Every year on Jan. 1, more than 50 million viewers around the world welcome the new year with the shimmering sound of the Vienna Philharmonic. The New Year’s Concert, broadcast from the Golden Hall of the Musikverein, is not only a musical tradition — it is a global ritual. And behind its unmistakable sonic brilliance stands a team of specialists whose work is largely invisible to the audience. At the center of this operation is Martin Gamperl, one of Austria’s most experienced and respected broadcast audio engineers.
For 25 years, Gamperl has shaped the sound of the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF). Since 2009, he has been responsible for some of the country’s most prestigious classical television productions, from live opera recordings to the Vienna Philharmonic’s flagship events. His annual challenge: to translate the acoustic perfection of the Musikverein into a mix that reaches millions with clarity, warmth and authenticity.
Few people outside the industry ever get to witness what actually happens inside the Ü-Wagen (OB van), the mobile control room where the live mix is created. A small group of the ÖTMV (Austrian Association of Sound and Music Designers) was invited to observe Gamperl during the afternoon rehearsal Dec. 29, 2025 — a rare opportunity to see how one of the world’s most watched concerts is engineered in real time.
In an interview with the NYC Daily Post, Martin Gamperl spoke about his early inspirations, his path into the world of sound engineering and the craft behind Vienna’s famous New Year’s Concert.
How did you first come into contact with music or technology in your childhood – and was there a key experience or a person who had a lasting influence on you?
“Music was always a fixed part of my childhood. My brothers and I all learned musical instruments at a very early age. In my case it was the xylophone instead of the recorder (“Blockflöte”); from there I quickly switched to the dulcimer (“Hackbrett”). After that, I had five and a half years of lessons on the French horn, and at grammar school I was then able to start learning the piano.
Piano lessons had always been my dream, as two of my brothers already played the piano. My role models were Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Keith Emerson, and Jon Lord. My piano teacher was very open to the idea that, alongside the required classical pieces, I could also practise jazz standards, which had a lasting influence on me. My entire school career was also always shaped by music, and during that time I was able to gain a great deal of experience in various bands.”
When did you first realize you wanted to pursue a professional career in sound and audio production? What fascinated you about this field before you began your training — and which stages of your education were particularly formative for you?
“With the first money I earned from my summer jobs, I bought my first synthesizer, a Yamaha SY35, and an Atari 1040 STF. Entirely new dimensions opened up for me then, and programming MIDI with Cubase was my first point of contact. At that time, it was already very clear to me that I wanted to be involved with music or music production in the future.
At the same time, I also played in various rock bands in Styria, specialising in classic rock music such as Deep Purple and similar bands. Since I didn’t have the money for a Hammond organ, I tried to imitate the sound using various synthesizers and sound modules. I also used a replica of an old Leslie speaker at the time. I had numerous synthesizers in use, including the KORG M1 and Roland Juno 106, JD800, XV2020, AX1, VR700, as well as the Yamaha SY35, QY300, TG55, and others. Unfortunately, I have already sold many of them.”
Since 2000 — that is, for 25 years — you have been working as a Tonmeister (audio engineer) at ORF. How did you first enter the organization at that time, and which of your early productions or experiences at ORF have stayed with you to this day? What stages of development have you gone through within the ORF audio department since then?
10/1/1999: Attended SAE Vienna (School of Audio Engineering)
11/1/2000: Started at ORF as Production Sound Technician (Sound Assistant)
8/1/2006: Promotion to Senior (1.) Production Sound Technician (Sound Technician)
8/1/2009: Promotion to “Tonmeister” (Master of Sound)
“Through classes taught by ORF colleagues at SAE, ORF first emerged as a potential employer for me. I subsequently applied to ORF and was invited for induction training (“Einschulung”) in November 2000.
It is wonderful for me that, in a company as large as ORF, I was given the opportunity to learn everything from the bottom up — from Sound Assistant through to Master of Sound — and to experience the transformation from analogue technology to digital technology first-hand. I was able to learn an enormous amount from my predecessors, Gregor Hornacek and Alfred Zavrel, which was a tremendous opportunity and privilege for me. This included working methods that I still use today, sometimes in modified and refined form.
The transition from analogue to digital was certainly one of the biggest challenges; likewise, the shift from copper to an increasing use of fiber optics in all its forms, from stage boxes to network-based systems, represented a major transformation within our organization. This transition happened gradually and in some respects I found it easier to adapt, partly due to my younger age at the time.”
