The Vienna Philharmonic is an orchestra from Austria and considered one of the finest orchestras in the world. Members are selected from the Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera, and must be members for at least three years before their application to the Philharmonic will be considered.
The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra was formed in 1842 as the Philharmonische Academie. In 1847, after founder Otto Nicolai left, the orchestra nearly collapsed. However, in 1860 the group was revived and has been performing continuously ever since.