Vienna 2011 New Year concert held at Golden Hall

Vienna's traditional New Year Concert, led by Austrian conductor Franz Welser-Moest, was held Saturday in the Vienna Golden Hall.

The 2011 New Year Concert mainly played pieces from the Strauss family, but also included some additional pieces from other musicians such as the Mephisto Waltz No. 1, by Hungarian composer Franz Liszt to commemorate his 200th birth day.

Saturday marked the first time that Welser-Moest had taken up the baton for the annual Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Concert. He was the sixth Austrian conductor to lead the concert.

The Vienna New Year's concert tradition began in 1941 and started its first live telecast in 1959. This year, the concert was broadcast to over 70 countries and regions around the world.

Source: Xinhua