The Viennese Ball at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is a formal event that recalls the culture, history and music of 19th-century Vienna. It provides the opportunity to dance waltzes and polkas from the Strauss Era in Vienna from the latter half of the 1800s and into the 1900s, known as a golden age of romance and elegance. The Viennese Ball also features many student and faculty ensembles and regional musicians, performing music from many different periods and eras. Proceeds and donations provide music, service and international study awards for University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire students.

The Viennese Ball was inspired by the historic Kaiser Ball housed in Vienna at the Hofburg Congress Center, the former Imperial Palace and seat of the Austrian emperors. A multi-roomed New Year’s Eve extravaganza in the style of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elizabeth’s “Ball at Court,” the Kaiser Ball features thousands of flowers, wonderful food, and a wide variety of musical events including Salonmusik, Volkmusik, and, of course, orchestras playing Viennese waltzes.

The first Viennese Ball at the University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire was held in 1974. In 1981, the Viennese Ball began to be presented in duplicate on two consecutive evenings. In 1988, the university received documentation that the UW-Eau Claire Viennese Ball is considered the largest in the world, outside of Vienna itself.

An important part of the Viennese Ball has always been the excellent university-community-international relations it promotes. In 1986 an exchange program with Austria’s University of Graz was established with scholarship funds generated by the Viennese Ball. The event continues to provide an opportunity for the community to experience the excellence of the university’s music program and the quality of students who receive Viennese Ball scholarships and awards. The Viennese Ball celebrates and supports UW-Eau Claire’s involvement in scholarship and study opportunities that are global in scope.