20 December 2021

Ballet costumes designed by Arthur Arbesser celebrating individuality on occasion of 50th anniversary of UNESCO World Heritage Convention tribute are on view at the New Year's Concert on 1st January 2022, live broadcast on ORF 2, 11:15

Milan-based Austrian designer Arthur Arbesser collaborates for the second time after 2019 with the popular New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic. The concert with additional film sequences such as ballet performances is the most prominent internationally spread media product by the Austrian national public service broadcaster ORF. The New Year's Concert is broadcasted live every year on 1st January from the Musikverein in Vienna wide over the Austrian borders to more than 90 countries and reaches millions of viewers. In 2022, the break of the live concert of the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Daniel Barenboim will be used for showing the ORF film with the title 'Mission Apollo – Österreichs Welterbe' (at circa 11:50) honoring the 50th anniversary of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, which Austria joined 30 years ago.

The cultural agenda is also the inspiration behind the choreography by Martin Schläpfer, Ballet Director and Chief Choreographer of the Vienna State Ballet, as well as for the costumes by Arthur Arbesser for the waltz 'Tausend und eine Nacht' (Thousand and One Night), op. 346. by Johann Strauß Jr. The waltz will be performed by 10 dancers. In the press release, Arthur Arbesser who studied at the Central Saint Martins College for Art and Design in London speaks about the process of the design of the costumes which started with the vision of the choreographer, the selection of dancers, the location of the performance and the music. For the ideas of the clothes, Arbesser drew his inspirations from the Schönbrunn Castle, it's rose garden and especially the very different dancers. "I wanted to capture their personalities through color, material and cut and deliberately underline their characters individually," explains Arthur Arbesser. (Citation from the press release translated from German to English by Fashion.at.)

The creative process of Arthur Arbesser and the production of the costumes at the workshops of the Austrian theater services company 'Art For Art' lasted from the walk through Schönbrunn Castle in April to the start of the production in June and the two fittings, the first in June and the second in August, around five months. In late August/early September, the ballet performance was filmed in Schönbrunn.

Photos of the costumes designed for the expression of the individuality of the dancers are published (fast checked today) at tv.orf.at/program/orf2/erlebnisbu940.html.