to the concert. Having scoured online forums and their website, I knew there was technically no dress code. However, there was no way I was showing up in my everyday attire of sneakers and jeans. Ultimately, I decided to go with a blazer, dress pants, and some loafers. I may or may not have bought the loafers 10 minutes before I was supposed to leave for the concert (oops). Since the concert is a rather formal/ special event, I definitely recommend playing it safe and dressing at least smart casual. If you have to choose between wearing something you might consider to be too formal or too casual, go with the formal. From what I noticed, men typically wore suits while women wore dresses or nice blouses and pants/skirts.

Concert Etiquette

There’s a short 20 minute intermission in the middle of the concert to allow you to get up, stretch, use the bathroom, etc. And most importantly, you can’t take any pictures or videos during the performance! While I completely understand why this rule is in place, it does make me sad that I can’t go back and relive that performance. There’s nothing I want more than to just be able to hear them play some of those pieces over and over again.

My Experience

Program – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

• Symphony in G minor, KV 183
• Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in E flat major KV 271 “Jenamy”
• – Break –
• Symphony in D major, KV 504, “Prague”

Watching the Vienna Philharmonic has to be one of my top 3 experiences from my Europe trip. I can’t fully describe how beautiful this performance was. As I sat in the first 5 rows, I got an up close view of the musicians in their element. Having never been to a professional concert, I was in awe of just how passionate the musicians were. The intensity in which they played some movements was a joy to watch. Each player was so invested in the piece. You could see their facial expressions match the mood or their eyes close as they really felt the rhythm and beats.

One thing I noticed was the role of the first chair violin or concertmaster. Not only did he play the first note for the rest of the orchestra to tune to, he also acted as the conductor in starting the first piece. It was amazing watching everyone look to his cue to start playing!

They started with my favorite piece: Symphony No. 25 in G Minor by Mozart. As soon as that first note rang through the concert hall, I had goosebumps. The sound reverberates through the room like no other. The melody is this rich body of sound that hits you, allowing you to feel the passion behind every note. The sections that call for more technique are so precise. I sat near the violin side and I loved watching the bows of each player gliding up and down in unison.

After that concert, all I did was listen to classical music for a solid month. As soon as I left the hotel to explore or hopped on a train to another city, the first thing I would do is open Spotify and play Symphony No. 25. Reflecting on it now, I think music is honestly so profound. It has the ability to evoke all these different emotions and remind you of past memories. To this day, whenever I hear the pieces from that concert, I’m transported back to the Golden Hall. If you can, I really recommend going to an orchestral concert or classical music concert at some point! Who knows, maybe you’ll begin appreciating classical music more, like me!