Without any live audience, the 2021 Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Concert took place on Friday, under the baton of Italian conductor Riccardo Muti.

"As an ambassador of music and together with maestro Muti we would like to send a message of hope and optimism through our concert," said Daniel Froschauer at the concert. He is both the Vienna Philharmonic's chairman of the board and the first violinist.

"The music of the New Year's Concert has carried us through dark days as well as joyous times. In this sense, we wish you a very unforgettable New Year's Concert, a happy new year and a healthy new year," Froschauer added.

The New Year's Concert by Vienna Philharmonic took place in front of empty ranks in the "Golden Hall" of the Musikverein in Vienna, the first time in its 81-year history since the event started in 1939.

As part of restrictions to stem the spread of COVID-19 in Austria, no concerts can be held before audiences until January 18, 2021. To ensure their safety, musicians and staff of the Vienna Philharmonic have taken daily COVID-19 tests.

When the finale "Radetzky March" was played in previous editions, the conductor would instruct the audience to clap along to the rhythm of the orchestra, but this tradition was broken in 2021.

Though there was no in-house audience this year, classical music lovers worldwide were still able to enjoy the concert and cheer the musicians from home.

About 7,000 people from more than 90 countries and regions, including China, registered online to send audio broadcasts of themselves clapping from home. The recorded applause was played several times through the sound system in the "Golden Hall." All musicians there and an estimated 30 million to 50 million online audience were able to share their delight.

When conductor Muti raised his baton, it marked the sixth time that he has conducted this prestigious New Year's concert.

At the concert, Muti talked about joy, hope, peace, brotherhood, and Love. "[The event] will cheer people up. It will go down in history as being the one without an audience, but Vienna wanted to do it, and that's what counts," said Muti.

(With input from Xinhua News Agency)