In more than forty years since the orchestra was founded, he succeeded to inspire several generations of participating young musicians for this genre. Also his wife Apollonia, formerly member of the first violins in the RSO Vienna, was from the very beginning in the SFO, where she plays viola as principal and organizes the orchestra’s extensive archive of sheet music.

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Every year since the millennium 2000 the orchestra receives enthusiastic acclaim for its three sold-out Strauss New Year's Galas  in the great hall of the Vienna Konzerthaus. New audiences are acquired constantly, also with regular trips to Asia (Japan, South Korea, PR China, Taiwan) and in recent years also in Russia and Eastern Europe.

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Alternating with Peter Guth, the SFO has also been conducted for many years by Willy Büchler, concertmaster of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.

In a generational change, he will take over the artistic direction and together with Daniel Auner, one of the younger colleagues, they will continue the long success story of the Strauss Festival Orchestra Vienna. 

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