Immerse yourself in Mahler’s music during the Mahler Festival!
About the Mahler Festival
From 8 through 18 May, The Concertgebouw will host a Mahler Festival for the third time in its history. Renowned orchestras will play all of Gustav Mahler’s symphonies, and the best singers of the moment will perform his songs. Mahler had a special connection with Amsterdam and with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, which he conducted several times. He called the Netherlands his ‘second musical homeland’.
No ticket? No problem!
Although almost all of the concerts are completely sold out, you can still enjoy the Main Hall concerts every evening on the big screen during the Mahler Nights in the Vondelpark Open Air Theatre. The Mahler Pavilion will have room for 1,500 spectators each evening. Transformed into the most beautiful music cinema in Amsterdam, it will feature a ten meter tall LED screen and an immersive-audio system to ensure the best possible experience. Besides the concerts, festival highlights as well as documentaries from the Mahler’s Universe series made especially for the festival will be shown from 4.00 p.m. Catering will be available for a variety of food and drinks.
Mahler at home on TV and radio
You can also follow the Mahler Festival on radio and TV. AVROTROS will broadcast three concerts via Dutch television channel NPO 2: the festive opening concert Beste Mahler! (Dear Mahler) with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Lorenzo Viotti on 8 May, the First Symphony with the Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Klaus Mäkelä op 11 May and the Sixth Symphony with Jaap van Zweden conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on 18 May.
Mahler fans who don’t want to miss a single note can enjoy all of his symphonies on NPO 2 Extra. Documentaries and specials about Mahler and his music will be shown before all the concerts on NPO 2 Extra.
In addition, Dutch national radio channel NPO Klassiek will broadcast all evening concerts live. And there is plenty to enjoy during the daytime as well, thanks to broadcasts during well-known AVROTROS radio programmes De Klassieken, Een Goedemorgen Met…, Het Zondagochtend Concert, De Muziekfabriek and Opium from The Concertgebouw.
Concertgebouworkest on television:
NPO 2 Extra (live broadcast)
- Mahler Symphony No. 1: Friday 9 May at 8.15 PM (including the world premiere of Hell Mountain by Anders Hillborg)
- Mahler Symphony No. 8: Friday 16 May at 8.15 PM
NPO 2
- Mahler Symphony No. 1: Sunday 11 May at 2.00 PM
- Mahler Symphony No. 8: Sunday 18 May at 1.30 PM
See and hear Mahler’s First Symphony in the Pathé cinema
The Mahler Festival will open on Friday evening 9 May with Klaus Mäkelä conducting our orchestra in the First Symphony. Watch and listen live from one of nine Pathé cinemas throughout the Netherlands. The finest quality video and Dolby Surround immersive audio will make your experience almost like being there.
Tickets cost € 9.50 and are available at the Pathé Buitenhof (The Hague), Pathé Delft, Pathé Groningen, Pathé Maastricht, Pathé Nijmegen, Pathé Schouwburgplein (Rotterdam), Pathé Tilburg Centrum and Pathé Utrecht Leidsche Rijn.
Mahler Walk with Herman Rieken
Concertgebouw Orchestra percussionist Herman Rieken will take you on a very special walk (in Dutch) through the history and legends around the Concertgebouw! He’ll lead you through the neighbourhood past places that Gustav Mahler visited when he was staying in Amsterdam, such as the former houses of conductor/composer Cornelis Dopper and composer Alphons Diepenbrock. You’ll also see houses of other musicians with whom Mahler worked or was friends with. An enthusiastic tour guide, Herman will enliven your walk with fun facts and humorous anecdotes. You can book your tour for Sunday 11 May, Wednesday 14 May and Friday 16 May.
Mahler’s Fifth Symphony with Camerata RCO
In the Muziekgebouw, Camerata RCO, an ensemble made up of Concertgebouw Orchestra musicians, will play an unusual version of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony during the festival. Aurel Dawidiuk will conduct this intimate look at Mahler’s monumental declaration of love to Alma.
The Mahler interpretations by the Concertgebouw Orchestra’s former chief conductor Bernard Haitink are legendary. To honour the memory of Haitink, who passed away in 2021, the orchestra appoints a promising young conductor as associate conductor every two years. Our first associate conductor, Aurel Dawidiuk, has held the post since September 2024.
Can’t get enough of Mahler? There’s more!
There are many more special events connected to Mahler. How about hearing Mahler himself in concert? Thanks to the piano rolls made for the pianola, his playing will be brought back to life in the Rijksmuseum on Sunday, 11 May. Check the festival website for even more fun events: