EBU to broadcast Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra New Year’s concert; signs new contract with VPO

World renowned conductor Mariss Jansons will lead the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (VPO) in the annual New Year’s concert which will be transmitted by the EBU to more than 50 million people around the world.

Geneva, SWITZERLAND, 30-12-2015 — /EuropaWire/ — The HD broadcast of the 76^th annual New Year’s Concert  on 1 January will be produced by Austrian EBU Member ORF, and distributed globally on the EBU’s EUROVISION and EURORADIO satellite and fibre networks.

The performance at Vienna’s Musikverein Concert Hall will be broadcast in more than 90 countries as the centrepiece of a EUROVISION TV and radio distribution agreement that runs until 2017 comprising three classical concerts exclusive to EBU Members in Europe.

Mariss Jansons  has worked with the Vienna Philharmonic for over 20 years and will be conducting  the New Year’s Concert for the third time.

The two-hour long transmission will feature an appearance by the Vienna Boys’ Choir, and the soloists of the Vienna State Ballet choreographed by Jiří and Otto Bubeníček. As is traditional, the musical programme draws on the works of the Strauss family including Johann Strauss, Jr., Josef Strauss and Eduard Strauss.

EBU Head of Media Jean Philip De Tender says the EBU is proud to once again bring this most celebrated of concerts to classical music lovers around the world.

“For audiences across the globe, this concert is a signal that the New Year has properly begun.” De Tender said. “As the world’s most influential alliance of public broadcasters, the EBU is proud to once again work with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra to allow audiences in over 90 countries to be transported to the Austrian capital for this wonderful celebration of the best in classical music.”

New Contract

The EBU and VPO are also pleased to announce they have signed a new contract covering European rights to three annual concerts (New Year’s Concert, Summer Night Concert and a ‘Special Concert’ from the orchestra’s international tours) for the period 2018-22.

EBU Member ORF and the VPO have also signed an agreement regarding the production of the New Year & Summer Night concert for the same time frame, meaning that these concerts will remain public service events until 2022 at least.

The new contract was announced by ORF Director General and EBU Vice-President Alexander Wrabetz at a press conference in Vienna on 29 December.

EBU Director General Ingrid Deltenre welcomed the new deal: “We are delighted to extend the EBU’s partnership with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and ORF until 2022. This contract renewal confirms our shared belief that public-service TV channels remain the only way to deliver large scale ’event television’ such as the New Year’s Concert, enjoyed by over 50 million viewers every year.”

In 2016 the Summer Night Concert will take place on 26 May in the gardens of Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna. Next year’s Special Concert will be a production by Japanese Associate EBU Member NHK from Suntory Hall, Tokyo in a programme featuring violinist Anne Sophie Mutter, conducted by Zubin Mehta and Seiji Ozawa.

Contact details

Matthew Trustram
Project Manager
TV
+41 22 717 2623
trustram@ebu.ch
LinkedIn

SOURCE: EBU

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EBU to broadcast Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra New Year’s concert; signs new contract with VPO