RondoVienna

Rondo Vienna is an all-female ensemble. Barbara Helfgott founded it and leads it as artistic director and solo violinist. Depending on the programme, between four and twenty-five musicians take the stage, and they play almost everything from memory. That is not a gimmick: it is what allows the ensemble to move freely on stage and keep direct contact with the audience.

The repertoire rests on three pillars: the Viennese music of the Strauss dynasty, the classical orchestral repertoire, and a pop and musical programme in the ensemble’s own arrangements. All the musicians are classically trained, and several of them are also internationally sought-after jazz and pop players.

Rondo Vienna performs as an ensemble in its own right and is equally in demand as an accompanying orchestra for well-known soloists. Venues have included the Alte Oper Frankfurt, the Gewandhaus Leipzig and the Vienna Konzerthaus. As a musical ambassador for Vienna, for instance in the Mozart year 2006, the ensemble has toured Japan, Korea, Taiwan, India, the United Arab Emirates and the USA.

Its collaboration with the Spanish Riding School brings together music and classical horsemanship, most recently at the Lipizzaner gala at Heldenberg. In the Johann Strauss anniversary year 2025 Rondo Vienna played anniversary concerts in Austria and abroad, and saw in the new year at the Vienna Silvesterpfad.

Several CDs, among them “Maniac Violins” and “Famous Musical Melodies Reloaded”, together with radio and television recordings in Austria and abroad, round off the work of this exceptional ensemble.

About Barbara Helfgott

Born near Vienna, Barbara Helfgott learned to play the violin before she could read or write. At age 10, she won her first competition, which was the beginning of a long series of national and international successes, leading to her admission to the gifted class at the University of Music in Vienna, where she studied with Professor Günter Pichler, the leader of the Alban-Berg-Quartet. After graduating, she attended various masterclasses, including violin studies with Zakhar Bron, and singing studies with Professor Franz Lukasovsky.

At a very young age, Barbara became concertmaster of several Viennese orchestras, such as the Neue Oper Wien, the Ensemble des 20. Jahrhunderts, the Kammeroper Wien, and the Sommerfestspiele Mörbisch. Active as a soloist and chamber musician both nationally and internationally, she also made recordings for radio and television worldwide.

In 2007, Barbara Helfgott founded the ensemble „Rondo Vienna,“ which she has been leading as artistic director and solo violinist ever since. Four solo CDs have emerged from this collaboration, and they have performed concerts together in many parts of the world.

Collaboration and exchange with renowned artists from classical, jazz, and pop genres provide diversity and constant artistic development and inspiration. Special mention should be made of the duo project with saxophonist Barbara Paierl and the electronic project with DJ Raphael.