What is KlangBildKlang? This large-scale mdw project, whose name translates as “SoundImageSound”, may indeed evoke the odd question. Is the focus on sound, here, or actually more on visual depiction? The answer is neither-nor. It’s much rather about interaction—between not just sounds and images, but also people, mdw departments, performing venues, and organisations.

A hallmark of the mdw is the broad range of art forms and pedagogically oriented mediation formats that make their home here. And during this May and June, the unifying aspects of this diversity as well as interfaces and inspiring interconnections between the various artistic genres will be the overarching theme of the festival KlangBildKlang.

KlangBildKlang was developed with a consistent eye to those things that unite audiences and art. The idea was to go out into the city and its public spaces to perform, play, and present art and music right where people are, opening up new settings alongside familiar venues.

Our university’s cooperation with the Munich-based classical recording label Solo Musica represents the latest step toward rendering the outstanding achievements of mdw students even more visible and audible. The first such project to have been realised is a recording with the Chaos String Quartet.

Creativity is a trait that can be learned and doesn’t care about age, as numerous workshops of the festival KlangBildKlang aimed at children, adolescents, and entire families will prove. The creative and innovative approaches in play here will overcome barriers and open up paths of approach that enable music to be experienced in a lively and inspiring way.

KlangBildKlang, the mdw's transdisciplinary festival, celebrated its start on 20 April at the Künstlerhaus in Vienna with a reception and the concert Beyond Keys: Synesthetic Soundscapes.  Johannes Meissl, Vice Rector for International Affairs and Art, presented the festival program and provided an overview of the more than 50 artistic projects accompanied by music and art mediation activities.

It is thus that the festival KlangBildKlang, which will bundle over 50 projects at a wide array of Viennese venues this May and June, can call upon a rich art- and musico-historical tradition. The question as to whether it is possible to render sounds visible and—conversely—render images, colours, and motion audible is to be pursued in a multitude of locations.

Alexandra Althoff, dramaturge and former artistic director of the Burgtheater, assumed leadership of the mdw’s Max Reinhardt Seminar on 1 March 2024. She and Steffen Jäger, who serves as her deputy head, speak about these new responsibilities, the challenges and planned emphases during their term in office.

In late January of this year, conductor Marin Alsop was made an honorary member of our institution. With this act, the mdw recognised Alsop’s internationally outstanding achievements as an artist as well as her work to promote women conductors and support the musical education of children and adolescents.

“Psst, psst, psst, psst” echoes enticingly throughout the gilded hall of the Schönbrunner Schlosstheater. White shrouds hanging above the stage allude to the moon, which lights what has just been rehearsed. Such were the scenes that one could observe in February’s rehearsals for the mdw opera production Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor, which premières this March.