Since 2009, you have played a significant role in shaping classical music broadcasts on television. What, for you, constitutes the particular appeal of this work and the responsibility it entails?
“From 2009 to 2014, Alfred Zavrel and I were responsible for television cultural productions. My first New Year’s Concert as Tonmeister (Head of Sound) was in 2014. From 2001 to 2013, I was involved in the New Year’s Concert in various roles, either as a sound assistant, sound technician or as second Tonmeister. Since 2016, I have been continuously responsible for the New Year’s Concert as first Tonmeister, together with my sound team.”
Your impressive list of credits span the live broadcast of the New Year’s Concert, recordings at the Vienna State Opera and Volksoper, the Salzburg Festival, the Summer Night Concerts at Schönbrunn and a wide range of entertainment, sporting, news and religious events. Are there productions that hold a particular personal significance for you — and if so, why?
“Working for different departments always brings variety in terms of tasks and working methods, and one is constantly confronted with something new. This makes the job consistently interesting, as you are often faced with new challenges that need to be solved. Collaboration with younger colleagues, as well as the ongoing development of technology, is ideal for adapting or rethinking one’s own working methods. Here, tradition often meets technology, and I see it as my task to combine both in order to maintain a high level of quality.
I repeatedly find it wonderful that in my job not everything follows a fixed pattern and that there is real variety. For me, it is always a pleasure and an honor to be involved in major concert and opera events and to be able to help shape them from an audio-technical perspective.”
Over the years, Gamperl has worked on a remarkable range of productions that highlight both the diversity and the scale of his work. In the realm of classical music, he has been involved with the New Year’s Concert (2014 and continuously since 2016), the Salzburg Festival in all three venues (since 2010), the Salzburg Easter Festival (2013), the Summer Night Concert at Schönbrunn (since 2015), the Festival Opening (“Festwochen”, since 2010) and numerous opera and theatre productions at the Vienna State Opera, Volksoper and Kammerspiele. He has also overseen recordings from the Vienna Musikverein and Konzerthaus, as well as special events like Klassik am Dom in Linz and the Vienna Prater Picnic.
Gamperl’s expertise extends beyond classical music. He has contributed to entertainment productions such as the “Villach Carnival,” cabaret shows like Alfred Dorfer’s “Bis Jetzt” (cabaret from the Akademietheater) and the “Amadeus Austrian Music Award” (since 2022). In sports, he has mixed sound for the Kitzbühel Hahnenkamm Race, the Celebrity Super Decathlon, tennis tournaments, Special Olympics ceremonies and numerous UEFA matches, ski races and Nordic competitions.
His work also encompasses major news and political broadcasts, commemorative events and the Vienna State Parliament election (Landtagswahl), as well as religious services ranging from small parish churches to visits by the Pope.
This breadth of experience reflects not only Gamperl’s technical skill but also his adaptability and musical sensitivity, qualities that have allowed him to shape sound for audiences across genres and formats, from the grandeur of the Musikverein to intimate venues throughout Austria.
Recently, you recorded the Volksoper production “Aschenbrödels Traum” with ORF. What aspects of this work were particularly interesting or challenging, technically or artistically?
“Working with external companies or with our Austrian traditional institutions is always a pleasure and sometimes also a challenge of various kinds. At the Vienna Volksoper, collaboration with us is held in very high regard, and for me it is always a joy to be able to realise a production at the Volksoper.
Thanks to the close cooperation with the venue and the use of RF microphones on the performers as well as on the orchestra, we are able to achieve a perfect result within a very tight production schedule. On site, all microphones — including my additional special requests — are delivered to us via two MADI lines directly at the connection panel. We do not often have the luxury of having everything supplied in this way, but it helps us enormously to manage such a complex production within such a short time.”
What do you think is the most surprising for outsiders when they watch you at work, like during the afternoon rehearsal for the world-famous New Year’s Concert in the OB (outside broadcast) van?
“The tour of the different departments — radio, CD production and television broadcast. This is where you can see how we work across departments, with everyone producing their own program, even though we are all broadcasting the same concert. Also surprising are the different sound mixes and the ‘power of the image,’ which comes into play in television sound mixing. You can see the effect the picture has on the sound, sometimes even just psychologically. When instruments are shown in close-up, they can sometimes seem too quiet or, conversely, louder. In such cases, we sometimes make subtle, targeted adjustments.”
