New York Philharmonic And Jaap Van Zweden To Open Mahler Festival 2020 in Amsterdam

By: Sep. 09, 2016
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The New York Philharmonic and Jaap van Zweden, who becomes Music Director in 2018, will open the Mahler Festival in Amsterdam in May 2020, presented by The Royal Concertgebouw. The New York Philharmonic under Jaap van Zweden will perform Mahler's Symphony No. 1 in the opening concert of the festival in the Concertgebouw. The appearance will be part of the Orchestra's first European tour with Mr. van Zweden in spring 2020, the first in the Netherlands under the new Music Director, and the first performance at the Concertgebouw's Mahler Festival.

The Mahler Festival will be held May 6-May 20, 2020. This will be the Concertgebouw's third grand homage to the world-renowned composer. In 2020 it will be exactly 100 years since the first Mahler Festival was held in Amsterdam to mark the 25th anniversary of the legendary conductor Willem Mengelberg as chief conductor of the Concertgebouw Orchestra. The second Mahler Festival was held in 1995, exactly 25 years before the 2020 festival. The New York Philharmonic enjoys a special connection with both Mahler and Mengelberg, who both served as Music Directors. Mahler conducted several of his own works with the Philharmonic, including the U.S. Premiere of his Symphony No. 1 in 1909.

The Mahler Festival 2020 will include performances of all of Gustav Mahler's symphonies played by four major international orchestras, all of which Gustav Mahler himself conducted and which will be heard together in Amsterdam for the first time. These are: the New York Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. In addition, an expansive vocal repertoire and chamber music will be heard in The Concertgebouw. A prominent place will be given to education, and use will be made of the concert hall's livestream possibilities which will ensure that the Mahler Festival can be shared with a broad, international audience.

"Mahler, the New York Philharmonic, the Concertgebouw - all in my hometown! What an absolute honor and joy it will be for me to share all of this when the New York Philharmonic and I have the privilege of opening the great Mahler Festival in 2020," said Jaap van Zweden. "It will be 25 years since I played in this Festival as concertmaster of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and, now in 2020, I am thrilled to be bringing the New York Philharmonic to the Festival for the first time."

"The Concertgebouw is very much looking forward to welcoming the New York Philharmonic and Jaap van Zweden at the Mahler Festival 2020," said Simon Reinink, General Manager of The Concertgebouw. "Not only because that orchestra was once conducted by Mahler, but also because it emphasizes the longstanding relationship between the orchestra and The Concertgebouw and - of course - between New York and Amsterdam."

"We can't think of a more fitting performance for Jaap van Zweden's first Europe tour with the Philharmonic than to perform in his hometown, honoring Mahler, who was such an influential figure in the history of this great Orchestra," said Matthew VanBesien, President of the New York Philharmonic. "We are tremendously excited to be coming to Amsterdam with Jaap, and thank our colleagues at The Concertgebouw for this opportunity."

Amsterdam/New York City Art and Culture Mission: The Concertgebouw is participating in the first-ever Amsterdam Art and Culture Mission to New York City, September 7-11, 2016, under the leadership of Deputy Mayor Kajsa Ollongren. The mission, in which more than 60 art institutions are participating, is aimed at creating bonds between organizations, artists, and the two cities. After all, collaboration between institutions has a direct effect on what there is to see and do in the city and its surroundings. In addition to the artistic and economic value of art and culture, the social significance for the cities is also high on the agenda. Here, too, Amsterdam and New York can learn from each other.

About the New York Philharmonic

The New York Philharmonic connects with up to 50 million music lovers annually through performances, education, broadcasts, and the Digital Archives. The 2016-17 season marks the Orchestra's 175th anniversary and Music Director Alan Gilbert's farewell season. The Philharmonic has always championed contemporary music, with current projects including the NY PHIL BIENNIAL. The annual free citywide Concerts in the Parks, Presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer, are complemented with Philharmonic Free Fridays and education programs, including the famed Young People's Concerts and the New York Philharmonic Global Academy, collaborations with partners worldwide to train pre-professional orchestral musicians, often alongside performance residencies. America's oldest symphony orchestra has appeared in 432 cities in 63 countries and long been a media pioneer, today sharing live performances through downloads and online. Alan Gilbert became Music Director in 2009 - succeeding titans including Bernstein, Toscanini, and Mahler. Jaap van Zweden will become Music Director beginning in the 2018-19 season, after serving as Music Director Designate in 2017-18.

About The Royal Concertgebouw

The Royal Concertgebouw is considered one of the most important concert halls in the world because of its unparalleled acoustics and wide range of high-level programming. The concert hall has a great tradition for legendary concerts by musical greats. With more than 900 activities (of which almost 80% are concerts), more than 700,000 concertgoers, educational projects, and private events annually, The Concertgebouw is one of the most visited concert halls in the world. The Concertgebouw Café also attracts more than 100,000 visitors annually. Since its founding, The Concertgebouw has been a privately funded art institution with a rich tradition in the field of (concert) sponsorship and fundraising. Approximately 5% of its income comes from subsidies. A special contribution from the BankGiro Lottery is enabling The Concertgebouw to realize its ambitions in the field of sustainability. For more information: www.concertgebouw.nl/en

 

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