Originally Posted by amarain
I will be traveling with my mother to Vienna in December for a week - neither of us have ever been there and we would love some suggestions. We definitely want to visit the Christmas market and ideally go to a Vienna Philharmonic concert (we're both big classical music buffs).
What are your (proposed) dates? The Philharmoniker has limited dates in December (8th, 10th, 11th, 12th and the warmups to the neujahrskonzert on the 30th and 31st). They are on tour to Germany and the UK in the middle of the month.
The Philharmoniker Association also provides members of the Staatsoper's orchestra. The level of playing can vary a bit, but, depending on the conductor, it can be very high indeed. In December, they are doing a number of works, including Mozart's "Figaro" with Riccardo Muti conducting and "Falstaff" with American baritone Thomas Hampson in the title role and a strong supporting cast.
If it fits your budget (or Starpoints balance), the luxury Imperial Hotel is across the street from the Musikverein. A good selection of other hotels are nearby as well.