The Great Learning

»The Great Learning« by Cornelius Cardew, written between 1968 and 1970, is aimed at professional musicians and amateurs alike. Divided into seven sections, the entire performance of which lasts around nine hours, it is based on the first book of Confucius in a translation by Ezra Pound. Participants are invited to sing, speak, make music and drum as well as play with stones, pipes and everyday objects.

In collaboration with Wien Modern, the International Society for New Music, the City of Vienna's music schools and many others, participants from all over the city will perform the seven paragraphs in various districts between March and October 2025. At the complete performance on 30 November 2025, over 250 amateur musicians will perform in the Schubert, Mozart and »Großer Saal« of the Wiener Konzerthaus.