Vienna: Wiener Symphoniker Orchestra concerts presented

The Italian Embassy in Vienna hosted the press conference for the presentation of a trilogy of concerts that the Wiener Symphoniker Orchestra will perform in Trieste from 10 to 13 April.

In attendance were the Italian Ambassador in Vienna, Giovanni Pugliese; Senator Tatyana Rojc; Trieste's Deputy Mayor, Serena Tonel; Clemens Mantl, Spokesperson for the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Jan Nast, Superintendent of the Orchestra; and conductor Petr Popelka, who presented the programme for the three concerts of the "Viennese Spring" Festival to the local press and industry experts. The first evening will feature excerpts from Macbeth, Aida, and Don Carlo by Giuseppe Verdi, paired with the first act of Richard Wagner's Die Walküre. For the second evening, Petr Popelka will combine Mozart's Prague Symphony with Mahler's Fourth Symphony. The final evening will include polkas and waltzes by Johann Strauss the Younger, alongside works by Giacomo Puccini, Pyotr Tchaikovsky (Capriccio Italien), and Franz Schmidt (Notre Dame). The event is sponsored by Generali Assicurazioni.

The closing evening will be broadcast on state television channel ӦRF in honour of the 125^th anniversary of the Wiener Symphoniker's founding.

"The partnership between the Viennese Orchestra and the Teatro Politeama Rossetti further strengthens the artistic and cultural collaboration between our two countries. I am confident that this wonderful project, in collaboration with the city of Trieste, will bring our respective musical cultures even closer," stated Ambassador Pugliese.

"The Trieste theatre was the first venue outside Austria where the Vienna Symphony Orchestra performed, in 1902, under the direction of Ferdinand Löwe. At the time, Trieste was still part of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, so this will be an emotional 'homecoming' for the Viennese. The cultural ties between Vienna and Trieste are unbreakable, and with the 'Wiener Frühling,' this ideal bridge will be further strengthened," recalled Francesco Granbassi, President of the Teatro Stabile del Friuli Venezia Giulia. He also noted that the collaboration with the Austrian orchestra represents a tribute to the ideals inspiring the upcoming "GO!2025 - Nova Gorica and Gorizia, European Capitals of Culture 2025" event for the region and the city of Trieste.