The Vienna State Opera Orchestra consists of members of the Vienna Philharmonic.
The opera house was completed in 1869. The first production was Mozart's "Don Giovanni", with Emperor Franz Josef and Empress Elisabeth in attendance.
During WWII, the Vienna Opera was bombed. The building burned for two days. The auditorium and the stage, as well as 150,000 costumes, were destroyed. After the war, the opera house's exterior was rebuilt.
In 1955, the Vienna Opera was re-opened with Beethoven's "Fidelio", conducted by Karl Böhm.