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		Highlights of the Vienna Opera Ball
		Photo 1: The procession of the Committee of Young Ladies and Gentlemen is one of the highlights of the annual Vienna Opera Ball, followed by the opening dances. First and foremost, it is essential to be able to dance the left-hand waltz well. Photo 2: Artists from many different fields who play a leading role in Vien-nese, Austrian and international cultural life give the Vienna Opera Ball its unique character. Here are three of the tenors who have made a perma-nent impact on the world of opera (from left to right): Plácido Domingo, José Carreras and Alfredo Kraus, unfortunately since deceased. Photo 3: Celebrities of theatre and opera can be found not only on the dance floor: Claus Peymann, former director of Vienna’s National Theatre (far left) and Hildegard Behrens (second from right). Photo 4: One of the most popular baritones of the present day: Franz Grundheber and his wife, and behind them Heinrich Schweiger. Photo 5: Stars of stage and screen can be seen at the Vienna Opera Ball: film star Shirley MacLaine doing the waltz with opera singer Plácido Domingo. Photo 6: The scent of roses at the 2002 Opera Ball: Agnes Baltsa. Photo 7: Seiji Ozawa, the newly appointed musical director, together with Elisabeth Gürtler and Ioan Holender, director of the Vienna State Opera, at the 2003 Opera Ball. Photo 8: Stars from the world of opera and ballet in the ballroom: the soprano Anat Efraty dancing with guest soloist Vladimir Malakhov. Photo 9: One of the most rewarding tasks of the ballet ensemble of the Vienna State Opera is to provide some of the artistic highlights of the Opera Ball. Photo 10: The performances given by the choir of the Vienna State Opera’s opera school and pupils of the ballet school were one of the crowning events of the 2003 Opera Ball. Photo 11: In co-operation with “I’m O.K.” – a cultural association for handicapped and unhandicapped people – in autumn 2000 Renato Zanella staged an off-ballet special that was an “emotionally moving experience”. To the music of Carl Michael Ziehrer’s “Fächer Polonaise” (opus 525), members of “I’m O.K.” performed a choreography by the director of the Vienna State Opera Ballet, also amongst the performers. (2001 Opera Ball) Photo 12: Procession of artists at the 2001 Opera Ball (first row from left to right): Eliane Coelho, Heinz Zednik, Michèle Crider and Donald Runnicles. Photo 13: Director Ioan Holender with two tenors: KS Giuseppe Sabbatini (left) and José Cura (right) (2003 Opera Ball). Photo 14: Galop from act 3 of Giuseppe Verdi’s “Il trovatore” danced by pupils of the Vienna State Opera ballet school. Photo 15: Guests of honour watching the performances: first row (from left to right): Eric Halfvarson, Milagros Poblador, Berislav Klobucar, Si-mona Noja, Donald Runnicles, Michèle Crider, director Ioan Holender, Elisabeth Gürtler, Eliane Coelho, Heinz Zednik, Vladimir Malakhov, Marga-reta Hintermeier, Kurt Schreibmayer, Mihaela Ungureanu, Alfred Wop-mann, director of Bregenz Festival, and Franz Zamazal. Second row (from left to right): Herwig Pecoraro, Dagmar Kronberger, Christian Tichy, Brigitte Stadler, Benedikt Kobel, Harald Serafin, Ricarda Merbeth, Stella Grigorian, and Ernst Märzendorfer. Third row (standing, from left to right): Egils Silins, Nelly Boschkowa, Svetlana Serdar, Ernst Ottensamer, Ileana Tonca, Alfred Sramek, Michael Halász, Torsten Kerl, Brigitte Antonius, Wolfgang Bankl, Ingrid Kaiserfeld, Renate Pitscheider, and Georg Tichy. (2001 Opera Ball) Photo 16: Davide Damiani with his wife and Samuel Ramey. Photo 17: From left to right: Croatian President Stipe Mesic and his wife Milka Mesic, Margot Klestil-Löffler, Austrian President Thomas Klestil, di-rector Ioan Holender and Elisabeth Gürtler. Photo 18: Director Ioan Holender applauds Nancy Gustafson. Photo 19: Procession of artists at the 2003 Opera Ball (first row): Stefania Bonfadelli and José Cura; (second row): Eliane Coelho and Franz Grund-heber, behind them Giuseppe Sabbatini; (fourth row): Ricarda Merbeth and Kurt Rydl.