Founded in 1946, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra has had especially important partners in principal conductor Carlo Zecchi as well as guest conductors Yehudi Menuhin and Sándor Végh. More recently, artistic directors have included Philippe Entremont (Honorary Conductor for Life), Ernst Kovacic and Christoph Eberle. Since 2003, the position of Associate Conductor has been entrusted to Joji Hattori.

Heinrich Schiff was appointed artistic director of the Vienna Chamber Orchestra in 2005. Although he was unfortunately obliged, due to health reasons, to resign this position in 2008, he will continue to lead the orchestra in concerts planned for the future.

One of the highlights of Heinrich Schiff’s directorship was a performance of the complete cycle of Beethoven Symphonies, given in the Vienna Konzerthaus in 2006. A Schubert symphony cycle has been scheduled there for the 2008/2009 season.

In May 2008, Stefan Vladar was appointed Artistic Director if the Vienna Chamber Orchestra. Two major projects will take place in 2009/2010 under his baton: A series of Mendelssohn/Beethoven concerts in The Vienna Konzerthaus and a cycle of Mozart Piano Concerti in Vienna's Operahouse "The Theater an der Wien". Furthermore tours and engagements are presently being negotiated with international agencies and organizers.

Cooperation with the conductors Heinz Holliger, Sir Neville Marriner, Adam Fischer and Rudolf Barshai has held special significance to the orchestra. The list of prominent conductors, singers and soloists proves once again the international standing of the Vienna Chamber Orchestra:: Lidia Baich, Cecilia Bartoli, Elisabeth Batiashvili, Teresa Berganza, Rudolf Buchbinder, Gianluca Cascioli, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Adrian Eröd, Theodor Guschlbauer, Reinhold Friedrich, Hélène Grimaud, Isabelle Faust, Friedrich und Paul Gulda, Clemens Hagen, Lynn Harrell, Kiri Te Kanawa, François Leleux, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Oleg Maisenberg, Viktoria Mullova, Gianandrea Noseda, Emmanuel Pahud, Thomas Quasthoff, Julian Rachlin, Janine Jansen, Vadim Repin, Maxim Vengerov, Richard Stoltzman, Stefan Vladar, Thomas Zehetmair, Peter Schmidl, Benjamin Schmid, Radovan Vlatkovic, Hanna & Bruno Weinmeister.

In addition to its subscription series “Matinees” and “International Prizewinners”at the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra makes guest appearances there in the “Symphonie Classique” series in the Great Hall. Furthermore, the orchestra is a welcome guest at festivals and concert halls around the world. During the 2006/2007 season, for instance, the ensemble appeared in the Beethoven Festival in Bonn, at the Cologne Philharmonie and returned to the Eisenstadt Haydn Festival and the Linz Bruckner Festival.

The international renown of the Vienna Chamber Orchestra is reflected in its frequent tours to Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, the USA and South America, among others, and its regular appearances in practically every major city in Europe.

Updated: May 2008