Vienna celebrates Johann Strauss II's 200th birthday with year-long music program in 2025

Vienna is preparing a year-long celebration for the 200th birthday of Johann Strauss II, born on October 25, 1825. The city's program, under the motto 'King of Waltz. Queen of Music,' features concerts and events at major venues including the Musikverein, Wiener Konzerthaus, MusikTheater an der Wien, Vienna State Opera, and Volksoper, as well as unique locations like the Central Cemetery and Danube Island. Over 450 dance events are planned, many dedicated to Strauss's music. Visitors can take dance lessons with Hop on Waltz or the Rueff Dance School, including express courses for tourists. Key sites include Strauss's apartment on Praterstrasse, which houses an Amati violin with a jewelry-like case, a grand piano gifted by Ludwig Bösendorfer for his 71st birthday, a harmonium, and a domestic organ. The exhibition 'Johann Strauss – Die Ausstellung' at the Theater Museum, the House of Strauss (housed in the former Casino Zögernitz, now the Vienna Institute for Strauss Research), and the House of Music (featuring a virtual conductor to lead the Vienna Philharmonic) tell his story. The Gilded Johann Strauss monument in Stadtpark, erected in 1921, is another tribute. The annual New Year's Concert on January 1, 2025, conducted by Riccardo Muti, will feature Strauss's works, including the iconic 'An der schönen blauen Donau' used by Stanley Kubrick in '2001: A Space Odyssey'.