Great Performances – From Vienna: The New Year’s Celebration 2019 | Press Release | Pressroom

Great Performances – From Vienna: The New Year’s Celebration 2019

Hugh Bonneville returns as host of the annual PBS broadcast tradition from the heart of Austria

Premieres Tuesday, January 1, 2019 at 2:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. on PBS and will be available to stream the following day on pbs.org/gperf and PBS apps. (check local listings)

Synopsis:

Great Performances – From Vienna: The New Year’s Celebration 2019 continues the long-time tradition of ringing in the new year with the Vienna Philharmonic at the opulent 19^th Century Musikverein music hall. Under the baton of guest conductor Christian Thielemann, the concert features favorite Strauss Family waltzes, as well as a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Vienna State Opera on the city’s famed Ringstrasse. Downton Abbey’s Earl of Grantham Hugh Bonneville returns as host.

The Vienna Philharmonic’s traditional New Year’s program is the largest worldwide event in classical music, reaching millions of people annually through radio and television in over 80 countries. First broadcast in 1959, the concert has become a global New Year’s tradition.

Broadcast & Streaming Availability:

Great Performances – From Vienna: The New Year’s Celebration 2019 premieres Tuesday, January 1, 2018, 2:30-4:00 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) with an encore performance 9:00-10:30 p.m. and on Friday, January 4 at 9-10:30 p.m.on PBS (check local listings). The broadcast will be available to stream the following day via pbs.org/gperf and PBS OTT apps.

Music Selections

Johann Strauss (Jr.) –The Gypsy Baron, Overture
Josef Strauss –The Dancer, French Polka
Johann Strauss (Jr.) –Artists’ Life), Waltz
Johann Strauss (Jr.) – The Bayadere, Quick Polka
Johann Strauss (Jr.) –Eva Waltz
Eduard Strauss – Opern-Soiree
Johann Strauss (Jr.) – Csárdás from Knight Pasman
Johann Strauss (Jr.) –Egyptian March
Joseph Hellmesberger (Jr.)– Entr’act Waltz
Johann Strauss (Jr.) –In Praise of Women
Josef Strauss –Music of the Spheres), Waltz

Encores

Johann Strauss (Jr.) – On the Double!, Quick Polka
Johann Strauss (Jr.) –On the Beautiful Blue Danube, Waltz
Johann Strauss (Sr.) – Radetzky March

Short TV Listing

Ring in the New Year with the Vienna Philharmonic at the Musikverein hosted by Hugh Bonneville.

Long TV Listing

Ring in the New Year with the Vienna Philharmonic, under the baton of conductor Christian Thielemann at the Musikverein. Hosted by Hugh Bonneville and featuring favorite Strauss Family waltzes accompanied by the dancing of the Vienna City Ballet.

Notable Talent:

Hugh Bonneville, host (best known as Robert, Earl of Grantham, in Masterpiece: Downton Abbey)

Christian Thielemann, conductor (principal conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden, one of the world’s oldest orchestras)

Noteworthy Facts

The Vienna State Ballet performs a tribute to the Vienna State Opera, choreographed by emerging choreographer, Andrey Kaydanovskiy, as the Opera celebrates its 150th Anniversary.
While long associated with the orchestra, this is Christian Thielemann’s first appearance as conductor at the New Year’s concert.
Christian Thielemann began his professional career in 1978 as a rehearsal pianist at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin. In 1988, he moved to Nuremberg to become Germany’s youngest music director.
Christian Thielemann has been principal conductor of the Dresden Staatskapelle since the beginning of the 2012-13 season, and in 2013, he also became the artistic director of the Salzburg Easter Festival.

Locations visited by Hugh Bonneville

Grafenegg Castle, including the chapel, concert hall, and gardens
Musikverein
Vienna State Opera
Sofiensäle

Production Credits

From Vienna: The New Year’s Celebration 2019 is a production of Wiener Philharmoniker and ORF in association with THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET. For Great Performances, John Walker and Richard R. Schilling are producers; Bill O’Donnell is series producer; David Horn is executive producer.

Underwriters/Funders

Major funding for Great Performances is provided by The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation, the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Arts Fund, Rosalind P. Walter, the LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust, the Irene Diamond Fund, The Starr Foundation, the Kate W. Cassidy Foundation, the Thea Petschek Iervolino Foundation, The Agnes Varis Trust, The Phillip and Janice Levin Foundation, The Abra Prentice Foundation, Ellen and James S. Marcus and PBS. Exclusive corporate support for the concert is provided by Rolex.

Series Overview:

Great Performances is produced by THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET, one of America’s most prolific and respected public media providers. Throughout its more than 40-year history on PBS, Great Performances has provided viewers across the country with an unparalleled showcase of the best in all genres of the performing arts, serving as America’s most prestigious and enduring broadcaster of cultural programming.

Websites:

http://www.pbs.org/gperf, http://www.facebook.com/GreatPerformances, @GPerfPBS #GreatPerformancesPBS

About WNET

WNET is America’s flagship PBS station and parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21, home to ALL ARTS. WNET also operates NJTV, the statewide public media network in New Jersey. Through its broadcast channels, three cable services (THIRTEEN PBSKids, Create and World) and online streaming sites, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to more than five million viewers each week. WNET produces and presents such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, PBS NewsHour Weekend, the new nightly interview program Amanpour and Company and a range of documentaries, children’s programs, and local news and cultural offerings. WNET’s groundbreaking series for children and young adults include Get the Math, Oh Noah! and Cyberchase as well as Mission US, the award-winning interactive history experience. WNET highlights the tri-state’s unique issues and culture through NJTV News with Mary Alice Williams and MetroFocus, NYC-ARTS, Treasures of New York, Theater Close-Up, and WLIW Arts Beat. WNET creates online-only programming, including the award-winning series about gender identity, First Person. Through multi-platform initiatives Chasing the Dream: Poverty and Opportunity in America and Peril and Promise: The Challenge of Climate Change, WNET showcases the human stories around these issues and promising solutions. The weekly program SciTech Now explores the nexus of new ideas in science and technology. Through THIRTEEN Passport and WLIW Passport, station members can stream new and archival THIRTEEN, WLIW and PBS programming anytime, anywhere.

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Photos For editorial use in North America only in conjunction with the direct publicity or promotion of GREAT PERFORMANCES, no other rights are granted. All rights reserved. Downloading this image constitutes agreement to these terms.
	Hugh Bonneville.
	The Vienna Philharmonic. Credit: Terry Linke
	The Vienna Philharmonic. Credit: Filip Waldmann
	Christian Thielemann conducting the Vienna Philharmonic. Credit: Matthias Creutziger
	Christian Thielemann conducting the Vienna Philharmonic. Credit: Matthias Creutziger
	Hugh Bonneville. Credit: Thomas Jantzen.
	Hugh Bonneville in Grafenegg. Credit: Thomas Jantzen.
	Hugh Bonneville in Grafenegg. Credit: Thomas Jantzen.
	Hugh Bonneville in Grafenegg. Credit: Thomas Jantzen.