2023 PLU World Music Centers: Vienna

Hallo aus Wien!

On Sunday we traveled to Vienna, Austria! The train was long but beautiful. We started the city off with a group dinner at Mayer am Pfarrplatz. Always great company with this group. On our first full day in the city, the group took another walking tour and saw many famous sights. That evening was a wonderful concert with the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, who is based in Rome. Like all of our other performances, the music was phenomenal. We got pretty darn lucky and even experience an encore of Edward Elgar's Nimrod. Such a stunning program.

Venue for the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia performance.

Four our second day in the city, we were granted a free day! A group of us students (along with the amazing Ryan Branchini) headed to the Belvedere Palace. There we saw many great pieces of art, with the most popular collection being the Gustav Klimt. I had a chance to learn a bit about Klimt and see famous works like The Kiss. We happily spent several hours in upper and lower Belvedere before a special dinner with some PLU friends! A couple of my pals, Ellie, Isabella, and Caitlyn happen to be studying in Vienna for the semester so we all got dinner to catch up. It was great to see my friends one last time before leaving Vienna.

One of the Klimt works.

PLU pals!

Day 3 in Vienna was all about the Schönbrunn Palace and the Vienna Symphony. The palace was absolutely beautiful. We got to learn all about Vienna's history, the imperial family, and the history of the palace itself. I wish I could have spent all day there! (there was even a zoo on the grounds!!!) We ended our evening at Musikverein for the symphony. The violin soloist of the evening was incredible and only 20 years old!!!! W.O.W.

The Musikverein.

For our last day in Vienna, we started our day at the Kunsthistorisches Museum with another great tour guide. We had a quick art lesson and then we all explored the museum. I walked through a beautiful hall of statues, a golden exhibit, greek antiquity, and an Egyptian exhibition. I saw mummies and a mummified crocodile! We spent a bit more time in the museum and then got ready for... DON GIOVANNI! I was super stoked about this show, and it delivered! I really loved their interpretation and the singers for the night. It left me speechless. Afterward, I got really lucky and met a few of the cast members, they were such great, down-to-earth people. A major highlight of the trip! Off to Salzburg!