Vienna has traditionally accorded the arts great respect, and over the centuries has never ceased to foster creativity and attract artists from other countries. Vienna boasts 50 theaters, including four opera houses and several stage musical theaters, 100 museums, numerous gelleries, and renowned drama, music and dance festivals. All this ensures an extraordinarily rich cultural program throughout the year, making the city one of Europe´s leading cultural centers.
Vienna, as a city of music, enjoys a paramount reputation around the world. No other city has been home to so many composers of international renown. Some, such as Schubert, Strauss, Schoenberg and Berg were born there, others, such as Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Brahms and Mahler chose to live there. It boasts one of the world´s finest orchestras the Vienna Philharmonic as well as the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and several other orchestras and ensembles of note. The Vienna State Opera is one of the world´s leading opera houses, and is joined by three more in the city (Theater an der Wien, Volksoper, Kammeroper).
The Vienna Boys´Choir enchants music lovers the world over. In addition to classical music, Vienna has also made its mark as a city of musicals, and recent successes in electronic music show that the avant-garde is also taken seriously in Vienna. A very special way to enjoy music is presented at the House of Music where sounds become visible, organ pipes may be walked on and visitors can become virtual conductors and composers, all on an area of 2,000 square meters. Yet a further attraction is the Mozarthaus Vienna which was opened in 2006, Mozart"s 250th birthday in his former residence at Domgasse.

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