28,000 Visitors in First Six Days of Mahler Festival
Extra Capacity and Screenings in Vondelpark Due to High Demand
In the presence of Marina Mahler, granddaughter of the composer, the 2025 Mahler Festival got off to a successful start. All thirteen concerts during the first six days were completely sold out. Due to overwhelming interest in the free livestreams at the Mahler Pavilion (Vondelpark Open Air Theatre), extra seating has been added and the programming has been expanded. Starting today, each evening’s concert will be rebroadcast the following day at 5:00 PM at the Mahler Pavilion. The full daily schedule is available on the festival website.
Thirteen Concerts in Six Days
Following Thursday’s theatrical opening Beste Mahler! (performed by the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra under Lorenzo Viotti), the symphonic cycle began with Mahler’s First Symphony, performed by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra led by its young incoming chief conductor Klaus Mäkelä. Both concerts were also broadcast on NPO 2 and are available for replay on NPOstart. On Saturday evening, a spectacular performance of Mahler’s Second Symphony followed, delivered by the Budapest Festival Orchestra conducted by Hungarian maestro Iván Fischer. On Sunday and Monday evening, Italian conductor Fabio Luisi led the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo in Mahler’s Third and Fourth Symphonies, respectively. Additional concerts took place at the Rijksmuseum and Theater Amsterdam.
Klaus Mäkelä conducts Mahler’s First Symphony. Watch highlights of each concert on YouTube and listen to the full performances on NPO Klassiek. |
Jaap van Zweden at the Mahler Festival Today, The Concertgebouw welcomes Amsterdam-born conductor Jaap van Zweden, who will lead the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Mahler’s Sixth (featuring the iconic hammer blow with the Mahler Hammer) and Seventh Symphonies. On Friday evening, the Concertgebouw Orchestra will perform Mahler’s monumental Symphony of a Thousand (Symphony No. 8), with 420 musicians on stage: three choirs, two children's choirs, eight vocal soloists, and a massively expanded orchestra. Finally, the world-renowned Berliner Philharmoniker will close the festival under the batons of Kirill Petrenko and Sakari Oramo with performances of Mahler’s Ninth and Tenth Symphonies. Marina Mahler and the Mahler Foundation will also present a special concert in the Kleine Zaal during the final weekend, titled Mahler Beyond. Le Figaro, De Standaard, and Associated Press on the Mahler Festival Journalists from across Europe and beyond have traveled to Amsterdam for the Mahler Festival. Le Figaro writes: “Mahler in Amsterdam: it’s truly a bit like Wagner in Bayreuth.” De Standaard (Belgium) reports: “In Amsterdam, it’s all Mahler, all the time.” Bachtrack describes Mahler 2 as “earth-shattering.” And finally, the Associated Press notes: “Composer Gustav Mahler, whose music is enjoying new popularity, is celebrated at Amsterdam festival.” |
