Orchestra Biography

With its five residencies – at the Musikverein Wien and in Lower Austria – the Tonkunstler Orchestra is one of Austria’s largest and most important musical ambassadors. The orchestra’s traditional Sunday afternoon concerts at the Wiener Musikverein go back more than 75 years. In Grafenegg and in the Festspielhaus St. Pölten, the Tonkunstler perform as orchestra in residence, as they do in the Stadttheater Wiener Neustadt, which they reopened after a long period of renovation in November 2024. The 25–26 concert season brings them back to the tradition-steeped Stadttheater Baden, where they first performed as the «State Symphony Orchestra of Lower Austria» in early 1946.

The focus of their artistic work is the orchestral repertoire from the classical era to music of the 20th century. The Tonkunstler’s alternative programming approaches are appreciated by musicians and audiences alike. Former Music Directors of the Tonkunstler include such important figures of the music world as Walter Weller, Heinz Wallberg, Miltiades Caridis, Fabio Luisi, Kristjan Järvi and Andrés Orozco-Estrada. Since the 25–26 season the Tonkunstler Orchestra has been led by Fabien Gabel. His predecessor Yutaka Sado was appointed the Tonkunstler’s first honorary conductor after being Music Director for ten years.

Recent tours have taken the orchestra to Britain, Germany, Japan and the Czech Republic. The orchestra’s wide-ranging artistic profile is reflected in numerous CD recordings. The Tonkunstler’s own label releases up to four recordings per year, mostly live performances from the Musikverein Wien.