American audiences get a television seat at one of Vienna's biggest musical events this month. PBS's Great Performances premieres the Vienna Philharmonic's Summer Night Concert on Friday, August 28 at 9 p.m. ET, according to OperaWire. The concert itself was recorded on June 19 in the park of Schönbrunn Palace, with Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel as the headline soloist.
On the podium: Lorenzo Viotti, marking the Swiss conductor's first time leading the Vienna Philharmonic. For anyone planning a trip to the city, the broadcast doubles as a preview of the palace gardens that anchor any Vienna itinerary.
What Is on the Program
Terfel's set leans on the big operatic repertoire: arias from Verdi's Falstaff, Boito's Mefistofele and Wagner's Das Rheingold, plus a selection from Fiddler on the Roof for a lighter close. Soloists from the Vienna State Ballet join the orchestra for pieces by Ravel, danced to choreography by Eno Peçi.
The broadcast is directed by Henning Kasten and produced by Edith Hisch as a co-production between the Wiener Philharmoniker, Austrian broadcaster ORF and The WNET Group, the New York public media company behind Great Performances.
The Setting: Schönbrunn Palace Park
The Summer Night Concert is staged each year in the gardens of Schönbrunn, the Habsburgs' summer residence on the western edge of the city, with the palace facade and the hilltop Gloriette as its backdrop. On screen it is a spectacle; in person the park is one of Vienna's most rewarding half-days, and the gardens are open to walk without a palace ticket.
If the broadcast puts Schönbrunn on your list, our complete guide to things to do in Vienna covers how to plan a palace visit, and the Vienna history and culture guide explains how the Habsburg residences fit together.
Hearing the Vienna Philharmonic in Vienna
The orchestra's home stage is the Musikverein's Golden Hall, and concert tickets in Vienna range from formal subscription evenings to standing-room spots sold shortly before performances at the State Opera. Church concerts and smaller ensembles fill the calendar between the marquee dates, so a music-focused visit works in any season.
Timing matters, though: the concert calendar thins in high summer when the big houses take their break. Check our month-by-month guide to visiting Vienna to line your trip up with the season you want, and browse places to stay in Vienna near the concert halls of the 1st district.
How to Watch
The Great Performances premiere airs on PBS stations on Friday, August 28 at 9 p.m. ET. Check your local PBS listings for the exact channel and any repeat airings in your area, since individual stations set their own schedules.
For travelers planning further ahead, the open-air concert at Schönbrunn returns each summer, and the palace park makes an easy add-on to any June itinerary. Between the broadcast and a future visit, the gardens, the Gloriette and the orchestra's own concert calendar give you plenty to build a Vienna music trip around.
“The Summer Night Concert is the easiest possible introduction to the Vienna Philharmonic: an open-air evening in the Schönbrunn gardens rather than a formal hall. Watching the broadcast is the next best thing to standing on that lawn.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Source & Additional Resources
Broadcast schedule and streaming details for the series.
Great Performances at PBSThe OperaWire report this article is based on.
Original story at OperaWireOfficial visitor information, including concert listings.
Vienna Tourist Board
