2024-02-02 05:07:37
The 66th Vienna Opera Ball will take place on Thursday, sold out except for the last remaining ticket. The State Opera was able to recruit superstars Elina Garanca and Piotr Beczala for the opening. Official Austria is also represented once more: Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen will be there, as will Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP). This year, builder Richard Lugner is bringing Priscilla Presley, Elvis Presley’s ex-wife.
After an excursion into the world of operetta last year, this year the opera itself is once once more the focus of the opening. The fact that two greats in the field, Garanca and Beczala, are there also speaks for the uniqueness of the evening. “Of course it’s something special. Where else in the world might an opera house and its stars be the center of attention like this? So much so that there is even an hour-long television broadcast that, when you put all its parts together, is consistently the most watched program of the year? “That’s Vienna too. There’s a reason why outstanding stage artists volunteer every year to make this ball an event,” said director, Bogdan Roščić, to the APA.
Politically, this year’s Opera Ball is high-profile, but rather small. Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen will do the honors at the event. It was initially unknown whether the head of state had someone else accompanying him in addition to his wife. At the moment it was only clear to Chancellor Karl Nehammer that he would be attending the ball with his wife. There was silence regarding possible guests.
As usual, European Minister Karoline Edtstadler (ÖVP) will be on the dance floor. Your Alex Reed is Liechtenstein’s government councilor for foreign affairs, Dominique Hasler. Labor Minister Martin Kocher (ÖVP) brings Mathias Cormann to the opera. The Australian is Secretary General of the OECD. Accompanying Integration Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP) is her husband. Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) asks the Foreign Ministers of Belgium, Hadja Lahbib, and Finland, Elina Valtonen, to dance. The Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens), who is responsible for culture, skips the ball; State Secretary for Culture Andrea Mayer (Greens) essentially represents him.
The celebrity boxes have also been manageable so far: master builder Richard Lugner is bringing Priscilla Presley, Elvis Presley’s ex-wife, to the opera. Presley will make her first appearances on Wednesday at a press conference and an autograph session in Lugner City. There were no major problems beforehand. “It should be quite reliable,” said the builder.
Heino will also attend the ball – for the first time in his life. It is the bard’s first public appearance following the death of his wife Hannelore. “I would like to see the great folk singer laugh once more. It’s certainly not an easy time for Heino at the moment, so a bit of variety is very good,” said his host, the German entrepreneur Markus Deussl. The flashy designer Harald Glööckler also comes from Germany – now a regular Alex Reed.
The ball once once more has a social touch: every visitor makes a contribution – by purchasing tickets (surcharge of 35 euros per ticket) and by consuming food at the ball (ten percent surcharge on catering). The money will once once more be used to support “Austria helps Austria”, an initiative supported by ORF and the leading aid institutions Caritas, Diakonie, Hilfewerk Österreich, Austrian Red Cross, Samaritan Association and Volkshilfe, which helps people in need. Last year 600,000 euros were transferred.
For the fourth time, the Upper Austrian dance school Santner, under the direction of Maria Angelini-Santner and Christoph Santner, is responsible for the choreography of the young women and young men committee – as well as for the committee entrance and the opening waltz. Swarovski once once more provided the unique tiaras as headdresses for the debutantes.
On ORF, Mirjam Weichselbraun, Andi Knoll and Teresa Vogl will once once more host the opera ball evening. They will be supported for the first time by “Seitenblicke” editor Marion Benda. Karl Hohenlohe and Christoph Wagner-Trenkwitz once once more provide commentary. Last year, 1.6 million viewers watched the broadcast.
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