Twin City Journal Bratislava       

When looking in the programme of this year’s Jazz Fest Wien Festival, you’ll be surprised by its diversity and then you’ll ask yourself the question, What is still jazz…? Really, jazz isn’t what it used to be anymore. Now, jazz music includes a large spectrum of interconnected styles and more and more new forms...

In April, the Neue Oper Wien is presenting the world premiere of an opera from the Austrian composer, Herwig Reiter. The base for the libretto is – Goldoni’s Campiello with modern text from Peter Turrini. The author himself told us that even in modern opera, there can be melodious arias, dance music and that we can simply have good fun.

For one month in the year, Vienna changes beyond recognition. In the middle of July, choreographers, dance teachers and dancers from around the world start to arrive and the city of music changes into a dance metropolis. The slightly fairy tale story of the ImPulsTanz festival started a bit like this: In the artistically rather conservative city whose citizens, tourists and politicians mainly preferred musical art (because of a strong musical history), one art manager and one Brazilian dancer and choreographer decided to organise something containing contemporary dance...

Spring will arrive with the Wiener Festwochen in Vienna. The motto of this year’s giant theatre and music festival is “everything different?” Behind this question is the search for alternatives after a year of economic crisis and disclosure of market fraud which has woken in us the necessity to know the truth and to ask questions. “Suddenly there is space for disapproval, doubt, thoughts about changing the situation to something else,” said Stefanie Carp, Theatre Director of the festival.

This year, Vienna is commemorating the 150th anniversary of the birth of composer and conductor, Gustav Mahler. This musical genius, born in the Czech Kalište, had a great connection to this metropolis on the Danube. Vienna influenced him from the age of 15 when he started to study at a local conservatory. He later spent his most creative, fertile and personally most important years of his life in Vienna.

In its first four years, sound:frame festival has become one of the most popular audio:visual festivals in the whole of Europe. Surrounding the theme of dimensions, the sound:frame festival 2010 presents a new way of audio-visual comprehension of space and different spatial structures. This time, the festival focuses on the interaction of visual art with different spatial qualities and three-dimensional structures...

“CARS“ presents works from the Daimler Collection, by artists Andy Warhol, Robert Longo, Sylvie Fleury, and Vincent Szarek. Common to all of the works is their examination of the history, the types, or the design of the Mercedes-Benz car. The core of the exhibition are the thirty-five silkscreen paintings of Andy Warhol’s (1928 - 1987) series CARS, which employ eight selected types of Mercedes to document the history of the automobile...

Due to great success, the Albertina decided to extend the exhibition “Impressionism – Painting Light“ until 14 February 2010. With about 3000 visitors per day, the exhibition ranks among the Albertina´s “Top-Five“. Since the opening on 11 September 2009, it has been seen by 300,000 guests. Comprising 170 works, the exhibition unfolds the mesmerizing world of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painting...

The Fasching time began in Austria´s capital city already early in November and many citizens and visitors of Vienna consider it also the beginning of the ball season. The most famous balls (out of 300) take place in January and February. The Imperial Ball held at the Vienna Imperial Palace on New Year´s Eve stands for the real beginning of the ball season. On 15 January 2010, the Vienna City Hall was the showplace of the Flower Ball and on the same day the Officers´ Ball took place at the Imperial Palace...

The position of contemporary music in the spectrum of music genres is not an easy one. The Wien Modern festival, though, manages to attract an increasing number of visitors with each passing year. We asked artistic director of the festival, Berno Odo Polzer, who is leaving Wien Modern after a decade’s work, just how this growth was possible.

Vienna has a lot of museums, but only one is a truly “city” museum where you can learn everything about the city and experience what exactly “Vienna” means. Wien Museum Karlsplatz anticipates big changes in future.

Everyone may agree with us: seeing a good film in the cinema is entirely different than sitting in front of the TV. A film in the cinema is magical -- a world that we like getting dragged into. The Viennese are passionate cinema goers too. It is evident in the number of large and, even more significantly, small cinemas scattered all over the city. It is also evident in the amount of film festivals held throughout the year -- there are five of them in Vienna this autumn.

