The Vienna Philharmonic ushered in 2026 with its world-famous New Year’s Concert under the baton of Canadian maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin, marking his first appearance on the podium for this iconic event. Held on New Year’s eve, 1st January in the Golden Hall of Vienna’s Musikverein, the concert continued a tradition that has defined the classical calendar for over eight decades. Presented by Rolex since 2009, the New Year’s Concert remains the most watched classical music event in the world, reaching an estimated 50 million viewers across more than 150 countries via global television and streaming platforms.
Vienna Philharmonic
Nézet-Séguin joins a distinguished lineage of conductors who have shaped the concert’s legacy, including Herbert von Karajan, Carlos Kleiber, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Daniel Barenboim and fellow Rolex Testimonee Gustavo Dudamel. His debut was both symbolic and forward-looking, reinforcing the concert’s ability to honour tradition while embracing contemporary artistic voices.
“It is an immense honour to join the Vienna Philharmonic in this unique and world-renowned tradition,” said Nézet-Séguin. “My passion is to build a bridge from the traditional to the contemporary, and to broaden the message of classical music. This programme reflects that vision.”
Yannick Nézet-Séguin
While the programme remains rooted in the music of Johann Strauss and his contemporaries, Nézet-Séguin introduced wider artistic perspectives by featuring works by Austrian composer Josephine Weinlich and Florence Price, who in 1933 became the first Black female composer to have a symphony performed by a major American orchestra. The result was a concert that balanced elegance, historical depth and cultural progressiveness.
One of the most influential conductors of his generation, Nézet-Séguin is known for his energetic leadership and unconventional approach. A multiple Grammy Award-winner, he was appointed Companion to the Order of the Arts and Letters of Quebec in 2015 and named Musical America’s Artist of the Year in 2016. He has collaborated with the Vienna Philharmonic since 2010 and previously conducted the orchestra at the prestigious Summer Night Concert in 2023. He became a Rolex Testimonee in 2024.
Currently, he serves as Music Director of the Metropolitan Opera, a role he assumed in 2018, where he has championed more contemporary programming. At just 25, he was appointed Artistic Director of Montreal’s Orchestre Métropolitain, a position he now holds for life. Since 2012, he has been Music Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra, credited with revitalising the institution and expanding its appeal to younger audiences. His global engagements include leading roles at Teatro alla Scala, the Royal Ballet and Opera, Vienna State Opera, Dutch National Opera and major festivals such as Salzburg.
The New Year’s Concert is broadcast internationally and streamed on Rolex partner platform medici.tv. Rolex has been Exclusive Partner of the Vienna Philharmonic since 2008 and Exclusive Sponsor of the New Year’s Concert since 2009, reinforcing its long-standing commitment to the arts.
About the Vienna Philharmonic
Founded in 1842, the Vienna Philharmonic is among the most revered orchestras in the world, celebrated for its luminous sound, uncompromising artistic standards and humanitarian mission. Alongside the New Year’s Concert, its open-air Summer Night Concert at Schönbrunn Palace, attended by over 50,000 people annually, stands as another globally broadcast cultural milestone.
Vienna Philharmonic
About Rolex and Music
Rolex’s association with music spans more than half a century. Through its Perpetual Arts Initiative, the brand supports excellence across architecture, cinema, dance, literature, theatre and the visual arts. In music, Rolex partners with leading opera houses such as Teatro alla Scala, the Metropolitan Opera, Opéra national de Paris and the Royal Ballet and Opera, as well as festivals including Salzburg and Whitsun.
Rolex also invests in the future of music through initiatives like Operalia – the World Opera Competition, the Vienna Philharmonic Academy and the Herbert von Karajan Young Conductors Award. Its roster of music Testimonees includes Cecilia Bartoli, Gustavo Dudamel, Jonas Kaufmann, Anoushka Shankar, Yuja Wang and Yannick Nézet-Séguin, among many others.
With Nézet-Séguin’s debut, the Vienna Philharmonic’s 2026 New Year’s Concert reaffirmed its status not just as a ceremonial opening to the year, but as a living, evolving symbol of classical music’s global relevance.
