The TU Wien maintains two own orchestras, one choir and organizes Vienna's oldest ball (TU Ball).

• TU-Ball
• TU Wien Orchestra
• Akademische Bläserphilharmonie Wien
• TU Wien Choir

Dance the night away at the TU Wien ball

The TU Wien ball is one of the oldest of its kind in Vienna. It has its roots in the ‘Techniker-Kränzchen’ (literally ‘engineer parties’) that were held regularly when the original polytechnic institution (which became TU Wien) was founded in 1815.

Today the TU Wien ball at the Hofburg is known and loved for its younger vibe, with music ranging from classical waltzes and big band numbers to New Orleans jazz and disco hits. Unique to the Viennese ball scene is the folk music performed in the Radetzky Apartment. The ball is also famous for the beautiful gifts given to female attendees. Moreover, the opening is choreographed with great care and attention; the result is a wonderful mix of tradition, new ideas and challenging choreography for the young male and female débutantes, accompanied by the wonderful sounds of the TU Wien orchestra. The dancing continues until 5 o’clock in the morning.

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TU Wien orchestra

The TU Wien orchestra was founded in 1984 at the suggestion of the Rector’s Office. Today, it has grown into a vibrant ensemble, bridging the gap between music and technology not just in Vienna, but across Austria and overseas. Its busy programme of events includes tours and recording sessions, as well as its highly regarded opera productions. Proceeds from the orchestra’s concerts are regularly used to support charitable organisations such as humanitarian self-help association ‘Menschen für Menschen’ (‘people for people’) and SOS-Kinderdorf (‘SOS Children's Villages’).

The orchestra’s repertoire extends from the baroque period through to the present day.

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Akademische Bläserphilharmonie Wien

The Akademische Bläserphilharmonie Wien is a young wind and brass orchestra based at TU Wien whose members are mostly students with a passion for music and musicians from the academic field in Vienna. The orchestra has members from all nine Austrian states and counts musicians from Germany, the UK, Italy, France, the Netherlands, USA and China among its past and present numbers.

The orchestra’s repertoire includes outstanding original compositions for wind and brass, as well as brilliant arrangements of pieces for chamber ensembles and symphony orchestras, including pieces with a long Viennese tradition.

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TU Wien Choir

The TU Wien choir brings together over 80 singers from a wide range of fields. Most are studying at TU Wien or are university alumni who have continued to sing in the choir. Others are TU Wien staff or members of the wider public. The choir was founded in 2012 and, despite being a relative newcomer, has already enjoyed considerable success in competitions. Most recently it won a gold medal at the 2018 World Choir Games – the Olympics of choral singing – in South Africa.

With its preference for popular music, the choir is deliberately aimed at a younger target group; however its members also enjoy singing classical pieces and folk songs. The choir impresses audiences with its wonderful sense of musicality, as well as songs arranged or composed by its own members. It is well known for its original mashups, which never fail to surprise the audience.

In 2018, the TU Wien choir brought home gold for Austria in the ‘Pop Choirs’ category at the World Choir Games in Tshwane, South Africa. It also won gold and came top in the ‘Pop - Jazz - Gospel - Spiritual’ category at the 2016 International Choir Competition and Festival in Bad Ischl, having previously won a silver at the renowned International Anton Bruckner Choir Competition and Festival in Linz in 2015.

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