Austria · CONCERTS
A church recital, a costumed Mozart programme and a night at the Musikverein cost wildly different money for the same ninety minutes of Vienna. These 15 compare the halls, the programmes and the seat categories, so you know what you are paying for before you book.
Spend 75 minutes inside Vienna’s Karlskirche with Orchestra 1756, a period-instrument ensemble performing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Expect Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, plus changing works by Mozart, Bach, Biber, or other major composers. Choose your seat carefully, arrive early, and dress for the church’s cold winter air.
“Amazing! this venue is perfect and the concert was fantastic.”
Spend two hours at Vienna’s Musikverein, hearing Mozart and Haydn in the first half and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in the second. Your concert may be in the famous Golden Hall or the smaller Brahms Hall. Tickets cost about $17, but seat views vary, and cash is needed for the coat check and optional €3.80 program.
“Beautiful concert, played by very talented musicians, who were able to bring across all of the different emotions. The publicum however was a different story to me - even though explicitly stated in the beginning, so many people took photographs, videos and were on their phones in general, which I find somewhat distracting and quite rude. I would wish that the rule of "no phones during concert" would be more enforced, but I also realize the impossibility of that. But all in all very much worth the price!”
Spend about an hour hearing classical music inside St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna’s central landmark. Choose a program featuring Mozart, Bach, Vivaldi, Beethoven, Christmas music, Mozart’s Requiem, or the 12,000-pipe Giant Organ. Seats are assigned within your ticket category, and earlier booking generally means a better view.
“The musicians were phenomenal and acoustics were very favorable for the event.”
Spend two hours with the Vienna Mozart Orchestra in Vienna’s Musikverein, often in the famous Golden Hall. Expect Mozart overtures, arias, and duets, plus Strauss favorites such as The Blue Danube and Radetzky March. Period costumes, wigs, opera singers, soloists, and audience participation make this a polished but relaxed introduction to Viennese concert life.
“Absolutely phenomenal. Definitely a worthy experience and value for money. Interactive, entertaining, touching. A must!”
Meet at the first-floor Marble Hall in Mirabell Palace for a 90-minute, unplugged chamber concert by respected soloists and ensembles. You’ll hear Mozart and other classical composers in the former banquet hall where Leopold Mozart and his children once performed. Choose reserved or open seating, arrive 30 minutes early, and exchange your voucher for the original ticket.
“Amazing. Definitely recommend to buy tickets in the front to see how the musicians are interacting and playing their instruments.”
Attend a 70-minute string quartet concert at Vienna’s Baroque St. Anne’s Church, three minutes from the State Opera. Musicians from renowned Viennese orchestras perform complete works by Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, or Schubert on instruments modeled on those used in the composers’ time. The 8 PM concert has free seating, so arriving early helps secure a good view.
“The venue excellent. The performers excellent. I only wish it could have gone on longer! Enchanting evening and time well spent.”
Enter the Sala Terrena at Mozarthaus Vienna, just 150 meters from St. Stephen’s Cathedral, for a close-up classical concert by the Mozart Ensemble Vienna. Hear Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, and other Viennese masters in the former monastery where Mozart lived and played in 1781. The ornate frescoes are part of the evening.
Spend 105 minutes hearing Mozart and Strauss performed by a palace orchestra, soprano, and baritone in Schönbrunn’s Orangerie. You’ll enter near the palace’s grand entrance, choose seats within your ticket category, and enjoy a polished concert with audience interaction. VIP tickets add front-row seating, priority entry, drinks, a program, and free coat check.
“Excellent performances from the orchestra and the operas singers. Very professional. The conductor had a good sense of humour and made sure there was audience interaction towards the end of the performance.”
Spend about an hour hearing the Classic Ensemble Vienna perform Mozart, Vivaldi, Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, and other classics inside St. Peter’s Church. You’ll collect your ticket at the box office, then sit in an assigned pew or chair in the church vaults. Smart-casual dress is expected, and warm clothing matters in winter.
“Beautiful concert! I suggest upgrading your ticket if you want to see the quartet. There are a few seats in the back with no view. All in all, a beautiful concert in a beautiful church. And bonus, there’s a taxi stand right outside the church.”
Step into Salzburg Cathedral for a 30-minute midday recital featuring two organists and several of the cathedral’s seven organs. You’ll hear the noon bells, compare the instruments’ sounds, and sit beneath the great dome in one of Salzburg’s most important cultural sites. English and German introductions are provided.
“Was very nice experience, it was first time to us listening it”
Ride the funicular up Hohensalzburg Fortress, dine at the Panorama Restaurant, then hear Mozart and other classical favorites in the historic Golden Hall. The 3.5-hour evening includes return funicular travel and a choice of classic or VIP dining. Expect smart casual dress, many stairs, and concert programs that may change.
“Lovely evening of dinner and music. Nice views from the castle to tge city below.”
Spend about 70 minutes hearing a professional string quartet perform Viennese classics inside St. Anne’s Church. The program may feature Mozart, Beethoven, or Schubert, played on period instruments by musicians trained at leading European academies. Arrive up to 45 minutes early to choose your seat. A program is included.
“Very talented string quartet performed a selection of music by Viennese composers. Lovely setting, just remember to go the toilet beforehand, 50cents in Burger King next door”
Spend about five hours at Schönbrunn Palace, touring the imperial rooms after closing with an audio guide, eating a three-course Austrian dinner nearby, and hearing Mozart and Strauss in the Orangery. VIP seating adds priority access, two drinks, a program, and front-row seats.
“It was a wonderful introduction to vienns.. The schonbrunn palace was amazing followed by dinner at gestner. We booked the VIP package and were seated in the first two rows which gave us wonderful seats to be entertained by the conductor and orchestra.. It was an enchanting evening.”
Make your own way to Schönbrunn’s Orangery for a 90-minute concert of Mozart and Strauss, often joined by opera singers. Choose standard or VIP seating. VIP includes priority entry, two drinks, a program, and free cloakroom service. The concert may move to the Great Gallery or White Gold Room, where no ballet is presented.
“The conductor had the ensemble on point the entire night. He was enthusiastic and seemed to genuinely love what he was doing.”
Spend about two hours at Vienna’s Musikverein with the 30-member Vienna Mozart Orchestra. Hear Mozart symphonies, concertos, opera arias, and duets, with musicians in historical dress and singers in costume. Your concert may be in the Golden Hall or Brahms Hall, and four seating categories are available.
“Very fun. The music was delightful. A lot of light hearted humor. Dress in layers. Cool outside, warm inside”
Pick a palace, a mountain or a concert hall.
