We’ll be in Vienna for 3 days in May and are looking for a recommendation for a classical concert. I’ve searched relentlessly online and there seem to be so many ticket agencies. While we appreciate classical music, we are not die hards and are therefore looking for an overall great concert experience. I’ve heard of the Musikverein, Mozart at Golden Hall and Wiener Royal Orchestra (although I understand this is in a school assembly hall). Your guidance would be most appreciated!

https://www.wien.info/en/music-stage-shows/overview

There are many tourist concerts now in Vienna, playing variations of a lot of Vivaldi Four Seasons, light sweet melodies, etc. I would not call that a good concert, but people who don't like or listen to classical music much enjoy those as they are going for the experience and perhaps the venue, and they make those shorter concerts, maybe only an hour or so. If you want to hear the Vienna Boys Choir, those are Sundays at 9:15 mass in the Wiener Hofmusikkappelle. For someone who doesn't listen ot classical music much, I wouldn't recommend that probably as it will be a mass (Schubert, etc). Those cost 38 euro in the best seats, if you do like that idea.

I'd recommend the concerts in St Peter's church in the center. It's not too far from St Stephens, and they have a variety of decent repertoire. Also, there is no cost, just a free will offering, so if you don't like it, no harm done, you don't have to stay long. HEre is their program for May
Musik Kirche


This is info for the boys choir masses Hofmusikkapelle : Wiener Hofmusikkapelle

As for the Musikveiren, that is the prime concert hall. You'd have to just look at their schedule to see if you wanted to go to one. Obviously, the Vienna Philharmonic is a good orchestra. They have some school concerts there in the morning and some of the tourist concerts there now, also (look for Vivaldi on the menu). Programs vary all the time, so can't say what will be on when you are there.
https://www.musikverein.at/en/concert/eventid/40227
That's one that would appeal to me. But this is a question of repertoire, even critics don't know if a concert is going to be great ahead of time. Sometimes even the best orchestras and conductors can be off or one is a dud for various reasons. But I'd go to anything by the Vienna or Berlin Philharmonic as the best likely in May, unless it were some repertoire I really didn't care for. Barenboim is doing Mahlers 5th, I'd love that but I bet it's sold out now anyway. It's really long, also, but is entirely instrumental. Those tickets can be 150 euro to those top concerts. The Berlin Philharmonic is doing some Mahler, also, but not as long (the 4th, which includes a vocalist). I'd love to go to that and hear their new conductor's work, Petrenko. A lot of tickets there sell out early.

So in short, I'd guess the St Peter's one might work for you.

You might consider performances at the lovely little Annakirche, too. The repertoire is mainly Mozart and Beethoven, and some Haydn; the venue is small and the concerts do not run much past an hour. Also, check the schedule at Mozarthaus behind Stephansdom; on occasion there are student recitals taking place that present some beautiful pieces. (Full disclosure: our daughter's studio performed her recitals there, and it was always a treat when "visitors" would attend. So my suggestion is of course biased. )

Also want to add that if your timing overlaps with the Genuss Festival in Stadtpark, you're in for a treat. Go hungry and bring small notes to sample foods from around Austria.

Thank you all so much. I will definitely look into your recommendations!!

Musikverein was a wonderful night out, and it’s always fun reliving it when the annul New Years concert
plays on TV.
We are not die hards either, it was more the experience of the room, the people, the feeling of the history of the music.

As we weren't looking for a grand theatrical experience in Vienna, the smaller, intimate setting of https://mozarthaus.at/en/ worked out perfectly for us.