Vienna Celebrates Its Musical Heritage at Bryant Park with a Cosmic Waltz to Space

Vienna's Exquisite Celebration at Bryant Park

On June 1, 2025, the Vienna Tourist Board is set to host a remarkable event in New York's Bryant Park, commemorating an extraordinary transmission of music into deep space. This monumental occasion will feature the beloved waltz "The Blue Danube" by Johann Strauss II, a composition that will be sent towards the Voyager 1 spacecraft. In collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the esteemed Wiener Symphoniker, this event not only marks a celebration of Strauss's 200th anniversary but also rectifies the absence of this iconic piece from the original Voyager Golden Records.

Norbert Kettner, the Director of the Vienna Tourist Board, aptly remarked, "Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey elevated 'The Danube Waltz' to the status of a cosmic anthem. The omission of this most renowned waltz from the Voyager Golden Record in 1977 was indeed a colossal oversight that we are now addressing."

This event is the pinnacle of Vienna’s "Waltz Space" campaign, which invited music lovers around the globe to send a symbolic note from the waltz into space, garnering participation from 13,743 sponsors. The aim of this initiative goes beyond merely commemorating Strauss's birth; it aims to solidify Vienna’s reputation as the music capital of the world, highlighting its rich and vibrant musical landscape.

Event Highlights:

- Time: 1:00 PM - The celebrations will kick off, featuring DJ Kyra Caruso and waltz lessons conducted by Aga Bohun. Attendees will also have the chance to engage in a unique contest to claim a