Vienna celebrates 200 years of the music and legacy of Johann Strauss II

Vienna is celebrating the bicentenary of Johann Strauss II, the iconic "King of the Waltz," whose music continues to define Austrian culture. Strauss's famous 1866 composition “The Blue Danube”remains the country’s unofficial anthem, played annually by the Vienna Philharmonic at its New Year’s concert.

Johann Strauss was the first to bring waltz music into the concert hall, bridging classical and popular music. Strauss’s ability to craft both danceable and concert-worthy pieces revolutionized music in his time, and his legacy endures as his waltzes are still danced to and performed worldwide.