What Vienna concert, performed each New Year's Day, grew from the musical tradition of the Strauss family?

The Vienna New Year's Concert is performed each New Year's Day and is strongly associated with the Strauss family tradition.

The concert is presented by the Vienna Philharmonic in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria. Its core repertoire includes waltzes, polkas, and other light orchestral works by Johann Strauss II, his father Johann Strauss I, and related composers. The program traditionally ends with three familiar encores: the “Blue Danube,” the “Radetzky March,” and a greeting of “Happy New Year.”

The first concert in the series was held on December 31, 1939, during the Second World War. From 1941 onward, it was held on January 1, and the New Year's Day format became the enduring tradition. The Vienna Philharmonic's musicians select the conductor, who changes from year to year.

Although it is often described simply as a Strauss concert, the repertoire can include works by other Viennese composers. The “Radetzky March” is also traditionally accompanied by audience clapping, usually under the conductor's direction.