Mozart at the Sala Terrena: Chamber Music the Way Vienna Intended It

In the heart of Vienna's old town, just steps from St. Stephen's Cathedral, sits a place that treats classical music not as a grand spectacle but as a personal encounter: the Sala Terrena at the Deutschordenshaus. This is where concerts by the Mozart Ensemble Vienna take place, inside one of the city's oldest surviving concert halls. The historic vaulted room creates a closeness to the music that is hard to find in modern concert halls.

Chamber Music in Concentrated Form

The concerts are deliberately kept compact. Around 60 minutes are devoted entirely to the Viennese Classical era, with no intermission and no unnecessary staging. At the centre stand works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, complemented by composers of the Viennese Classical period such as Haydn, or contemporaries who broaden the musical context.

The Mozart Ensemble Vienna

The performances are given by members of the Mozart Ensemble Vienna, a chamber ensemble devoted entirely to the Viennese Classical era. Programmes shift between string quartets, divertimenti, serenades and larger chamber works, always curated and matched to the room. Closeness between musicians and audience is part of the concept, no stage, no formal ritual.

A Concert Series Since 1998

The concerts were founded in 1998 by Claudio Bentes, a violinist and the Mozarthaus's artistic director, whose training took him from Rio de Janeiro through Graz, Klagenfurt and Vienna. Under his direction, the series grew into a fixture of Vienna's cultural life, with more than 200 performances a year.

A Year-Round Fixture

Concerts run all year: Tuesday to Friday and Sunday at 8pm, Saturday at 6pm, with Monday as the only night off. Multilingual information and step-free access ensure that guests from around the world feel just as welcome as Viennese locals. For anyone who wants to not just hear Mozart but feel him, this is one of the most authentic ways to experience Viennese Classical music in its original setting.