music austria – music information centre austria

The Tonkünstler Orchestra is among the most important institutions in the Austrian musical scene. The orchestra can look back on a rich tradition and toward a varied future. The classical repertoire is an important focus of the orchestra’s artistic work. At the same time the Tonkünstler set important trends to ensure continued resonance for themselves and for orchestral culture in general.

... the Tonkünstler cultivate the tried and tested concert repertoire from the Viennese classical period to High and Late Romanticism through to moderate modernism. The orchestra thus continues its decades of success in the Viennese and Lower Austrian concert scenes as well as on international tours. During that time, the Tonkünstler have worked with such eminent conductors as Clemens Krauss, Paul Hindemith, Arvid and Mariss Jansons, Zubin Mehta and Christoph von Dohnányi as well as with prominent soloists, including Christa Ludwig, Renée Fleming, Arthur Grumiaux, Wolfgang Schneiderhan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Alfred Brendel and Bryn Terfel.

Kristjan Järvi succeeded the likes of Kurt Wöss, Gustav Koslik, Heinz Wallberg, Walter Weller, Miltiades Caridis, Isaac Karabtchevsky, Fabio Luisi and Carlos Kalmar as principal conductor in 2004. From the start of the 2009/2010 season, Andrés Orozco-Estrada will assume the position of Music Director.
The Tonkünstler regularly perform with guest conductors such as Jeffrey Tate, Bruno Weil and Andrew Litton as well as principal guest conductor Michail Jurovsky. Soloists who have performed concerts together with the Tonkünstler in recent times include Kammersängerin Angelika Kirchschlager, Michael Schade, Katia and Marielle Labèque, and Sarah Chang. Successful tours in past seasons have taken the orchestra to Germany, Spain, Great Britain, Slovenia, the Baltic states and Japan.

Source: www.tonkuenstler.at