Women of the Vienna Philharmonic Present Alternative New Year's Day Concert

In contrast to the 81-year old tradition, the aim of the concert is to perform more works by female composers

A newly founded chamber orchestra made up of the women in the Vienna Philharmonic will present their own New Year's Day concert at the city's Ehrbar Saal, separate from that of the main orchestra. Titled La Philharmonica, the new ensemble will present a selection of repertoire by female composers.

The ensemble includes violinists Lara Kusztrich and Adela Frăsineanu-Morrison, violist Ursula Ruppe, cellist Ursula Wex, clarinetist Andrea Götsch, bassoonist Sophie Dervaux DOUBLE, and guest bassist Anna Gruchmann.

According to the players taking part, the purpose of the concert is to "make a clear statement right from the start...that the work of female composers is played far too rarely."

The program includes The Brand of Women’s Emancipation and Free Thoughts by Josefine Weinlich-Amann (1848-1887), a Viennese Waltz by Leopoldine Blahetka (1811-1885), and Caprice in the Form of a Waltz by Clara Schumann (1819-1896).

More information about the concert is available here.

The Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Day concert has been running for 81 years and has rarely featured a work by a female composer — nor has it been led by a female conductor. Women were not entitled to play in the ensemble until 1997.

The 2022 New Year's concert was broadcast on the ORF radio transmission featuring Eva Teimel as presenter, the first female radio presenter for ORF in the history of the concert. The 2023 concert featured the Vienna Girls Choir (Wiener Chormädchen), becoming the first female choir ever to participate in the concert.