VIENNA, AUSTRIA – The Vienna Tourist Board and creative agency Jung von Matt DONAU have orchestrated a historic moment that reaches well beyond the Earth’s atmosphere. On the evening of May 31st, at precisely 21:30 MET, the iconic strains of Johann Strauss II’s The Blue Danube resonated through the grand halls of Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts (MAK), performed live by the Wiener Symphoniker under the baton of Petr Popelka. At the same moment, the European Space Agency (ESA) transmitted this quintessential piece of Viennese heritage into deep space, finally giving the cosmos the soundtrack it never knew it was missing.
The project, titled “Waltz into Space,” is a poetic correction to a 48 year old cultural oversight. When NASA launched the Voyager Golden Records in 1977 as a time capsule of humanity’s sounds and songs meant for extraterrestrial discovery – the ethereal waltz that once scored humanity’s cinematic journey to the stars in 2001: A Space Odyssey was conspicuously absent. For many, The Blue Danube had already become the de facto anthem of outer space, yet it never officially made the journey until now.
Stefan Bauernberger, Creative Director at Jung von Matt DONAU, said: “If aliens ever find us, let the first thing they hear be a waltz.”
This once in a lifetime event was transmitted via the Deep Space Antenna 2, one of the most advanced communication instruments on Earth – travelling at the speed of light into deep space. In just 23 hours and 3 minutes, it overtook NASA’s Voyager 1, making “The Blue Danube” the furthest-travelled waltz in human history. Audiences from around the globe joined the mission via livestream, as well as at live-viewing events in Madrid, New York, Cebreros and Vienna.
The initiative was not only deeply rooted in culture but also profoundly participatory. Over 13,743 individuals from more than 90 countries joined the mission as SpaceNote Ambassadors, each adopting a note from Strauss’s original score via space.vienna.info. Among them were artists, scientists, musicians and even Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen whose names will now travel alongside the waltz on its infinite voyage through the stars.
Norbert Kettner, CEO of the Vienna Tourist Board, said: “The successful realization of the ‘Waltz into Space’ mission is a testament to Vienna’s unique ability to blend tradition with innovation. We are proud to have collaborated with the European Space Agency, whose willingness to support this exceptional project is an honor and far from a given. Our sincere gratitude goes to all partners and supporters who made this cosmic celebration of Vienna’s cultural heritage possible.”
Mike Nagy, Executive Creative Director Jung von Matt DONAU, added: “In a time when space exploration is becoming increasingly private and commercial, ‘Waltz into Space’ reminds us that culture – not just technology – is humanity’s gift to the universe.”
