„As a leading music institution, we are called upon to be there for everyone,“ says Stephan Pauly, Director of the Musikverein. „We want to make music for everyone who wants to experience it and break down barriers that could prevent this. Everyone should be able to experience how enriching music can be.“
For decades, the Musikverein’s extensive children’s and family programme has been a testament to its efforts to promote cultural participation. In cycles such as „Topolina“ and „Agathes Wunderkoffer“, young audiences learn about instruments and well-known pieces of music and understand how valuable music can be for their lives.
Last season, for example, the concerts of „The Power of Music“, which were launched in cooperation with the social and health centre CAPE 10 in Vienna-Favoriten, showed a vivid picture of how this can also work with children and young people who were previously unfamiliar with the Musikverein. Each season, 400 socially disadvantaged children and children at risk of poverty from schools with unique challenges in Vienna-Favoriten are given the opportunity to attend concerts and workshops free of charge. In the first season since its foundation, the programme included three performances of „Alberto’s Adventure“, three appearances by ECHO „Rising Stars“, and a Christmas sing-along in the Great Hall under the patronage of mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča. As part of the project, the primary school classes attend concerts at the Musikverein and CAPE 10 – the house that helps. Their teachers are also trained in how they can integrate music even more into everyday school life. On the one hand, the aim is to introduce the children to the Musikverein as a traditional cultural venue and, on the other, to pick them up literally on their doorstep.
