A unique orchestra in Vienna, Austria, has set a Guinness World Record for performing the most concerts using vegetable instruments.
The Vegetable Orchestra, founded in 1999, reached this milestone after playing 344 concerts over 27 years. The 11-member group carves fresh vegetables into instruments before each performance.
The idea for the orchestra started as a joke among musicians preparing for a performance art festival. While making soup together, they wondered what the hardest thing to play music on would be—leading to their first vegetable-based concert. Over time, they perfected their craft, turning carrots into recorders and leeks into mandolins.
Since vegetable instruments don’t last long, the musicians create new ones for every show. After performances, leftover vegetables are made into soup for the audience, while used instruments are composted. This keeps their concerts eco-friendly.
The orchestra’s record-breaking achievement has brought them worldwide attention. However, they have one rule at their performances: never ask if they are vegetarians—a question they say they have answered millions of times!
