Arriving and growing
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Tonkunstler Orchestra in GrafeneggPublished: 18/08/2023
On 19 August 1973, in the courtyard of Grafenegg Castle, a performance of Beethoven's «Coriolan» Overture marked the birth of a major collaboration. And on that very same date in 2023 the Tonkunstler Orchestra celebrates its 50th anniversary here in Grafenegg. As early as the beginning of the 2000s, a year-round subscription series developed in the old Reitschule, soon finding a loyal audience. This gave rise to the concerts known today as «Jahreszeitenklänge». With the construction of the open-air Wolkenturm and at a rainy but festive opening in 2007, the Tonkunstler Orchestra was officially appointed resident orchestra of Grafenegg, making its new home here alongside the Wiener Musikverein and Festspielhaus St. Pölten.
«We are proud to be the resident orchestra here and to be able to play what visiting orchestras cannot bring with with them on tour. The atmosphere here in Grafenegg can't be compared to anything else.»
Half a century does not pass without leaving its mark. They say time changes you, and that is a good thing. We consider ourselves fortunate to have the Tonkunstler Orchestra as a supporting pillar of this musical destination, because as an orchestra it has played a decisive role in the shaping of Grafenegg. Frank Druschel, CEO, Walter Schober, principal flute, and Roswitha Wallisch-Gepart from the orchestra's administration take us back to their first day in Grafenegg.
«The first time was in April 2016, shortly before Easter. It was snowing and no one was in the park. I thought: what a magical place! And that has remained unchanged to this day.»
«I was still a student at my first performance, as a substitute for a concert performance of «Meistersinger» in the castle courtyard, sometime between 1983 and 1988. At that time, I found it utterly magical and exciting - in the truest sense of the word - to play concerts in such a charming place.»
«I think it was a performance of Mendelssohn's «Lobgesang» Symphony in the Reitschule in June 2003. I could only think to myself that there was not enough space on the stage, and how great it would be if we had a really big stage in Grafenegg so that we could play there more often. I knew Grafenegg before that, when I used to show bus tourists around the castle and park during my studies.»
Since then, countless concerts have taken place on the various stages of Grafenegg, many things have been tried out together, and the Tonkunstler has proven itself to be one of the most versatile orchestras in Austria. The opening of the Grafenegg Festival in 2007, especially, was a great milestone. During the summer months, the multitude of rehearsals and concerts means that Grafenegg is awash with music. And while elsewhere one would stroll across the red carpet to the performance, in Grafenegg you can see the musicians in tailcoats and evening dress making their way across the green lawn from the dressing rooms to the Wolkenturm. The Tonkunstler Orchestra is a conduit not only for all the musical currents, but also for the place as such. Identifying with the audience and growing along with them produces a palpable closeness that is probably unique. Our Tonkunstler Orchestra has many facets and strengths.
«In my life as a flute player, I have had the privilege of being involved with very different ensembles in Vienna, Austria, and many parts of the world. So, I can state without bias that the Tonkunstler is a great and incredibly enthusiastic, versatile, open, and genre-transcending ensemble, unprejudiced and with very strong individual personalities, who also work together in a very appreciative and respectful manner. This results in a wonderfully colourful, powerful yet nuanced overall sound with a very wide dynamic range and consistently great concerts, unforgettable not only for the audience but also for those on stage.»
Not content with 50 years, we are setting our sights on the future, where we don't want to reach only for the stars, but even further. So we ask: «What performances would the Tonkunstler Orchestra like to see in the future?» While Theresia Melichar, oboist and member of the orchestra's advisory board, would like to see a performance of the complete symphonies of Gustav Mahler, the enthusiastic choral singer Roswitha Wallisch-Gepart would like to experience Giuseppe Verdi's «Quattro pezzi sacri» or Giacomo Puccini's «Missa di Gloria» at the Wolkenturm. Walter Schober points to the wonderful suitability of the stage for a performance of the ballet «Daphnis et Chloé» in its 1912 version for orchestra and wordless choir by Maurice Ravel. And Frank Druschel wants to bring 3000 music-loving people together in the park to organise a play-along with the Tonkunstler Orchestra.
«My wish is that Grafenegg remains our home for the next 50 years and that we continue to enchant the public.»
«The Tonkunstler are inseparably tied with Grafenegg! For the next 50 years the orchestra and its ensembles will continue to shape the musical events in Grafenegg, at the Wolkenturm and the Auditorium, in the soon to be redesigned Rudolf Buchbinder Hall, the castle courtyard, in the castle and at many venues throughout the area that perhaps are yet to be discovered. I wish the orchestra and the audience of Grafenegg many more magical musical hours in this enchanting location of Grafenegg!»
«I wish for many more stirring and fulfilling musical moments in this extraordinary place.»
«I wish that the Tonkunstler, together with the most interesting conductors and soloists, can experience even more great moments in the Wolkenturm in the next 50 years. It is also my wish that the Tonkunstler have their own chamber music series in the Auditorium and the castle courtyard, so that they can offer the audience even more pleasure, performing the pearls of this wonderful musical genre in the heart of Lower Austria, and thereby also refine their overall sound and precision even further.»
We offer our heartiest congratulations on this 50th anniversary and look forward to many more great musical performances! To mark the anniversary, the concert on August 19 will open with a specially composed fanfare by Composer-in-Residence Philippe Manoury. Before that, a 50-year-old maple tree in the Schlosspark will be dedicated to the Tonkunstler Orchestra. Just as Rainer Lepuschitz wrote in the book «100 Years of the Tonkunstler»: the tender little plant of Grafenegg has become a great tree of life for the orchestra. One that will still grow very tall!