# Vienna Art Orchestra

The Vienna Art Orchestra was a European jazz group based in Vienna, Austria. Organized at different times as either a big band or as a smaller combo, it was regarded as one of the leading European jazz ensembles and was an official cultural ambassador of the Republic of Austria.

## History

Founded in 1977 by director and composer Mathias Rüegg, the band started out by performing Rüegg's postmodern compositions on stages throughout Europe. Among the founding musicians were singer Lauren Newton, saxophonists Wolfgang Puschnig and Harry Sokal, trombone player Christian Radovan, tuba player Jon Sass, and mallet percussionist Woody Schabata. In 1980, the ensemble signed a recording contract with the Swiss hatART label, and in 1984 they toured the United States for the first time.
The group essentially disbanded for a brief period at the end of the 1980s. In 1992, the VAO opened a new phase with a smaller complement of musicians. The band played fewer of Rüegg's compositions and concentrated on arrangements of works by Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, and other noted American jazz composers, as well as music inspired by the classical music of Verdi, Wagner, Schubert, and Erik Satie.
In 1997, the ensemble's personnel changed once again, increasing in size and adding younger musicians. New compositions by Rüegg became a regular feature of VAO concerts, which often included visual and dramatic elements.
The Vienna Art Orchestra has performed more than 800 concerts and released more than 35 recordings. The film An Echo from Europe: Vienna Art Orchestra on Tour by Othmar Schmiderer was released in 1998.
The ensemble was nominated for an Amadeus Austrian Music Award in 2001 for the album All That Strauss, and again in 2003 for Art and Fun.
On July 10, 2010, Mathias Rüegg announced that the Vienna Art Orchestra had been disbanded for financial reasons.

## Discography
### Vienna Art Orchestra

| Album | Label | Year |
| Jessas Na! | Extraplatte EXS 15 (Single) | 1977 |
| Tango from Obango | Extraplatte EX 10 (LP) | 1979 |
| Concerto Piccolo | hat ART 6038 (CD) | 1981 |
| Suite for the Green Eighties | hat ART 6054 (CD) | 1982 |
| From No Time to Rag Time | hat ART 6073 (CD) | 1983 |
| The Minimalism of Erik Satie | hat ART 6024 (CD) | 1984 |
| A Notion in Perpetual Motion | hat ART 6096 (CD) | 1985 |
| Jazzbühne Berlin 85 | Amiga Jazz 856 16816 10M (LP) | 1986 |
| Nightride of a Lonely Saxophoneplayer | Moers Music 02054/5 (2 CD) | 1986 |
| Inside Out | Moers Music 02062/3 (2 CD) | 1987 |
| Two Little Animals | Moers Music 02066 (CD) | 1988 |
| Blues for Brahms | amadeo 839 105-2 (2 CD) | 1989 |
| Innocence of Clichés | amadeo 841 646-2 (2 CD) | 1990 |
| Chapter II | amadeo 849 066-2 (CD) | 1991 |
| The Highlights 77-89 Live in Vienna | amadeo 513 325-2 (2 CD) | 1992 |
| standing... WHAT? | amadeo 519 816-2 (CD) | 1993 |
| The Original Charts of Duke Ellington & Charles Mingus | Verve 521 998-2 (CD) | 1994 |
| European Songbook | Verve 527 672-2 (CD) | 1995 |
| Vienna Art Orchestra 20th Anniversary: | Verve 537 095-2 (3 CD) | 1997 |
| 1) Powerful Ways: Nine Immortal NonEvergreens for Eric Dolphy | Verve 537 096-2 | |
| 2) Quiet Ways: Ballads | Verve 537 097-2 | |
| 3) Unexpected Ways: M Concerto for Voice & Silence | Verve 537 098-2 | |
| Tango from Obango (special ed. with bonus CD): | Extraplatte EX 10-2 (3 CD) | 1997 |
| 1) Tango from Obango | Extraplatte EX 010 097-2 A | |
| 2) Two Songs for Another Lovely War / Jessas Na! | Extraplatte EX 010 097-2 B | |
| American Rhapsody | RCA Victor 0902663-227-2 | 1998 |
| Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love | TCB 99802 | 1999 |
| All That Strauss | TCB 20052 | 2000 |
| Artistry in Rhythm | TCB 01102 | 2000 |
| A Centenary Journey | Quinton Q0104 | 2001 |
| ART & FUN | Universal Music Emarcy 017 072-2 | 2002 |
| Duke Ellington’s Sound of Love Vol. 2 | Universal Music Emarcy 0602498654194 | 2003 |
| Big Band Poesie | Universal Music Emarcy 986771-0 | 2004 |
| Swing & Affairs | Universal Music Emarcy 9874469 | 2005 |
| 3 | Universal Music 06025 172 287-9 5 | 2007 |
| All That Strauss Vol. 2 | Art Records 1002 | 2007 |
| Third Dream | Extraplatte Extraplatte EX 998-2 | 2009 |
| Third Dream - Limited Edition | VAO-Shop Extraplatte EX 999-2 | 2009 |

### Vienna Art Special

| Album | Label | Year |
| Serapionmusic | Moers Music 02050 (LP) | 1986 |
| Two Songs for Another Lovely War | Extraplatte, EX ED 001 (LP) | 1988 |
| Swiss Art Orchestra | MGB 9201 (CD) | 1992 |
| Fe & Males | amadeo 513 328-2 (CD) | 1992 |
| Plays for Jean Cocteau | Verve 529 290-2 (CD) | 1996 |

### Vienna Art Choir

| Album | Label | Year |
| From No Art to Mo-(z)-Art | Moers Music 02002 (CD) | 1983 |
| Five Old Songs | Moers Music 02036 (CD) | 1985 |
| Swiss Swing | Moers Music 02060 (CD) | 1987 |

### Vienna Art Orchestra with Ernst Jandl

| Album | Label | Year |
| bist eulen? | Extraplatte EX 316 141 (CD) | 1984 |
| vom vom zum zum | Extraplatte EX 316 145 (CD) | 1988 |
| lieber ein saxophon | Extraplatte EX 316 153 (CD) | 1991 |