“Imagine a work of such magnitude that it actually mirrors the whole world,” Gustav Mahler once said of his Symphony No. 3—the most expansive and ambitious of all his symphonies. With its six movements exploring nature, humanity, spirituality, and divine love, the Third is a sweeping musical journey that transcends conventional concert experience.
This rare and monumental performance at Carnegie Hall features the internationally acclaimed Budapest Festival Orchestra, led by its visionary founder and conductor Iván Fischer, hailed by The Guardian as “superb Mahlerians.” The orchestra's deeply personal and emotionally resonant interpretations have earned it a place among the world’s foremost Mahler ensembles.
Adding to the power and color of this performance are the sopranos and altos of the Westminster Symphonic Choir, whose shimmering vocal textures illuminate the fifth movement’s celestial vision of innocence and transcendence. Their contribution brings a uniquely luminous and ethereal quality to Mahler’s vast sonic universe, joining the orchestra and vocal soloist in a moment of breathtaking musical synthesis.
Because of the work’s extraordinary scale—requiring an immense orchestra, multiple choirs, and a soloist—Symphony No. 3 is rarely performed live. Don’t miss this chance to experience one of classical music’s most awe-inspiring masterpieces, brought vividly to life by some of the most compelling Mahler interpreters of our time.
This performance is part of Carnegie Hall’s International Festival of Orchestras I