Festival Vienna Modern: Celebrate new sounds and joint experiences

Festival Vienna Modern: Celebrate new sounds and joint experiences

In November Vienna transforms into a festival stage for contemporary music when the Vienna Festival goes into its 37th round. Founded by the legendary conductor Claudio Abbado, it has long been a central component of the city's cultural calendar. The atmosphere is lively and 30,000 visitors flock to the various venues every year to experience works from over 130 composers. This year there are even 50 premieres on the program as part of 32 days.

A particularly curvy highlight of the festival is a surprisingly creative culinary event. Unconventional and a bit weird-the neo-Gothic ballroom of the Vienna town hall is transformed into a kitchen where the students of two music universities interpret the work of the fluxus artist Alison Knowles entitled "Proposition #2" in a completely new way. The motto of the work is simple and concise: "Make a salad." This even becomes part of the festival experience in which the art of music and cooking merge together.

versatile offers and accessible art

But Vienna Modern has much more to offer than just recurring musical sounds. The festival management under Bernhard Günther attaches great importance to accessibility and the networking of the audience. This year's motto "and now all together" could not be more suitable to emphasize social interaction, which appears more important than ever today. The idea of not only sharing the music, but also opening space for exchange is of central importance here.

The locations range from the venerable halls of the music club to unconventional places such as the charming dilapidated reactor in Vienna-Ottakring. Here a charming piece is staged with “The Doll” that, humorously, questions the relationship between man and doll, or a kind of artificial being. The ensemble Phace, led by François-Pierre Descamp, rounds off this object theater with living sounds and thus creates a connection between music and movement.

Another achievement of the festival is the inclusion of local and international artists. The Swiss contribution with the movable sound objects by André and Michel Décosterd fascinates the audience with its unusual aesthetics and the artistic design. In combination with impressive music, this creates an incomparable sensory that blows up the limits of the ordinary.

curious hearts and open ears

In the middle of all artistic experimentation, a noticeable curiosity rules. The times when contemporary music was perceived as elitist or difficult to understand are over. The festival is permeable and encouraged to discuss art presented. Discussion zones could help promote the exchange between visitors and could go far beyond the theoretical content of the program. After all, it is the conversations that make this art alive and open up new perspectives.

The Vienna Festival Modern is therefore much more than just a compilation of concerts and performances. It is a place where tradition and modernity, art and enjoyment, as well as community and individuality meet. It invites everyone to immerse themselves together in the world of the new sounds and connect with equally creative minds. More on this can be found in a detailed article on www.nzz.ch Really