February 2017 – It was a celebration of the cultural and economic relationships between Austria and America, connecting two continents, two cities, and two centuries in one glamorous night!

The 62nd Viennese Opera Ball honored the 150th anniversary of Austria’s unofficial national anthem: Johann Strauss’ Blue Danube Waltz at the Waldorf Astoria.

 

The Viennese Opera Ball is the oldest white tie charity ball in New York. This year’s event benefits Leonard Bernstein – A New Yorker in Vienna – which is a project of the Jewish Museum in cooperation with the U.S. Friends of the Jewish Museum of Vienna

Star performers at the 2017 Viennese Opera Ball included Stephen Costello, Massimo Giordano, Kristin Lewis, and Joy Miller. The Artistic Director of the 2017 Viennese Opera Ball was Daniel Serafin.

 

The organizers, dignitaries, and celebrities in attendance, such as Viennese Opera Ball Executive Director Silvia Frieser, former US Ambassador to Austria Alexa Weser, Director of the Jewish Museum of Vienna Dr. Danielle Spera, and actress Kiera Chaplin, among others, all  lauded the debutantes and performers, and noted the event’s importance to the social and cultural fabric of New York City.