Austrian Federal Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer and Austrian Vice Chancellor Wilhelm Molterer said at a joint press conference Sunday afternoon that the Austrian Federal Government would financially support activities in the Haydn Year 2009.

Gusenbauer said that the Government would allocate a special fund with 2 million euros in supporting the activities during the Haydn Year, which would last from March to October in 2009, to commemorate Franz Joseph Haydn, the great Austrian musician, who died on May 31 of 1809.

Molterer said that Haydn was a great Austrian musician, who not only influenced Austria and Europe, but also the whole world. The holding of "Haydn Year 2009" would promote also the regional tourism and other economic sectors. Therefore, it was also "a Red- White-Red project (of Austrian Government)."

They attended earlier the same day a grand concert in Esterhazy Royal Palace in Eisenstadt, which opened the prelude of the Haydn Year.

According to the arrangements, a total of 107 concerts, 12 Fairs as well as numerous research conferences, lectures and exhibitions would be held during the upcoming Haydn Year. It is also another large-scale cultural activity for introducing Austrian national musicians, following the "Mozart Year 2006."

The climax of Haydn Year would be on May 31 of 2009, which is also the 200th anniversary of Haydn's death. At that day, both Austria and other cities in the world such as Tokyo, London, Paris, Athens, Sydney, San Francisco and Boston would hold concerts to perform Haydn's works.

Franz Joseph Haydn was born on March 31 in 1732 and died May 31 in 1809. He was one of the most prominent composers of the classical period, created 104 symphonies along his life and was regarded as "Father of the Symphony" or "Father of the String Quartet."

(Xinhua News Agency June 2, 2008)