Vienna Philharmonic to Get Royal Welcome

The City of the Arts is preparing to welcome the Vienna Philharmonic, generally considered one of the world’s five best concert orchestras.

City officials on Monday agreed to make an exception to municipal codes and allow red and white banners welcoming the symphony to fly from Jan. 17 through March 6, 19 days longer than the 30-day limit typically enforced for promotional material in a public right of way.

About 60 signs featuring musical notation, violins, cathedrals and other images promoting the March 4-5 concerts will line South Coast Plaza and the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

“This is a major deal,” said Sandy Robertson, marketing director for the Philharmonic Society of Orange County. “It’s honoring the Vienna Philharmonic in a way, and it’s a way of honoring Orange County for looking ahead and making this happen.”

Other activities celebrating the concerts include an educational session, a visual and audio display at South Coast Plaza, a ball, lectures and educational events for students.

It is the Vienna Philharmonic’s first West Coast appearance since a 1987 concert in San Francisco.

Organizers insist that the banners and other displays are meant only in appreciation and celebration of what amounts to a royal musical visit, said Arden Dombrowski, a society spokeswoman.

“It’s not about selling tickets,” she said. “We are thrilled to death to have the Vienna Philharmonic come to Orange County. It’s like having the Super Bowl.”