In 2010, the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Concert will be conducted by French conductor Georges Prêtre for the second time since 2008. Between 1986 and 1991, Prêtre was principal guest conductor of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, which named him its honorary conductor and also awarded him the Bruckner Ring. The conductor, who has worked in all the world's major opera houses and concert halls, became an honorary member of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna in 2004, and on the occasion of his 80th birthday he was also awarded the Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art, 1st class. He has a long-standing collaboration with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. The program includes works by the Strauss family, by Hans Christian Lumbye - the Danish Strauss - and by Otto Nicolai, the founder of the Vienna Philharmonic, whose birthday in 2010 marks the 200th anniversary of his birth.

The Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein will once again be decorated by Viennese gardeners and Austrian florists with more than 30,000 flowers from San Remo. For the popular ballet interludes, there will be two live broadcasts to the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. The big sensation of the New Year's Concert 2010 is the costume designer for the Parisian and Viennese dancers. None other than the legendary fashion designer Valentino could be won for the imaginative creations - and it is a great honor but also an experience for him to work for this concert. "Models can stage my fashion, but ballerinas bring it to life," he enthused at the Vienna presentation of the first designs. As a tribute to the conductor Georges Prêtre, two stars of the Paris Opera were invited to dance a "pas de deux" to the music "One heart, one mind", Polka Mazur by Johann Strauss. The second ballet is the waltz "Morning Leaves" also by Johann Strauss. This composition is the grand entrance of the ballet of the Vienna State Opera and Volksoper. The choreography is by Renato Zanella, former director and chief choreographer of the Vienna State Opera. Barbara Rett will lead through the program. Director Karina Fibich is responsible for the visual direction, and Michael Beyer for the ballet direction.