When the 1986 Fulbrighters were graciously offered a chance to meet with then President Kirschläger, we were each allowed to ask him a question. Since I was very interested in the life of Mozart, and the movie "Amadeus" had just come out, I asked him why most of the outdoor scenes that were supposedly occurring in Vienna were filmed in Prague. He said that unfortunately, due to the modernization of Kärnterstrasse, "these days Prague looks more like Mozart's Vienna than Vienna". Then he added "But you didn't hear that from the President of Austria!" I turned to look at whoever was guffawing at that remark and the photographer took the picture.

Dan Riddle is a graduate of the Julliard School of Music and studied piano at the University for Music and Performing Arts Vienna as a US Fulbright Student in 1986–88. Photo courtesy of Dan Riddle.