It has become a tradition to welcome every January 1st with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and its long-awaited New Year’s Concert. From the television, you can hear the waltzes and polkas composed by the Strauss family, with well-known works such as the Blue Danube or the Radetzky March, which closes the recital with the clapping of the audience’s own hands to the rhythm of the music.
This year, it is not necessary to go all the way to Vienna to enjoy the concert in situ. On January 4, 2026, the New Year’s Concert of the Johann Strauss Ensemble of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra will be performed at the Teatro Gran Vía in Madrid .
The ensemble, conducted by violinist Kirill Maximov, will recreate the Viennese atmosphere with a program that brings together the most emblematic marches, polkas and waltzes of the traditional repertoire. The protagonists will be the composers of the Strauss family and the event, which will begin at 12:00 noon, will last approximately 85 minutes.
A musical journey to Austria
Just a few days after the traditional concert on the first day of the year, the Austrian musicians will arrive in Spain to offer a unique experience. The website of Madrid’s Teatro Gran Vía highlights “the careful selection of the pieces on the program, the precision and virtuosity of the Viennese musicians and the celebratory nature of the concert.”
Founded in 1965, the Johann Strauss Ensemble is the exact replica of the orchestra with which Johann Strauss II began his career, in 1844, so it gathers centuries of tradition. This event in Madrid will serve to welcome the year 2026 and tickets are already on sale, with prices starting at 74.55 euros.
A Stradivarius violin from 1716
Following the tradition of the original Austrian ensemble, the concertmaster, first violin will be leading the musicians in this iconic concerto. On this occasion, Kirill Maximov will be in charge of keeping the rhythm and presenting the program to the audience.
Since he began his training at the age of five, the violinist has an extensive career. In addition to winning several international violin competitions, he has performed as a soloist in symphony orchestras in Germany, Romania, Moldova and Kiev, among others.
In his hands, he has a violin with centuries of history. The instrument he plays is the “Antonio Stradivari ex Baron Oppenheim“, made in Cremona in 1716, during the golden age of the stradivarius violins. There are only 300 in the world and it is a loan from the collection of the Austrian National Bank, with which he manages to conquer the public.