Once a year, students, faculty and community members are able to enjoy a night in Vienna, Austria without ever leaving Eau Claire.
The UW-Eau Claire 34th annual Viennese Ball will be held Friday and Saturday in Davies Center. Attendees can expect performances by several student musical ensembles, including vocals and instrumentalists.
Beverly Soll, activities and programs director, as well as executive director of the Ball, said that the year long planning process starts in the fall. She said preparation usually involves working with a committee whose main focus is the décor and transformation of the building. The main staff works behind the scenes organizing the musical entertainment and food aspects of the event.
As in previous years, the staff tries to maintain the traditional feel of the Viennese culture, but a few minor changes will be seen at this year’s ball, Soll said.
One of the most notable changes will be the merchandise at the Edelweiss Market, Soll
said. Usually, the Market is set up as a mini-marketplace, complete with little shops selling goods unique to Austria.
Soll said that this year, however, there will be quite a few locally made items, such as blown glass, breads and chocolates.
In every year since the Viennese Ball began, proceeds have raised over $1 million to fund scholarships for students. Recipients of the scholarships are students from within the music and international studies departments, Soll said.
Junior Alex Wittig, a recipient of one of the Davies Center scholarships, said he is appreciative of having been chosen. Wittig has worked closely with the Ball since 2006.
“It’s nice to see that the people that put so much work into the ball get something back from it and are recognized,” he said.
Not only does the ball fund scholarships for present and ongoing students, but it also helps fund those for incoming freshman in the music department. These scholarships are awarded solely on musical talent demonstrated in their auditions said Robert Knight, chair of the department of music and theatre arts.
“Many of our scholarships were set up years ago,” he said. “The ball scholarships and money are one of the ways we can offer a more competitive scholarship to our incoming students.”
Knight said the student performers at the event should definitely be recognized for donating their time.
“The faculty and most of the students involved in most of the performances are donating their time in order to help generate the scholarship dollars for incoming freshman as well as endowed scholarships,” Knight said.
Scholarships in the international studies department are given for outstanding academic achievement and service to the university, according to a Viennese Ball press release.
Soll said that if students haven’t purchased a ticket and would still like to attend the ball, they are still available for Friday night. However, she added that there are less than 1,000 tickets left and they should go quickly, and tickets for Saturday may be available on the online sale board at www.uwec.edu/saleboard.
Soll said she is hoping for everything to go smoothly as the ball gets underway this weekend.
“Hundreds of people are working to make it happen, and it’s a great team,” she said. “It’s neat to know that students are directly benefited, and that’s why it exists.”