At the New Year’s Concert, you work closely with your radio colleague Fritz Trondl, who has been with ORF since 1986. What characterizes this collaboration, and how do the requirements differ between television and radio broadcasting?
“In advance, we coordinate on microphone selection and placement, which at the New Year’s Concert follows a traditional setup that has remained largely unchanged for a very long time. For several years now, Dolby Atmos microphones have also been set up, but I do not use them for the 5.0 mix; they are used only for post-production. We often have to find a compromise between the ideal microphone position and avoiding shadows on the musicians or the conductor, while also ensuring a clear camera shot. In this process, not only our three audio departments are involved, but also lighting and camera.”
How do you personally experience the atmosphere in the Musikverein during rehearsals and on New Year’s Day itself?
“In my childhood, it was always a tradition to watch the New Year’s Concert on television Jan. 1 and thus welcome the new year. I never imagined that I would one day be able to be there in person. The New Year’s Concert has a unique atmosphere, as it not only bids farewell to the old year but also welcomes the new one. You are very aware so many people around the world are experiencing it simultaneously. It is always a pleasure for me to be part of this production, sending these musical New Year’s greetings out into the world.”
The New Year’s Concert is one of the most widely watched classical music events in the world. How do you handle the responsibility of ensuring that the sound reaches millions of people?
“A backup strategy is necessary and very important here, to compensate for any technical failures so that errors remain unnoticed at home. Over the course of my career, you gradually take on more responsibility; this develops naturally and does not pose a major problem. What is crucial is being able to react quickly and correctly in exceptional situations, so that no mistakes are noticeable to the audience at home.”
What, for you, defines the characteristic “sound” of the New Year’s Concert – the particular aesthetic that so many people associate with it?
“This can be broken down into two aspects. On the one hand, it is the golden Musikverein hall, which has a wonderful and unique acoustics, and, of course, a top orchestra, such as the Vienna Philharmonic. This combination of orchestra and hall is truly unique and contributes greatly to the characteristic sound.”
Which developments in sound technology have most strongly changed your work over the past decades? And which traditional working methods remain indispensable despite all technological advances?
“The switch from analogue to digital technology. With short cable runs, it is now very easy to have the microphone signal digitally, so that it can then be further processed. Ground loops, which were more common in the past, have become much rarer. Of course, in the event of a failure in the optical fibre connection, many more signals are affected than before, but our systems are very stable. For a broadcast of this significance, there is of course a backup strategy, which I have devised myself. The way we work at the mixing console has remained the same in its fundamentals; it has only been significantly simplified by digital mixing consoles.”
What advice would you give to young people who aspire to a career in this field today?
“Persistence, endurance, and willingness to learn — these are the essential qualities you need. Before an opera broadcast, I always listen to recordings well in advance, so that the music and singing really get under your skin, allowing you to fully focus on the music mix during the work itself. Today, thanks to digitalization, everything has become much easier, and you can access everything at home via stream or the Internet. When I started, I got myself a library card from the Vienna Main Public Library, which has a comprehensive archive of recordings and scores. By listening to the music in this way, you develop a sense for a sound that can be difficult to describe in words and understand how it is created. Once you have that image in your mind, you can reproduce it more effectively at the mixing console. This is enormously important, and I notice myself that one never stops learning.”
Looking to the future: What technical developments or artistic projects do you hope for in the coming years?
“I am curious to see how the development of AI will influence or change the profession of Tonmeister. Otherwise, I look forward to many new and exciting productions of all kinds.”
For Martin Gamperl, engineering the New Year’s Concert is far more than a technical task — it is a yearly dialogue with music, tradition and global audience expectations. From his early experiments with synthesizers and rock bands to shaping the iconic sound of the Vienna Philharmonic in the golden Musikverein hall for millions of viewers worldwide, Gamperl’s work exemplifies dedication, precision and deep musical sensitivity.
As technology evolves, he continues to blend tradition with innovation, ensuring every note, every subtle nuance, resonates with clarity and warmth. His craft is a reminder that while the orchestra performs on stage, it is the unseen expertise behind the soundboard that allows the world to welcome the new year with music that is both flawless and unforgettable.
Photos by Martin Lukesch & Hannah Lena Rebel
Edited by James Sutton
