After two and a half years of construction, the ceremonial opening of the renovated and modernized Theater an der Wien took place on October 12, 2024 with representatives from culture, politics and business.
On October 12, 2024, after the extensive renovation and modernization, the curtain of the Theater an der Wien was raised for the audience at a ceremony. Vienna Holding Managing Director Kurt GollowitzerVBW Managing Director Franz DeadMusikTheater an der Wien-Intendant Stefan Herheim together opened the house, which shines in new splendor. Keynote speaker Haide Tenner referred to the eventful history of the house and the relevance of an opera house. The musical framework was provided by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Petr Cinderellathe Arnold Schönberg Choir and soloist Mao Fujita.
The day of the reopening began in the evening with the concert performance of the Mozart opera Idomeneus with Attilio Glaser, Emily Sierra, Slávka Zámecniková, Elena Tsallagova, Ya-Chung Huang and Páll Levente under the musical direction of David Bates together with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and that Arnold Schönberg Chor committed.
The enthusiastic audience thanked the artists with applause.
The guests of honor included people from Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig, Stephan Büttner, Roland Geyer, Norbert Kettner, Rudi Klausnitzer, Walter Kobera, Josef Köpplinger, Bettina Leidl, Birgit Sarata, Sylvester Levay, Mayan Light, Andreas Mailath-Pokorny, Christine Marek, Bejun Mehta, Ernst Minar, Matthias Naske, Erwin Ortner, Johanna Rachinger, Wolfgang Reichl, Sepp Rieder, Harald Serafin, Giedre Šlekytė, Christian Struppeck, Andreas Gergen, Haide Tenner, Christoph Wagner Trenkwitz, Ernst Woller and Kathrin Zechner.
Veronica Kaup-HaslerExecutive City Councilor for Culture and Science
“With the reopening of the completely renovated Theater an der Wien, our Viennese opera world is reunited. The venue is not only of historical importance for the local cultural landscape – after all, Beethoven’s “Fidelio”, Lehár’s “Merry Widow” and numerous Nestroy productions celebrated their premieres and audience successes here. Today, as a stagione opera house, the Theater an der Wien spans the spectrum from Baroque works to Viennese classics and contemporary musical theater productions. With this variety of sounds and performance formats, enriched by a diverse program of the Vienna Festival Weeks, it will delight the Viennese and guests from all over the world. I look forward to it!”
Kurt GollowitzerVienna Holding Managing Director
“Cultural events and events not only attract millions of tourists but are also highly valued by the Viennese and are an essential factor for the high quality of life in Vienna. Against this background, Wien Holding is committed to sustainable investments in its cultural businesses. After the Ronacher and Raimund Theater, the third major venue of the Vereinigte Bühnen Wien now shines in new splendor. I am pleased to be able to give this traditional house back to the general public after it has been completely renovated.”
Franz DeadVBW Managing Director
“We are pleased that after two and a half years of construction we can welcome the audience back to the Theater an der Wien and that we are starting a new season together. After the extensive renovation and modernization measures, the house shines in new splendor and offers our visitors a contemporary theater experience visually. My thanks for this opening go to the City of Vienna and Wien Holding, all the trades involved in the project, our loyal audience, our long-standing and new business partners and especially our employees.”
Stefan HerheimMusikTheater an der Wien-Intendant
“The beautiful and historic Theater an der Wien has been modernized so that we can build an artistic bridge between the past and present in a contemporary way in the future. Old and new do not form a contradiction here, but rather testify to the continuity of a lively musical theater. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the preservation of this house. It’s hard to describe in words how much it means to me to be on this stage.”
Photos: https://nextcloud.vbw.at/index.php/s/EceHDAFt7qPnk8C