A mere glance at the long list of Mozart events currently planned for 2006 — a total of 50 so far, to be seen on 2,600 dates — would be enough to fill any calendar and crash any palmtop. So what are the absolute must-dos, and what can you afford to miss? We have listed the key Vienna Mozart events of 2006 for you here.

The top highlight of Mozart Year will surely be the reopening of the Mozarthaus Vienna on Domgasse, in the city centre, on 27 January. Following comprehensive renovation, the completely redesigned 1,000-square metre Mozart exhibition, spread over six floors, will offer visitors fascinating insights into the eventful life of the man who was probably Europe’s greatest musician of the past 250 years. Apart from Mozart’s works (some of which can be heard on site) and an introduction to his family, visitors can also get to know the rest of Mozart’s circle — his friends and foes in late-18th-century Vienna. The house itself, Domgasse 5, is the ideal place for this. Mozart and his wife Constanze lived here during what were probably the happiest and artistically most prolific years of his life — a period that saw the composition of “The Marriage of Figaro” among other works. At the centre of the whole experience is, of course, the maestro himself, with all the many facets of his personality.

No less interesting will be the exhibition “Mozart 2006” at the Albertina. The composer’s life and works, and particularly his ideas and his lasting influence will be central to this unusual exhibition, designed by famous architect Zaha Hadid. Precious art and exciting virtual installations will invite visitors not just to retrace Mozart’s life from six-year-old prodigy to freemason, but also to reexamine the many clichés surrounding Austria’s most important “cultural artefact”. Other themes will be the intellectual and philosophical horizons of this free spirit. By the way, did you know that the Albertina’s collection of graphic art originated in Mozart’s day, and that Ludwig von Köchel, the legendary compiler of the catalogue of Mozart’s works, actually taught at the Albertina?

The Theater an der Wien is another must. In keeping with its 2006 motto “Mozart an der Wien”, the former musical stage will be reopening as an opera house for Mozart. Mozart fans can look forward to a total of over 80 performances, under the batons of start conductors such as Seiji Ozawa, Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Sir Simon Rattle. Sir Simon will be performing Mozart’s three last symphonies with the Vienna Philharmonic in December. Other highlights can already be revealed: Plácido Domingo and Julian Rachlin will take part in the first concert on 8 january, and Seiji Ozawa will be conducting Neil Shicoff in “Idomeneo”, a co-production with the Vienna State Opera.

Exciting musical experiences are also in store at the Volksoper, which was founded in 1898 and is located on Währinger Gürtel. Alongside “La Clemenza di Tito” in Italian, director Rudolf Berger’s team will be staging four other Mozart Year productions in German: “The Magic Flute”, “The Marriage of Figaro”, “Così fan tutte” and “Don Giovanni”. The opera house, which seats 1,400, has made a good name for itself with numerous Mozart productions in the past.

The Vienna State Opera, too, will be performing Mozart’s greatest operas. “The Magic Flute”, “Don Giovanni”, “The Marriage of Figaro” and “Così fan tutte” are planned. A co-production with the Burgtheater of “The Abduction from the Serail“should also be a big talking point. A further highlight is programmed for the anniversary of Mozart’s death, 5 December, when the current musical director of the Munich Philharmonic, Christian Thielemann, will perform Mozart’s unfinished final work, the Requiem.

“Nothing canned”, but a musically and intellectually challenging experience is the promise of the “New Crowned Hope” — the Mozart festival conceived by US star director Peter Sellars, to take place from October to December 2006. “To Newly Crowned Hope” was the name of the freemasons’ lodge that Mozart co-founded in 1791, during the last few weeks of his life. The programme will enable artists from various disciplines to explore Mozart’s oeuvre and personality. Alongside “The Magic Flute”, “La Clemenza di Tito” and the Requiem, which Sellars has designated as themes to be reinterpreted by various artists, the Museum of Anthropology and the Kunsthalle Wien will also be making their own contributions as festival locations. Architecture, film and visual art will be accorded equal importance to music. And the creation of opportunities for dialogue with the local population will be central to this exciting cultural event which, with its ambitious programming, will reach out far beyond the city centre.

Listening to Mozart’s music in the open air on a mild summer’s evening — this will again be possible in July and August at no charge, thanks to the City Hall Film Festival, which will likewise be focusing on Mozart. Films of the composer’s operas and performances from the world’s finest concert halls, brought to audiences with state-of-the-art sound and projection technology, will create a perfect atmosphere for tourists and locals to enjoy the master’s music. The Mozart evenings are gastronomically supplemented by specialities from all over the world.

On 12 May, Rathausplatz (City Hall Square) will be the scene of the opening celebration of the Wiener Festwochen (Vienna Festival), which will also be paying due attention to Mozart’s works. Daniel Harding, who served his apprenticeship with Sir Simon Rattle and Claudio Abbado and is now seen as one of the most promising conductors of his generation, will be conducting “The Magic Flute” and “Così fan tutte” — the latter in a production by Patrice Chéreau — at Theater an der Wien. The Festwochen is one of Europe’s leading theatre festivals, and new productions, as well as premières of contemporary plays, often make headlines around the world.

The Festival Concerts, which are among the absolute highlights of the Vienna musical calendar, will be focusing on Mozart’s piano concerti. These performances will call upon another former prodigy, Rudolf Buchbinder, who will play 12 piano concerti on four evenings with the Vienna Philharmonic, in the famous Golden Hall of the Musikverein. For further details visit: www.vienna.info.