In ethnomusicology, one frequently deals with the music and dance of people who are perceived to be “different”. However, one needn’t travel to the far corners of the earth to do so—after all, Vienna itself is home to an extremely varied range of musical cultures that exist side by side.

For several years now, an integrative music group for young adults with and without disabilities has been making music at the mdw.

After two years of intensive work, our university’s Diversity Strategy is finished. How diversity can be compatible with the idea of entrance exams, what concrete measures have now been planned, and just what good all this will do our institution are explained by Rector Ulrike Sych and Vice Rector Gerda Müller in the following interview.

Many mdw alumni realise their dream by becoming part of a large ensemble, performing as members of an excellent international orchestra.

A unique institution of Austrian musical life does a bit of looking back and a whole lot of looking forward.

Making music together in an ensemble as large as an orchestra brings with it numerous challenges and requires flexibility, the ability to work in a team, and the willingness to engage with each other.

A Conversation with Prof. Helmut Zehetner, in Charge of Orchestral Instruction at the mdw.

The Tough Road to the Orchestra

Stage fright, existential angst, pre-exam nervousness, or simply general pressure to perform well—music and anxiety are related in all kinds of ways.