The Vienna State Opera is one of the first opera addresses in the world , offering great diversity at the highest level. The program of this renowned opera house changes daily and presents 50 opera and 20 ballets on 300 days of the year.

Top international soloists, directors and stage designers greatly enjoy presenting their art to knowledgeable and discerning Viennese audiences. And the roster of directors of the august house on Vienna`s Ring Boulevard contains a number of eminent musicians such as Gustav Mahler (1897 - 1907), Richard Strauss (1919 - 1924), Herbert von Karajan (1956 - 1964) and Claudio Abbado (1986 - 1991).

The repertory of the State Opera presents an impressive cross-section through the entire operatic spectrum, including Giuseppe Verdi`s "Aida" and "Falstaff", Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart`s "Die Zauberflöte" and "Cos" fan tutte", Richard Strauss`s "Daphne", Richard Wagner`s "Der Ring des Nibelungen" and "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg", Gioacchino Rossini`s "Il Barbiere di Siviglia", as well as Giacomo Puccini`s "Tosca" and "La Bohème".

The building itself was erected between 1863 and 1869 as one of the first great monuments of the new Ring Boulevard. The Royal-Imperial Court Opera Theater, as it was first called, was designed by the architects August Sicard von Sicardsburg and Eduard van der Nüll.

Once a year, the stage and orchestra stalls of the Vienna State Opera turn into a giant dance floor , for the Vienna Opera Ball. More than a hundred debutante couples in long evening dress and tailcoats open the ball in the presence of the Austrian Federal President; once more, one can feel the ambiance of the Vienna of the great Ring Boulevard era ...

1., Opernring 2 U, Tram, Bus: Karlsplatz/Oper
Tel. 514 44 - 2250
Internet: http://www.wiener-staatsoper.at