2024-08-13 12:25:44
When the cultural life of the country shifts to the summer realms of various festivals, the Vienna Philharmonic also sets up its tents in Salzburg. Before the next major staged premiere on Tuesday evening, “Les contes d’Hoffmann,” the orchestra officials provided a glimpse into the plans for the upcoming months – with New Year’s concert conductor Riccardo Muti by their side.
They didn’t want to reveal much about January 1, 2025, when Muti will conduct the New Year’s concert at the Musikverein for the seventh time. However, they did unveil a surprise. “I will not disclose any names yet, but we will play a work by a female composer at the New Year’s concert for the first time,” said orchestra chairman Daniel Froschauer, sparking excitement among gender-conscious concert friends.
The 83-year-old Muti paid the highest respect to his musical partners: “Musically speaking, the Vienna Philharmonic is my family – I have been conducting this orchestra for 55 years now.” With such a world-class ensemble, he was able to embody the respect that has shaped his contemporaries: “I belong to a generation that – with a few exceptions – is no longer alive. I was over 40 years old when I conducted Beethoven’s 9th Symphony for the first time.”
Muti is also one of the ten maestros who will lead the Vienna Philharmonic through the ten subscription concerts scheduled for the new season. At the beginning, for example, Daniele Gatti will return to the subscription podium after many years. Also on the podium will be Andris Nelsons, Christian Thielemann, and regular guest Zubin Mehta, who conducted the orchestra for the first time 63 years ago.
In the 2024/25 season, there are also debutants, such as young star Klaus Mäkelä or Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who will conduct the ensemble in subscription concerts for the first time. And for the first time, a female conductor, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, will lead one of the Philharmonic’s subscription formats.