The Vienna Philharmonic Returns to America with a Triumphant Carnegie Hall Run
The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra made a triumphant return to America with three sold out concerts at Carnegie Hall. Marife Hernandez, chairman of the Vienna Philharmonic Society, and her husband Joel Bell opened their East Side residence to supporters on Sunday afternoon, following the final New York concert. The thrilling Carnegie Hall appearances, led under the mighty baton of Christian Thielemann, received standing ovations at every performance, with audiences rewarded each night with an encore. The programs featured works by Bruch, Schoenberg, and Richard Strauss, showcasing the Vienna Philharmonic’s unmistakable sound.
Guests at the gathering included Joshua Bell, Noreen and Kenneth Buckfire, Sir Clive and Lady Anya Gillinson, April Gow, Peter Kimmelman, Sana Sabbagh, Theodora and Albert Simmons, Barbara Tober, Sedgwick Ward, and many others.
A Legacy Carried Forward Through Mentorship
Since its founding in 1842, the Orchestra’s inimitable style and sound have been shaped by close artistic collaboration with some of the most prominent conductors and soloists in classical music. In 2016, Marife Hernandez founded the Vienna Philharmonic Society, a nonprofit U.S. organization dedicated to extending the reach of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, its music, and its music education expertise. Among the Society’s key initiatives are master classes with Orchestra musicians for students from across the United States, held in partnership with The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall, along with a significant collaboration with the Orchestra to establish the new Vienna Philharmonic Academy in Vienna, created to train exceptional young musicians in the celebrated Viennese Sound and the Orchestra’s longstanding tradition of excellence.
Based in Vienna, the Philharmonic Academy offers tuition free admission to eleven to thirteen music students, ages eighteen to twenty seven, across ten musical instruments, for a two year course of study that includes private lessons with Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra musicians, chamber music instruction and performance, audition preparation, and orchestral training alongside the Orchestra itself. Academy students live in newly built dormitories at the University of Vienna and receive a monthly stipend throughout their studies.
What distinguishes the Academy experience is the depth of mentorship built into it. Each student is paired with an individual member of the Orchestra, who works closely with them to prepare solo repertoire at the highest level. Students also have the opportunity to perform chamber music on stage alongside members of the Orchestra itself, gaining firsthand exposure to a distinctive style of playing, a range of interpretations, and a sound built on generations of established tradition. Working with some of the greatest conductors and most renowned soloists of our time, these students go on to perform with the Vienna Philharmonic in the world’s most celebrated concert halls, experiencing the enthusiasm of international audiences firsthand. It is this deep passion for music, paired with genuine dedication to the craft, that the Orchestra hopes to pass on to the next generation of musicians.
For more information see: https://www.viennaphilharmonicsociety.org
