Vienna, 28 December 2023 – The Vienna Philharmonic’s annual New Year’s concert, now in its 84th edition, promises to once again delight listeners worldwide. On 1 January, in the Golden Hall of Vienna’s Musikverein, the highly esteemed symphony orchestra will signal the beginning of the year with this much-loved tradition.
As always, the programme will shine a spotlight on the joyous music of Johann Strauss, his family and contemporaries. This year, the guest conductor is German Maestro Christian Thielemann who is wielding the baton at this prestigious concert for a second time.
Based on the company’s belief in supporting creativity as a beacon of hope and inspiration, Rolex became Exclusive Partner of the orchestra − acknowledged to be one of the world’s finest − in 2008 and opted to become Exclusive Sponsor of the New Year’s concert the following year. Thanks to broadcasts in more than 90 countries and streaming on medici.tv, millions are now able to share in this prestigious event that carries the joys of music to a world beyond borders.
2024 MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS
In the coming year, following on from the iconic New Year’s performance, will be a series of other prestigious Vienna Philharmonic concerts sponsored by Rolex. These include a concert at New York’s Carnegie Hall on 1 March; the Summer Night Concert on the grounds of Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace on 7 June; a concert at Madrid’s Auditorio Nacional de Música on 1 October; at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris on 5 October; and at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), the supreme palace of performing arts in China, in Beijing on 4 and 5 November.
PERPETUATING CULTURE
The continuous pursuit of excellence, symbolized by the word ‘Perpetual’, underpins every aspect of Rolex’s activities from watchmaking to its many partnerships. This commitment to always reach the pinnacle of performance and achievement drives the company to support outstanding individuals and organizations in the arts and culture through its Perpetual Arts Initiative.
By embracing a wide range of the arts − from music, architecture and cinema to dance, literature, theatre and visual arts in its mentoring programme − Rolex confirms its long-term engagement with global culture and artistic excellence.
New Zealand soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa became the first artist to represent the brand as a Testimonee in 1976. Over the decades, she was joined by many of the world’s greatest musicians, artists and performers, along with celebrated institutions, festivals and orchestras.
Among the artists that Rolex partners through the Perpetual Arts Initiative are Italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli, French tenor Benjamin Bernheim, Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez, German tenor Jonas Kaufmann, English-Italian conductor Sir Antonio Pappano, Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel, Mexican tenor Rolando Villazón, Bulgarian soprano Sonya Yoncheva, Yuja Wang, from China, Hélène Grimaud, from France, Canadian singer and Grammy Award-winner Michael Bublé and British-American sitarist Anoushka Shankar.
As well as the Vienna Philharmonic, along with the Salzburg and Whitsun Festivals, Rolex supports many of the foremost cultural institutions from around the world. They include Vienna’s own Musikverein, the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, London’s Royal Opera House, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Opéra national de Paris, the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Beijing, the Opéra de Monte-Carlo and the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg.
Source:
Rolex SA
www.rolex.com
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ABOUT THE VIENNA PHILHARMONIC
The Vienna Philharmonic is widely acknowledged as one of the world’s most revered orchestras, upholding the greatest traditions in classical music. Founded in 1842 and with more than 180 years of artistic contribution, it is known for its individuality and lustrous sound, as well as for its exacting standards, maintaining artistic integrity and communicating music’s humanitarian message around the world. Today, this is carried out by way of two notable events which are broadcast in numerous countries around the world: the New Year’s Concert and the open-air Summer Night Concert, where, every May or June, over 50,000 people gather in the Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn in Vienna, known as the capital city of music.
ABOUT ROLEX
AN UNRIVALLED REPUTATION FOR QUALITY AND EXPERTISE
Rolex is an integrated and independent Swiss watch manufacture. Headquartered in Geneva, the brand is recognized the world over for its expertise and the quality of its products – symbols of excellence, elegance and prestige. The movements of its Oyster Perpetual and Perpetual watches are certified by COSC, then tested in-house for their precision, performance and reliability. TheSuperlative Chronometer certification, symbolized by the green seal, confirms that each watch has successfully undergone tests conducted by Rolex in its own laboratories according to its own criteria. These are periodically validated by an independent external organization.
The word ‘Perpetual’ is inscribed on every Rolex Oyster watch. But more than just a word on a dial, it is a philosophy that embodies the company’s vision and values. Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of the company, instilled a notion of perpetual excellence that would drive the company forward. This led Rolex to pioneer the development of the wristwatch and numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the Perpetual rotor self-winding mechanism, invented in 1931. In the course of its history, Rolex has registered over 600 patents. At its four sites in Switzerland, the brand designs, develops and produces the majority of its watch components, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly and finishing of the movement, case, dial and bracelet. Furthermore, the brand is actively involved in supporting the arts and culture, sport and exploration, as well as those who are devising solutions to preserve the planet.
