EHRFEM
The press
From the shadow
into the light
There is still an underrepresentation of women standing in the front ranks of the music world—be it as musicians, composers, conductors, or promoters. This is certainly not due to a lack of talent or qualification. For this reason, I began addressing this issue with a wide range of people, sparking a process that has led many to commit to making women and female artists a central focus in music. These conversations and efforts are intended to be the prelude to a collective movement of lasting support and encouragement. Following the joy of presenting the "1st Vienna New Year's Concert of Female Composers" in the 2023/24 season, our upcoming New Year's Concert on January 1, 2025, will feature a program equally balanced between female and male composers.
Cathrin Chytil
Director Ehrbar Hall
:IN-CONCERT-HIGHLIGHTS
NEW YEAR'S CONCERT OF THE
COMPOSER:INSIDE
We are particularly delighted to announce that "La Philharmonica" will perform the upcoming New Year's concert in the Ehrbar Hall.MORE INFO & TICKETS
The program will be elegantly balanced, featuring works by female and male composers in equal measure.
Join us in celebrating the first day of the New Year to the honorable rhythm of the Waltz.
LILYA ZILBERSTEIN
She began her training at the Gnessin Special Music School in Moscow at the age of five. After winning numerous competitions, she emigrated to Germany in 1990. Her debut with the Berlin Philharmonic under Claudio Abbado a year later laid the foundation for collaborations with other internationally renowned orchestras.MORE INFO & TICKETS
ALMA DEUTSCHER
The 18-year-old virtuoso Alma Deutscher wrote her first composition at the age of six. Often hailed as a prodigy and highly praised by conductors such as Zubin Mehta and Sir Simon Rattle, she now performs her own music as a soloist alongside numerous international orchestras.MORE INFO & TICKETS
WHY EHRFEM?
In case the question still lingers, let the record show: women composers and performers were barely acknowledged and remained unrecorded in the great chronicles of music.*
The Ehrbar Saal is delighted to welcome back so many powerful women who will fill its halls in the coming months.
Highlights include Giuseppe Verdi’s opera "Un ballo in maschera", reimagined from the perspective of its female lead, Amelia. Saxophonist Michaela Reingruber poses the provocative question in her concert title: 'Is the saxophone feminine?'—will she find the answer? Furthermore, the Helmut Deutsch Lied Competition features a female composer for the first time, with the inclusion of songs by Alma Mahler. Finally, a special New Year’s Concert, curated and hosted by Irene Suchy, will showcase female waltz composers from both past and present.
But what does it have to do with the
New Year's concert by female composers?
The New Year’s Concert at the Ehrbar Saal, held on January 1, 2024, at 5 PM, featured waltz compositions by female composers. The program showcased works by Josephine Weinlich, Charlotte Wiener, Lena Stein-Schneider, Hilda Löwe, Leopoldine Blahetka, Viola Falb, Sofia Gubaidulina, Johanna Doderer, and Melissa Coleman.
With every woman
the story becomes richer
Women have composed great works throughout history, and they continue to do so now more than ever. They compose and they conduct. It is up to society to bring their work, their skill, and their creativity to light. This happens by creating opportunities for them to take the world’s great stages and be seen. It is up to funding institutions, organizers, dramaturgs, directors, and audiences alike to determine how visible female artists and composers become. It is the responsibility of society to rewrite history—looking both backward and forward. History becomes more beautiful, deeper, and richer with every woman who steps into the spotlight.
*A long version of this text, back to the first composer,
which has officially designated itself as such, can be found in our latest freshly printed programme book,
which will be available for free in the foyer of the Ehrbar Saal from September.
which has officially designated itself as such, can be found in our latest freshly printed programme book,
which will be available for free in the foyer of the Ehrbar Saal from September.