It doesn’t always have to be the Alps. It is possible to experience skiing and other fun on snow and ice right here in the city. Thanks to its position between the mountain Wienerwald and the branched Danube, Vienna has two ski resorts, several spectacular cross country tracks, and high quality ice rinks. You don’t really have to travel to the remote highlands to experience winter fun. In Vienna, winter starts right here in the city.

After two successful seasons of the orchestra exchange programme “In the Heart of Europe“, the Slovak Philharmonic will guest under the leading of Leoš Svárovský in Vienna and St. Pölten. Along with famous soloists the ensemble will set out on a spiritual journey with Antonín Dvořák´s Stabat Mater...

29.10. – 21.11.2009
Wien Modern 2009 opens on October 29 with a jewel of contemporary orchestral music: Sylvain Cambreling conducts the SWR-Sinfonieorchester and Klangforum Wien in a performance of Gérard Griseys monumental cycle „Les Espaces Acoustiques“. Then during the following three weeks until November 21, the festival will open up acoustic and audio-visual spaces for contemporary music at more than 15 venues all across Vienna...

Do women working in the area of culture need their own network? The founders of the association “Women’s network of cultural managers”, Lisa Grilz and Gerit Kröpfl, asked themselves the same question years ago and found that women working in culture (of which there are more than enough) clearly lacked some kind of network that would enable them to share their experiences and make new contacts.

There are three things that make a real holiday: sun, beach, and a good bar. Some of us need one more thing to have the right summer: easy and relaxed culture. To follow such holiday dreams we leave towns and cities and set off to idyllic little towns and villages. Vienna is one of the very few places that you don’t have to leave during your holidays. Everything that you imagine for the perfect holiday can be found here.

The best way to let children grow fully is to let them create freely at what they like doing. Creativity, experimenting, playfulness and courage to do also crazy things – children and adults alike are inspired by all of this thanks to the children’s museum in Vienna, ZOOM Kindermuseum.

Can you imagine a summer without jazz? Vienna citizens can’t imagine that either, and it is in the summer that they have paid tribute to this genre of music for almost two decades with their jazz festival featuring top-class musicians, Jazz Fest Wien. Even the first year of Jazz Fest, which took place back in 1991, featured stars like Jan Garbarek, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson and Joe Zawinul. It is not just the excellent programme that guarantees the festival’s success every year, but also the choice of venues for the events...

It is time for a lady to take over the helm at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, one of the most prestigious of its kind in the world, after 18 years under the direction of Wilfried Seipel. Sabine Haag did not exactly volunteer for the post of General Director. At the start of the selection process the Austrian Minister of Culture herself approached her in person. So, who is Sabine Haag?

From 9 May to 21 June the Vienna Konzerthaus presents 68 events with high-calibre musicians at the 34th International Music Festival under the motto “Elites”. The focus: The year’s ruler Joseph Haydn as well as Franz Schubert...

Style-enthusiasts can experience and purchase brand new fashion, jewellery and accessories at the Modepalast (fashion palace) from 23 to 26 April 2009 in quartier21 at the Vienna MuseumsQuartier. More than 80 Austrian and international labels will be showing ready-to-wear clothing and trendy street fashions on 800 m2 of exhibition space...

Hofmobiliendepot presents the first comprehensive and systematic exhibition of furniture and architecture of the French designer Jean Prouvé (1901 – 1984) which has been prepared in cooperation with the Vitra Design Museum from Germany. With this exhibition Hofmobiliendepot continues its series of exhibitions of great designers of the 20th century...

(18 February - 10 May 2009)
In the exhibition HANS NEUMANN. Pioneer of Advertising Agencies, the MAK continues its self-assigned mission of raising public awareness of the poster advertisement genre. Hans Neumann (1888 – 1960) is representative of the development of the Austrian advertising landscape from the 1920s to the late 1930s, during which time his posters gave the Vienna cityscape a characteristic flair.

Gerhard Richter. Retrospective (30 January - 3 May 2009)
Gerhard Richter ranks among the greatest and most influential artists of our time. Since the 1960s he has explored, in numerous variations, series and cycles, a visual world whose primary theme is painting itself. Richter refuses to adhere to an established course or artistic language.