New Year's Concert Special 2025

With my favorite Strauss waltzes and polkas

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Wishing all of you a Happy New Year! As a certified classical music geek, I look forward every year to the annual New Year’s Concert from Vienna which usually features the music of the Strauss family played by the incomparable Vienna Philharmonic. In the United States the concert is usually broadcast on PBS outlets, and the complete concert is released on CD, DVD, and streaming services within a few weeks. Since the concert is now broadcast in over 90 countries and has become very popular, if you wish to attend the concert live there is an application process. The tradition of the Vienna New Year’s Concerts first began in 1939, and has been held every year since with the exception of 1940.

The concert this year will be conducted by Riccardo Muti once again, and it will be his seventh time conducting the concert. The sometimes dour Muti tends to lighten up when directing the music of Strauss, and he has led some of the most noteworthy concerts over the years. The only conductors that have led the concert more often than Muti are Clemens Krauss, Willi Boskovsky, and Lorin Maazel. Here is a breakdown of the conductors and the years they have led the concert: