Composer

Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s ARCHORA hums with a tension that builds to a haunting ethereal calm, creating an atmospheric soundscape where swirling textures and deep resonances evoke the primal forces of nature. Then, Mahler's Rückert-Lieder soars with profound lyricism, transporting you through fragile, introspective moments of beauty and sorrow. Finally, Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 unfurls in radiant orchestral color, its playful, soaring melodies eventually giving way to a serene, celestial finale.

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Mahler Symphony No. 4

Cincinnati Music Hall

Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Christina Landshamer – two global stars, each outstanding in their own unique way. In this concert, the two artists will each have their own stage and will be supported by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and its Chief Conductor Gustavo Gimeno.

Toronto Symphony Orchestra / Patricia Kopatchinskaja / Gustavo Gimeno

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

Following the Duisburg Philharmonic's guest performance at the Cologne Philharmonic at the beginning of the season, the Cologne-based WDR Symphony Orchestra is now making a return visit to the Mercatorhalle Philharmonie. Romanian-born Cristian Măcelaru was Chief Conductor there from 2019 until the summer of 2025 – and will continue to be associated with the orchestra as Artistic Partner before Marie Jacquot becomes the new Chief Conductor in the cathedral city starting in the 2026/2027 season. Over the years they have worked together, Măcelaru and the WDR Symphony Orchestra have repeatedly explored the symphonies of Gustav Mahler. And they will also be performing Mahler during their guest performance in Duisburg. More specifically, his Symphony No. 5, whose famous "Adagietto" was a captivatingly beautiful declaration of love by the composer to his wife Alma, and which Luchino Visconti used as the atmospheric soundtrack for his Thomas Mann film adaptation "Death in Venice." Before that, there are two Tchaikovsky pieces and two orchestral pieces with solo cello: the night-dreamy "Nocturne," in which the cello is allowed to sing its wonderful utterance in an elegiac melody, and the "Rococo Variations," a musical homage by Tchaikovsky to his revered role model, Mozart. The young star cellist Kian Soltani makes his Duisburg debut as soloist.

WDR Symphony Orchestra

CityPalais

One of the greatest orchestral composers of all time, Gustav Mahler wrote symphonies which – as a later composer famously remarked – “sum up the whole history of music”. Rafael Payare is a passionate, renowned champion of Mahler and determined this composer should be central to the repertoire and mission of our San Diego Symphony Orchestra. In this concert, he reaches the epic Seventh Symphony, a huge cathedral of sound in five movements, which move from an eerie opening inspired by a trip across an alpine lake at night, through three central movements filled with the ghosts of nocturnal dreams and experiences, to an ending like a colossal and heroic dawn in which all humanity seems to be celebrating.

Music of the Night: Mahler Symphony No. 7

Jacobs Music Center

Music Director Emeritus Thierry Fischer returns to the podium for a luminous program that embraces joy, unity, and wonder. At its heart is Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, capturing the innocence of childhood with delicate orchestration and lyrical warmth.

Thierry Fischer conducts Mahler's Symphony No. 4

Salt Palace Convention Center

A celebrated musician based in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area, Schuyler Jackson is the Second Bassoonist in the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, a position he has held since 2014. In the 2022-2023 season, Schuyler also held a one year position in the Minnesota Orchestra, performing as a full-time member of the bassoon section. A multifaceted musician, Schuyler has performed as substitute Principal Bassoon in the Minnesota Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, and Bach in Baltimore. Schuyler has appeared with numerous other orchestras throughout the United States, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Opera, and Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.

Schuyler Jackson, bassoon recital

University of Virginia

What should drive an artist? Curiosity, says cellist Kian Soltani. There's room for it everywhere – especially in classical music. The fact that the Austrian with Persian roots is full of thirst for knowledge and a love of experimentation is evident in every one of his concerts. This evening he takes on Tchaikovsky's cello cosmos and presents a piece of Russian late Romanticism with the Nocturne in D minor, originally written for piano and later reworked for cello and orchestra, as well as the famous Rococo Variations. Gustav Mahler, on the other hand, walks the border between Romanticism and Modernism. His Fifth Symphony symbolizes a turning point. From the somber opening funeral march to the radiant final chorale, this masterpiece offers a journey through melancholy, passion, and triumph and is in the best hands of the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne and Cristian Măcelaru.

WDR Symphony Orchestra / Kian Soltani / Cristian Măcelaru

Sleigh bells and sweet melodies tumble out from Mahler’s Fourth Symphony, painting a scene the composer compared to “a dewdrop on a flower that suddenly illuminated by the sun, bursts into a thousand lights and colors.” Former Dudamel Fellow Elim Chan leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic as they traverse a shifting atmosphere of mellow woodwinds, menacing trumpet calls, and eager timpani wallops, before approaching the gates of heaven.

Mahler, Bartók & Ravel

Walt Disney Concert Hall

Guest performance

Alte Oper

Celebrated as one of the top ten greatest symphonies of all time by BBC Magazine, Mahler’s Ninth Symphony reflects a deep passion for life and the earth, even in the face of impending mortality. Though he never lived to hear it performed, Mahler’s masterpiece features an extraordinary opening movement resonating with profound emotion. Music and Artistic Director Dane Lam conducts a symphonic farewell, paired with Mozart’s Oboe Concerto, featuring principal oboist Gustav Highstein.

Mozart & Mahler 9

Blaisdell Concert Hall

Our annual spotlight on Hawai‘i’s most promising young musicians opens a program that celebrates both youthful artistry and timeless beauty. The finale of Mahler’s Symphony No. 3—a transcendent, deeply felt meditation on love and nature—will be brought to life with the support of specially selected young artists from Hawai‘i Island.

MasterWorks II: “Breadth of Beauty”

Kahilu Theatre

When musicologists rescued Mahler’s incomplete Tenth Symphony and brought it back into the concert hall, they salvaged a masterpiece of 20th-century art.

Mahler’s Tenth

Southbank Centre

Musical Titans

Clay Center

It was the musical equivalent of raising the Titanic. When musicologists rescued Mahler’s incomplete Tenth Symphony and brought it back into the concert hall, they salvaged a masterpiece of 20th-century art: a huge, impassioned meditation on life, death and all that lies between. Cries of pain turn into vaulting songs of love, and musical puzzles yield the most intimate of secrets. If you haven’t yet heard the Tenth Symphony, you don’t know Mahler, and Vladimir Jurowski believes that this completion by Rudolf Barshai is as close as we can get to hearing Mahler’s own final thoughts.

Tchaikovsky wrote his Fourth Symphony during a period of great personal turmoil, and this is evident in the music, which is permeated with the composer's inner struggle to find meaning and peace amidst chaos. The work opens with a grand and somber theme, symbolizing fate, which plays a central role throughout the symphony. Some call the work Tchaikovsky's Symphony of Fate.

Tchaikovsky & Berg

Aalborg Central Waterfront

Inspired by the Italian sun and hearty dances he played with his Hungarian violinist friend in his youth, Brahms' gloriously lyrical Violin Concerto seems to express the very soul of the violin. From its soaring, dreamy and majestic melodies to the boisterous lilt of the finale, its uncompromising demand for virtuoso playing makes it the perfect showcase for any violinist, and we're delighted to welcome back the acclaimed Johan Dalene in the solo role.

BBC NOW - Clash of the Titans

Brangwyn Hall

Mahler’s Symphony No. 9 is a masterpiece of profound depth and emotional intensity—his final completed symphony and a poignant reflection on life, love, and mortality. With sweeping lyricism and moments of breathtaking fragility, this colossal work carries the listener through yearning melodies, stormy turmoil, and an unforgettable farewell.

Teddy Conducts Mahler’s Ninth

The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts

Steve Hackman’s transformative exploration of life, death, legacy, struggle and triumph, The Resurrection Mixtape fuses the classic music of Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur with Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony. As Act One of the program begins, we hear the sublime music of Mahler’s ‘Urlicht’ (primal light), as the voices of Biggie and Tupac are heard through the loudspeakers, each rapper prophesying his own death.

The Resurrection Mixtape

Hilbert Circle Theatre

A musical experience that will appeal to you with its monumentality and spiritual depth – this is Symphony No. 2 in C Minor "Resurrection" by Gustav Mahler.

Mahler's Second

Municipal House

Acclaimed conductor Dalia Stasevska returns to conduct Mahler’s serenely lovely Fourth Symphony on a program with Barber’s melodic Violin Concerto, performed here by violinist Augustin Hadelich, a riveting artist who “appears to fuse entirely with the violin, as if he were the human personification of a glissando” (Bachtrack).

Mahler’s Symphony No. 4

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Experience an evening of wondrous beauty as Andreas Delfs leads the RPO in a program of lyricism and grandeur. The incomparable Yefim Bronfman brings passion and poetry to Schumann’s Piano Concerto, while soprano Jasmine Habersham lends her radiant voice to a Lowell Liebermann world premiere (Voices of Today commission). Habersham is also featured in Mahler’s luminous Symphony No. 4, a work of celestial serenity and childlike wonder. Don’t miss this spellbinding night of symphonic storytelling!

RPO: Romance & Revelation

Eastman Theatre

Romance & Revelation

"Playing with building blocks"—that's how Mahler once described his creative process. Therefore, in this concert, under the direction of Philippe Jordan, we will joyfully assemble one note after another with over 100 instruments. With our combined orchestral forces, we are always mindful, in Mahler's spirit, of "building a world by all means." The sound world we are to create is his popular Fifth Symphony from 1902, in whose interpretation we can indulge our musical passion, for the composer said that "the boldest passages and movements escaped him" here. It is a multifaceted work with a wealth of playful building blocks, and as a dreamy point of repose, there is the Adagietto, a truly otherworldly movement—made particularly famous by Visconti's film classic "Death in Venice."

Philippe Jordan, Maria Dueñas

Bamberger Symphoniker

In this colourful programme, we encounter the pairing of the conductor Simon Rattle and mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená. In Debussy’s Nocturnes we find traces of his inspiration from nocturnal paintings of rivers. Messiaen’s Poèmes pour Mi plays with surrealistic, spiritual, and romantic colours. Gustav Mahler does not hold anything back, either—his Fourth Symphony includes a vocal part.

Czech Philharmonic • Magdalena Kožená

Rudolfinum

"You will rise, yes, you will rise, my heart, in a flash!" So it goes in Mahler's Symphony No. 2, and so it will be for the people of Bonn and the entire Beethoven Orchestra when the mighty first chord of Beethoven's last piano concerto resounds on Tuesday, December 16, 2025: After nine and a half years of renovation, the Beethoven Hall—our Beethoven Hall and yours—will reopen! We have fanned out into the city, we have tried to win your hearts, and you have remained loyal to us throughout the pandemic. We have played in factory halls, on construction sites, in hotels, gymnasiums, and schools; we have presented ourselves as a large orchestra and in small ensembles.

Long Beethoven Night

Beethoven Hall

One of the leading composers of our time, Unsuk Chin now graces the Staatskapelle stage as Capell-Compositrice. »Subito con forza« from 2020 is her homage to Beethoven. A former student of György Ligeti, Chin’s music combines analytical acuity with evocative imagery. This work provides a stimulating contrast to Mahler’s Sixth while also provoking a conversation on structural clarity and existential expressiveness. The symphony conjures up a world of tragedy. Offering no comfort and no conciliatory finale, the »Tragic« is uncompromising in its severity. Part of the ongoing Mahler cycle, Daniele Gatti will conduct this jewel of the composer’s middle creative phase, celebrated not least for its powerful hammer blows.

Symphony Concert N° 4

Semperoper Dresden

The glass harmonica was developed by Benjamin Franklin in the 18th century and was a popular and legendary instrument in its time. Its floating tones are produced by moving moistened fingers over glass bells of various sizes. In 2006, Jörg Widmann dedicated a composition to the instrument under its original Italian name, "Armonica," in which the ethereal sounds of the vibrating glass expand to encompass the entire orchestra, creating a cosmos of sound of enchanting beauty.

4th  Symphony Concert

Music and Congress Hall Lübeck

Gustav Mahler’s symphonies have changed the way we think about music and his Fourth Symphony is a masterpiece of joy and childlike wonder that evokes the gates of heaven. Conductor Manfred Honeck makes his triumphant return in a program of orchestral gems from his homeland, Austria. 

Honeck: Mahler 4

New World Center

Led by chief conductor Jun Märkl, the Residentie Orkest pays tribute to Gustav Mahler. His impressive Symphony No. 1 is full of surprises: from the awakening of nature and a folk dance to a darkly ironic variation on Brother John and influences from Jewish klezmer music - a reflection of Mahler's cultural roots. This rich and multi-layered masterpiece forms an intriguing dialogue with the music of the brilliant yet forgotten composer Erwin Schulhoff.

Mahler's Symphony No. 1

Amare

USO 2025-26 Season Concert 2

Mendocino College

Imagine the sound of silence: 90 musicians creating a sound so still, and so quiet, that the air itself seems to be alive. That’s how Mahler begins his First Symphony: an incredible opening for an incredible adventure as a young genius explores life and death before rallying all his strength to shout for joy. Giedrė Šlekytė is our guide tonight and the wonderful Nemanja Radulović is the star in the heart-rending love song that is Tchaikovsky’s ever-popular Violin Concerto.

Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto

Usher Hall

Imagine the sound of silence: 90 musicians creating a sound so still, and so quiet, that the air itself seems to be alive. That’s how Mahler begins his First Symphony: an incredible opening for an incredible adventure as a young genius explores life and death before rallying all his strength to shout for joy. Giedrė Šlekytė is our guide tonight and the wonderful Nemanja Radulović is the star in the heart-rending love song that is Tchaikovsky’s ever-popular Violin Concerto. 

Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

Caird Hall

Usher Hall, Edinburgh

Experience the heartbreaking Adagio from Mahler’s unfinished Symphony No. 10 conducted by Gianandrea Noseda, whose Mahler interpretations Bachtrack calls “devilishly good.” Soprano Camilla Nylund and bass-baritone Tomasz Konieczny take the stage in Zemlinsky’s Lyric Symphony, a monumental exploration of love and longing.

Mahler’s Tenth, Adagio Lyric Symphony

Kennedy Center

Welcome to Masterpieces #3 and to an evening where we delve into the symphony orchestra's fascinating universe of timbres, roles and dynamic characters. Here we will experience well-known and popular classical highlights, ranging from the most delicate notes to the most dramatic climaxes, from the effervescent to the heartbreaking – making the symphony orchestra pulsate as if it were a living organism. The program includes captivating ear-hangers by Mozart and Rossini, gripping descriptions of love by Mahler and Wagner, and folk musical intricacies by Grieg, Bartok and Tchaikovsky.

Masterpieces #3

The Conservatory Concert Hall

Haslev-Halls

Stenhus Gymnasium

Ringsted Kongrescenter

For almost 50 years, the "El Sistema" initiative, Venezuela's large-scale music development program, has been a fixture in national and international musical life. The youth orchestras, in particular, have made a name for themselves under the direction of renowned conductors – the most famous example is the orchestra named after freedom fighter Simón Bolívar, with its chief conductor Gustavo Dudamel, which, strictly speaking, is no longer a youth orchestra. The successor orchestra, featuring highly talented and motivated young musicians, star conductor Sir Simon Rattle, and Gustav Mahler's beloved First Symphony, is now coming to Hamburg.

National Youth Orchestra of Venezuela / Sir Simon Rattle

The Columbia University Orchestra with music director and conductor Jeffrey Milarsky returns to Symphony Space for their Fall concert: The Exploration of Sound and Space. The program opens with Lumière et pesanteur composed by Kaija Saariaho who tactfully explores simple melodies and turns them into exotic and malleable textures. Gustav Mahler’s Symphony #10 is a statement of past and future—desperately clinging to traditional romanticism while pressing toward the future. The concert concludes with Edward Elgar’s deeply personal work Enigma Variations which expresses his elegantly poetic and powerful personality through a series of dedicated variations.

The Columbia University Orchestra

Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Symphony Space

‘He who calls us gives us eternal life.’ With these words, Mahler’s Second Symphony – the Resurrection – culminates in a breathtaking choral finale. In this monumental masterpiece, Mahler captures the human soul’s struggle with impermanence before opening the gates to light and eternity. Mahler’s expansive orchestration, distant voices, and transcendent conclusion create an unforgettable experience. Guided by Mahler expert Osmo Vänskä, and featuring top soloists like Carolyn Sampson, this performance in the Elisabeth Hall promises to touch the heart and soul.

Mahlers Resurrection

Queen Elisabeth Hall

The philharmonic concerts of the Hamburg State Orchestra become ZeitSpiele and transcend the boundaries of the ordinary: In this concert, Ella Milch-Sheriff's musical interpretation of the texts from Des Knaben Wunderhorn will be heard - as some of Mahler's songs are replaced by new compositions from her hand, inspired by the original. Mahler meets us today as a mirror of the past and at the same time, through Milch-Sheriff, as part of the here and now! This musical game without fear of contact opens up new perspectives on our musical culture, our way of thinking and being, on our way of receiving music.

3rd Philharmonic Concert MAHLER / MILCH-­SHERIFF

Elbphilharmonie

The Hamburg State Orchestra's Philharmonic Concerts become contemporary plays, transcending the boundaries of the ordinary. This concert features Ella Milch-Sheriff's musical interpretation of the texts from "Des Knaben Wunderhorn" – some of Mahler's songs are replaced by new compositions by her, inspired by the original. Mahler confronts us today as a mirror of the past and, through Milch-Sheriff, as a part of the here and now. This unabashedly engaging musical play opens new perspectives on our musical culture, our thinking and being, and our way of receiving music.

Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra / Annika Schlicht / Benjamin Appl / Adam Fischer

A Journey of Love and Longing: Kahane & Mahler. Step into an evening of deep emotion and breathtaking beauty as two powerful musical voices—past and present—collide.

The night opens with Gabriel Kahane’s If love will not swing wide the gates, a hauntingly poetic meditation on isolation, resilience, and the quiet ache of longing. Intimate, poignant, and profoundly human, Kahane’s work sets the tone for an unforgettable experience.

Then, brace yourself for the sweeping emotional arc of Mahler’s Symphony No. 5—from the darkness of its funeral march to the radiant light of the iconic Adagietto and the triumphant finale. It’s a symphony of love, loss, and redemption on a truly epic scale.

From Darkness into Light: Mahler 5

FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre

A Voyage of Discovery and Fate

Albert Hall Conference Centre

Start your weekend with our must-see Friday night concert series and social experience, Symphonic Piazza. Prepare to escape, mingle, and be entertained as you enjoy the perfect combination of a shorter format concert with enjoyable and engaging lobby activities to share with family, friends, and our musicians. It’s your new go-to date night! The fun continues in the lobby after the concert, as we’ll have even more memorable things for you to experience.

Matthias Conducts Mahler: Symphony No. 7

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

‘The symphony must be like the world’, said Mahler. ‘It must embrace everything’. This is true of his Third Symphony most of all.

Music depicting nature’s awakening after a long winter rubs shoulders with the most carefree music Mahler ever wrote; the rapt stillness of high summer, the quiet contemplation of night; a joyous vision of heaven and an overpowering hymn to love.

Mahler 3

Auckland Town Hall

In March 1913, Arnold Schönberg conducted a musical program at the Vienna Musikverein, which was later called the “scandal concert.” The program included his Chamber Symphony No. 1, Op. 9, a wall-breaker in the prevailing musical order. In addition, Gustav Mahler’s Kindertotenlied and Alban Berg’s songs to poems written on landscape postcards by the Bohemian poet Peter Altenberg were heard. A general uproar broke out during the Altenberg songs, and supporters and opponents of the modernists clashed.

Scandal concert

Espoo Cultural Centre

Chamber music has a deep-rooted tradition in the Czech Republic, one that is actively nurtured through education. A key player in this is the Academy of Chamber Music, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The occasion will be marked with a concert featuring current members, alumni, and faculty members, including a world premiere by composer Jan Ryant Dřizal.

Czech Chamber Music Society • Chamber Music Academy

The Velvet Revolution Concert resounds with spiritual strength and hope. In his Resurrection Symphony, Gustav Mahler traces a journey from the darkness of death towards faith in light and renewal. This monumental work, uniting emotion with philosophical depth, reflects the soul’s struggle for meaning and hope. The Czech Philharmonic and the Prague Philharmonic Choir will be conducted by the Finnish maestro Sakari Oramo, stepping in for Zubin Mehta.

Czech Philharmonic • Velvet Revolution Concert

An absolute highlight of our anniversary season – this concert with music whose orchestral power and splendor of sound, along with its breathtakingly virtuosic violin performance, will give the audience a rollercoaster of emotions and make the Meistersingerhalle vibrate. The Violin Concerto by Benjamin Britten, the greatest British composer of the 20th century, is a great neo-Romantic work. Written in the summer of 1939, on the eve of World War II, it is permeated by dark forebodings and visions of horror, but also filled with those positive creative forces that transform great works of art into a metaphor for overcoming. Gustav Mahler, too, was a visionary and, in the all-encompassing stylistic diversity of his music at the time, a prophet of postmodernism. As in all his symphonies, in his "First" of 1888, he looks in two directions: back, full of nostalgic longing for the lost paradises of a good old time, and visionary ahead into a vague future—sometimes filled with fear by apocalyptic horrors, sometimes intoxicated by a boundlessly optimistic faith in the future.

Britten's Violin Concerto & Mahler's Titan

Meistersinger Hall

The Corvallis-OSU Symphony Orchestra is the oldest continuously operating orchestra in the state of Oregon. From its inception in 1906 as a collegiate orchestra composed of nine members, the symphony has grown into a full symphonic orchestra performing 3 major classical concerts, a holiday concert, and a children’s concert each season. Professional musicians from throughout the Willamette Valley are joined by talented community members, OSU faculty, and OSU students representing a wide span of majors across campus. Repertoire from recent seasons includes Strauss’ Alpine Symphony, Mahler’s Fifth Symphony, Ravel’s “Daphnis and Chloe,” and Brahms’ Fourth Symphony.

Corvallis-OSU Symphony Presents: Fall Concert

Oregon State University

Platoon, Death in Venice, 2001: A Space Odyssey… picture those classic movies and you can already hear the music of Samuel Barber, Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss. But there’s no cinema on earth that can beat the sound of a full symphony orchestra playing these masterpieces live. That’s what we’re doing tonight, and there’s a bonus feature too, as violinist James Ehnes premieres a brand-new showpiece by Hollywood legend James Newton Howard (The Sixth Sense, The Hunger Games).

Also sprach Zarathustra

Perth Concert Hall

Platoon, Death in Venice, 2001: A Space Odyssey… picture those classic movies and you can already hear the music of Samuel Barber, Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss. But there’s no cinema on earth that can beat the sound of a full symphony orchestra playing these masterpieces live. That’s what we’re doing tonight, and there’s a bonus feature too as violinist James Ehnes premieres a brand-new showpiece by Hollywood legend James Newton Howard (The Sixth Sense, The Hunger Games). The young musicians of Big Noise Raploch get the evening off to a rousing start with a special side-by-side with the musicians of the RSNO.

Perth Concert Series: Royal Scottish National Orchestra - Also Sprach Zarathustra

Characteristically, Mahler’s sonic references stretch far beyond the concert hall – mysterious horn calls, the sound of a marching band, birdsong, folk dances, cowbells, parodies of a Viennese waltz and a Wagnerian opera, and even a serenading mandolin all rub shoulders in this exuberant fantasy of a symphony.

Jakub Hrůša Conducts Mahler 7

The Philharmonia’s 80th anniversary season would not be complete without Mahler’s epic, all-encompassing symphonies.  

Acclaimed as ‘London’s Mahlerian orchestra par excellence’ (Bachtrack), the Philharmonia has given many memorable performances of Mahler’s symphonies over its eight decades. The most recent was hailed as ‘the collective performance of a lifetime’ (The Guardian).  

Now the orchestra turns to Mahler’s Seventh, nicknamed ‘Song of the Night’.  Characteristically, Mahler’s sonic references stretch far beyond the concert hall – mysterious horn calls, the sound of a marching band, birdsong, folk dances, cowbells, parodies of a Viennese waltz and a Wagnerian opera, and even a serenading mandolin all rub shoulders in this exuberant fantasy of a symphony.  

Jakub Hrůša conducts Mahler 7

The Apollo Orchestra with principal Conductor David Chan welcomes Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano and Nicholas Huff, tenor, as we present Mahler’s great vocal work Das Lied von der Erde.

Song of the Earth

Montgomery College Catherine F. Scott Commons

You’d be hard-pressed to find a programme that is a greater expression of the titanic power of the symphony orchestra. Tonight, more is most certainly more.

Mahler’s ‘Titan’

The Bridgewater Hall

From the crashing waves and rushing winds of Debussy’s ode to the might and the magic of the sea, to one of Mahler’s most perfect symphonies, this pair of works both explore hope and the healing power of nature. Between them, Belfast-born, Manchester raised Peter Moore performs the RPS Award-winning trombone concerto by Dani Howard.

BBC Philharmonic - Mahler’s ‘Titan’

Only sixteen Lieder (songs for voice and piano) survive from Alma Mahler’s vast output, as her husband Gustav curtailed her publication efforts. Five poem-based works evoke love—intoxicating, intimate, infinite, and reflective of loves’ past. Gustav’s initially panned Symphony No. 1 employs musical imagery akin to a song cycle, interpreting nature’s joys and sorrows.

Mahler & Mahler

Kleinhans Music Hall

Few literary works had as significant an influence throughout the 19th century as The Boy's Magical Horn (Des Knaben Wunderhorn); its mix of everyday experience and the supernatural and bizarre were a perfect match for the Romantic movement. Mahler, one of the greatest songwriters of all time, used these texts as the basis for his own creation, evoking the lives and feelings of ordinary people in extraordinary times.

Where the Shining Trumpets Blow: Payare Leads Bruckner No. 4

How often do you hear a trombone concerto in an orchestral programme? It’s a rarity at best, but the most versatile instrument in the brass section can tingle spines and melt hearts in the hands of a great soloist, and with Peter Moore, former BBC Young Musician winner at the age of just 12, we’re in the presence of trombone superstardom. For his Nottingham concerto debut he’ll be playing the piece specially written for him by the brilliant young British composer Dani Howard, whose sparkling sound world has been winning legions of fans. Written during the pandemic her concerto is a celebration of hope and humanity during the most difficult times and draws on every element of the trombone’s enormous expressive range, from warm, soaring lyricism to spring-heeled, sonic gymnastics.

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra

Royal Concert Hall Nottingham

It's virtuosic, swinging, and shimmering in every tonal palette – there's just one catch: Ravel's Piano Concerto in D major can only be played with one hand! Anna Vinnitskaya is one of the few pianists to have this exceptional work in her repertoire. A stroke of luck for the Hamburg audience! And a homecoming for the Hamburg piano professor, who has found her home in the Hanseatic city since studying at the local music academy – and from there has conquered the piano stages of the world. 

Vienna Symphony Orchestra / Anna Vinnitskaya / Petr Popelka

Celebrate the 30th anniversary of the English Schools’ Orchestra with an extraordinary concert featuring some of the UK’s finest young musicians.

This year’s programme includes the enchanting overture to Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, Vasks’ powerful Credo, and Mahler’s monumental Symphony No. 1.

Under the baton of Musical Director Lewis Gaston, the Orchestra brings these iconic works to life, showcasing the energy, talent, and dedication of its exceptional players. From the magical charm of Humperdinck to the emotional depth of Vasks and the epic grandeur of Mahler, this concert promises a captivating musical journey.

English Schools’ Orchestra

Cadogan Hall 

Fanny Mendelssohn and Gustav Mahler brush shoulders with composers of our time, past and present connecting through musical memories.

Midnight Memories:  Mendelssohn, Mahler, Moderns

Noe Valley Ministry

Get up close with the principal trombonist Robert Parker with an evening of music at the Figge!

Up Close with Robert Parker

Figge Art Museum

“Imagine the whole universe bursting into song!” said Gustav Mahler about his great Symphony No. 8, which the DR Symphony Orchestra is performing on the occasion of its 100th anniversary together with three choirs: the DR Concert Choir, the BBC Singers and the Copenhagen Boys’ Choir.

Luisi & Mahler's 8th.

DR Koncerthuset

Brace yourself for Mahler’s “Titan” Symphony—a whirlwind of nature’s awakening, a wedding procession, a funeral march, and a finale that could move mountains. With its vivid orchestration and emotional punches, this symphony stands as a testament to Mahler’s genius, blending folk influences with grandeur that will leave you breathless.

Markus Poschner conducts Mahler's "Titan" Symphony

Honorary conductor Jukka-Pekka Saraste conducts Gustav Mahler's contrast-filled Symphony no. 5 , which begins with a mourning march and ends in a jubilant ending. Tabea Zimmermann is a soloist in Béla Bartók's Brass Concerto , which the composer wrote entirely on the stamp of life.

Jukka-Pekka Saraste Tabea Zimmermann

Oslo Concert Hall

If silence had a sound, what would you hear? Maybe something like the massive stillness that opens Mahler’s First Symphony. A magical spring dawn, or the creation of life itself? It’s the starting point for a young artist’s journey through tragedy and triumph – a voyage through life and death, birdsong and fanfares, funeral marches and Viennese waltzes.

Mahler x Bernstein

Royal Albert Hall

Marshall Gilkes performs his Trombone Concerto with the BH Symphony. Also on the program, the La Peri Fanfare from Dukas and the Mahler Symphony #1, “Titan”.

Garden of the Gods

Performing Arts Center of Rapid City

This concert opens with a fresh take on the story of resurrection with lush layers of colorful sound evoking a cinematic feel. Resurrexit by Mason Bates will take you on a mystical pilgrimage with shimmering exotic tonalities that give way to contemplation and dramatic stirrings of rebirth. César Franck’s Symphonic Variations is a masterpiece of collaboration between piano and orchestra celebrating the interplay of poetic musical voices. Christopher Taylor’s virtuosic artistry is a perfect fit for this intimate and lyrical work. Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 is one of the most profound and transformative works ever. Written over six years, it journeys from a somber funeral march to a luminous vision of resurrection and renewal. Mahler once described this symphony as “my whole life in one work.” Themes of struggle, hope, and transcendence will bring us to a glorious reassurance of light in our lives.

Primal Light

Overture Center for the Arts

Mahler’s “farewell to the world” caps the career of one of history’s most emotive and daring composers in a work brimming with blistering intensity, paralyzing terror, and tender nostalgia in equal measure before its trademark finale gradually gives way to calm repose. Never one to shy away from a grand musical endeavor, Andrew Litton has longed to take on Mahler’s Ninth since his days as Music Director here in Colorado. During the genesis of the work, an ever-superstitious Mahler was keenly aware of the deaths of Beethoven, Schubert, and Anton Bruckner, all taken shortly after the completion of their respective ninth symphonies. He even went so far as to compose a “Tenth Symphony,” Das Lied von der Erde, after his eighth in an effort to creatively avoid the same fate. In the end, Mahler too would succumb before he could hear a performance of this incredible meditation on mortality. Whether or not you believe in the “Curse of the Ninth,” these performances will leave you with a deep sense of profundity and peace.

Mahler Symphony No. 9 with Andrew Litton

Denver Performing Arts Complex

Associate Conductor Alex Amsel leads this program with two pieces inspired by faith. Soprano Liv Redpath joins to sing Mozart’s Exsultate, jubilate, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, depicting a child’s vision of heaven. This remarkable program begins with Carlos Simon’s AMEN!, an exuberant piece inspired by Pentecostal Church music, reflecting the composer’s upbringing.

Mozart & Mahler

Phoenix Convention Center

Rafael Payare continues the Mahler cycle he launched in 2022 with Symphony No. 9, an instrumental masterpiece of unparalleled richness, where every note resonates with deep emotion. In this work, Mahler evokes humanity’s reconciliation with the universe, weaving deep spirituality with moments of awe-inspiring beauty. A rare opportunity to experience a concert that is both musically intense and introspective.

Mahler’s Swan Song

Place des Arts

The Maryland Symphony Orchestra opens its 2025/2026 season with a celebration of the great orchestrators. Torke’s Bright Blue Music opens with vibrant, expansive sound, capturing the energy of life itself. Mahler’s Rückert Lieder, sung by bass-baritone Joseph Parrish, brings poetry and music together in a deeply emotional exploration of love and melancholy. The concert culminates with Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben, a dramatic and heroic orchestral journey that will captivate audiences with its sweeping narrative and bold sound. This program showcases the power of music, from vibrant and energetic to deeply reflective, through the works of three of the world’s most renowned composers.

Composer

Gustav Mahler

Events

Upcoming events

6 - 7 Feb, 2026

Mahler Symphony No. 4 · Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Feb 10, 2026

Budapest Festival Orchestra · Celebrity Series of Boston

11 - 12 Feb, 2026

López, Childs, and Mahler: Hope in the Heart of Exile · Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal

Feb 12, 2026

Love song · Tapiola Sinffonietta

Feb 12, 2026

Budapest Festival Orchestra conducted by Iván Fischer · The Royal Conservatory of Music

Past events

6 - 7 Feb, 2026

Mahler Symphony No. 4 · Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Feb 5, 2026

Toronto Symphony Orchestra / Patricia Kopatchinskaja / Gustavo Gimeno · Elbphilharmonie

About

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