An old world tradition rings in the New Year at the Mann Hall

Welcome the New Year in traditional Viennese style when "Salute to Vienna" returns to the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 2, with the music, song and dance of Johann Strauss Jr. and his contemporaries. The old world tradition has been embraced by new world audiences.

This season "Salute to Vienna" has formed a partnership with the charity SOS Children's Villages, which for 60 years has has been a beacon of hope for children in 132 countries.

Now in its 14th year, "Salute to Vienna" performances have continuously sold out in major concert halls across North America. The Kennedy Center in Washington, the Lincoln Center in New York, the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall, Place des Arts in Montreal and the Orpheum Theatre in Vancouver are but a few of the 25 venues simultaneously celebrating the New Year with "Salute to Vienna."

A "Salute to Vienna" invitation has become a coveted prize for the best of Europe's artistic community. Each concert boasts a cast of more than 70 singers and dancers accompanied by a full symphony orchestra.

For the Fort Myers concert, Viennese Maestro Gerhard Track will lead the full Strauss Symphony of America. Soprano Ute Ziemer and tenor Joachim Moser will perform arias and duets from operettas including "Die Fledermaus," "The Gypsy Baron" and "The Merry Widow." Dancers from the Vienna International Ballet will perform the Viennese waltz and polka.

Celebrate the New Year with this Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall tradition. Tickets start at $45. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. To purchase tickets, visit www.bbmannpah. com or call 481-4849 or (800) 440-7469.