The Austrian Doctors team, supported by a number of volunteers, had been working since the early hours of the morning so that the buffet could be opened punctually at 10:00. Shortly after 10 a.m., many concertgoers were already there to find out about the work of Austrian Doctors and to get in the mood for the concert with a coffee or a glass of sparkling wine, freshly baked bread and homemade cakes.
The anticipation for the concert was so great that the hall, which had been sold out for weeks with 300 people, was full punctually at 11:00. Severin Schwaiger M.A., Managing Director of Austrian Doctors, welcomed the guests and introduced the association. He was joined on stage by the 96-year-old founder and long-standing chairman of Austrian Doctors, Dr. Werner Waldmann. In recognition of his special services to the association, he was officially appointed Honorary Chairman. His entertaining greetings to the audience rounded off the first part of the concert.
Then the time had finally come and Ariane Haering, Beni Schmid and their children Cosima, Darius, Flora and Emilian took to the stage to thunderous applause. Beni Schmid, who conducted the concert, said that there could be no better start to a concert in Salzburg than Mozart’s Piano Concerto KV 414, which he wrote when he was expelled from Salzburg. The rest of the program was very varied, from Breinschmid’s “Easy going” to a Viergesagg to Vivaldi’s “Concerto Grosso”, the first part already offered a wide range.
During the interval, there was again a buffet and the opportunity for visitors to make contact with the staff and board of Austrian Doctors. The second part of the concert opened with three compositions by Cosima Schmid. Pieces by Haberl and Lockwood were followed by Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t she lovely” Arr Beni Schmid. The brilliant conclusion to this wonderful concert was the overture by Gulda.
All members of the Schmid family demonstrated their skills in an impressive manner and the audience was very impressed by the demanding and varied program. During the minutes of applause at the end of the concert, words such as “unique”, “wonderful” and “brilliant” could be heard alongside shouts of “bravo”.
The Austrian Doctors would once again like to thank the musicians, the volunteers and all the concertgoers who contributed to making this benefit concert an unforgettable one!
