History

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Concert at the Vienna Musikverein

The orchestra bus in 1942

During the National Socialist period in Austria the orchestra was known as the Gausymphonieorchester Niederdonau.

Musicians at Vienna's Stadtpark

Orchestra History

1907	Wiener Tonkünstler Orchester founded with 83 musicians; first concert on 10 October 1907 at the Vienna Musikverein. Conductors: Oskar Nedbal, Hans Pfitzner, Bernhard Stavenhagen
1913	Premiere of the “Gurre-Lieder” by Arnold Schönberg with the Philharmonic Choir; Conductor: Franz Schreker
1919 to 1923	Principal Conductor: Wilhelm Furtwängler
1932-1933 season	Guest conductors: Bruno Walter, Otto Klemperer, Felix Weingartner, Hans Knappertsbusch, Hermann Abendroth
1932	Merger between the Wiener Tonkünstler-Orchester and the Wiener Concertverein; disbandment of the Wiener Tonkünstler-Orchester as an organisation
1933 to 1944	NS Wiener Tonkünstlerorchester and Gausymphonieorchester Niederdonau under Austrofascism and National Socialism
after 1945	Niederösterreichisches Landes-Symphonie-Orchester (State Symphony Orchestra of Lower Austria), numerous concerts in Lower Austria, but primarily in Vienna
6 October 1946	Revival of the Sunday Afternoon Concerts in the Vienna Konzerthaus with a “Bruckner Memorial Concert”
since 1949	Sunday Afternoon Concerts at the Vienna Musikverein
27 January 1950	Constitutive meeting of the organisation the Niederösterreichisches Tonkünstlerochester
1954 to 1965	Over 240 concerts for the Lower Austrian Chamber of Labour
1955 to 1988	Concerts in the arcaded courtyard at Vienna City Hall
1957	Diploma concert with Zubin Mehta and Claudio Abbado
autumn 1957	Tour of Germany with Elly Ney
1963 to 1975	Music Director: Heinz Wallberg
September 1979	Tour of the USA
1985	First tour of Japan
June 1992	Second tour of Japan
1995 to 2000	Music Director: Fabio Luisi
June 1996	Third tour of Japan
1 March 1997	Opening of the Festspielhaus St. Pölten with Mahler’s Symphony No.2 “Resurrection”, since then the resident orchestra at St. Pölten
2000 to 2003	Music Director: Carlos Kalmar
1 March 2002	Founding of the Niederösterreichische Tonkünstler Betriebsgesellschaft m.b.H.
2003	Relocation of the management and music library to the Festspielhaus St. Pölten
2003	Founding of the “Tonspiele” music education department
2004 to 2009	Music Director: Kristjan Järvi
2005	Signing of a permanent funding agreement with the state of Lower Austria; incorporated into the NÖ Kulturwirtschaft umbrella organisation
2007-2008 season	Jubilee season celebrating 100 years of the Tonkunstler
21 June 2007	Opening of the Wolkenturm, Grafenegg; first Grafenegg Festival, since then the resident orchestra at the festival
8 November 2007	First Plugged-In concert at the Vienna Musikverein
2008	Opening of the Auditorium, Grafenegg
2009 to 2015	Music Director: Andrés Orozco-Estrada
from the 2015-16 concert season	Music Director: Yutaka Sado