2025 marks the 200th birthday of Johann Strauss Son, the beloved “Waltz King”, whose music captures the heart of Vienna. In cooperation with the Kennedy Center, the ACF DC celebrates his anniversary by presenting the Johann Strauss Quartet.

Founded in Vienna, the ensemble is dedicated to honoring and preserving the musical legacy of the Strauss family. With elegance and passion, the Quartet brings to life the timeless charm of the Viennese compositions, interpreting masterpieces such as The Blue Danube, Viennese Blood, and many more works that remain inseparably linked with the cultural identity of Vienna.

PROGRAM

Johann Strauss Sohn | Fledermaus Ouvertüre (The Bat Overture)

Josef Strauss | Im Fluge, Polka (In Flight, polka)

Johann Strauss Sohn | Wiener Blut, Walzer (Viennese Blood, waltz)

Johann Strauss Sohn | Im Krapfenwaldl, Polka (In Krapfen’s Woods, polka)

Johann Strauss Sohn | Kaiserwalzer (Emperor Waltz)

Josef Strauss | Auf Ferienreisen, Polka Francaise (On Holiday, polka francaise)

Carl Michael Ziehrer | Nachtschwärmer, Walzer (Night Owls, waltz)

Johann & Josef Strauss | Pizzicato Polka

Johann Strauss Sohn | Donauwalzer (The Blue Danube, waltz)

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Lukas Medlam | Violin

Half British and half Austrian, Lukas Medlam moved from London to Vienna to pursue his musical career and has since performed worldwide with chamber orchestras such as the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, the Wiener Kammersinfonie, and the Vienna Feuerhaus Sinfonietta, all while cultivating a lifelong passion for the Strauss family and their contemporaries.

Joen Mikkel Simonsen | Violin

The Danish violinist Joen Mikkel Simonsen developed a deep affinity for Viennese salon music while studying in Vienna, and today appears as concertmaster with ensembles including the Salonorchester Alt Wien and the Carl-Michael-Ziehrer Orchestra, as well as collaborating with leading orchestras such as the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Tonkünstler Orchestra Niederösterreich, the Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna and Vienna Chamber Orchestra, where he enriched his musical experience.

Stephanie Drach | Viola

Stephanie Drach is a Viennese violist and a former member of the Gumpoldskirchner Spatzen choir where she first encountered classics of Viennese salon music and became captivated by it. As an international award-winning chamber musician, she performs regularly with the Volksoper Vienna, the Tonkünstler Orchestra Niederösterreich and the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, and takes pride in sharing the elegance of her hometown’s music with audiences across Europe and Asia.

Tristan Feichtner | Cello

Born in St. Johann in Tirol and raised in Vienna, Tristan Feichtner was trained by leading professors of the Vienna Philharmonic and Jess-Trio, performed at numerous chamber music festivals and plays with several orchestras and ensembles including the Tonkünstler Orchestra Niederösterreich, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, the Strauss Capelle and the Schönbrunn Palace Orchestra. He is touring internationally from Europe to Africa and carrying forward his deep fascination with the music of the Strauss family.

Image © Theresa Pewal

Event in cooperation with the Kennedy Center