The Vienna Art Orchestra is a European big band based in Vienna, Austria. It is regarded as one of the leading European jazz ensembles and is an official cultural ambassador of the Republic of Austria. Founded in 1977 by director and composer Mathias Rüegg, the band started out by performing Rüegg’s distinctive postmodern compositions on stages throughout Europe. Among the founding musicians were saxophonists Wolfgang Puschnig and Harry Sokal, singer Lauren Newton, and tuba player Jon Sass.
