Vienna traditionally hosts the Vienna New Year's Concert.
The concert is performed by the Vienna Philharmonic in the Musikverein's Golden Hall. It is held on January 1 rather than on New Year's Eve, but it is closely tied to the holiday period and is broadcast internationally. Its program focuses chiefly on music by the Strauss family and related Viennese composers.
The first concert in the modern tradition took place on January 1, 1941, during the period of Nazi rule. Clemens Krauss conducted it. After World War II, the event developed into an annual international broadcast and became one of classical music's most recognizable New Year's programs.
The concert is often associated especially with Johann Strauss II's “The Blue Danube” and the “Radetzky March.” Conductors change from year to year, so the orchestra—not a permanent single conductor—is the defining performing institution.