Chief conductor Fabio Luisi returns to the DR Symfoniorkestret podium to lead two immortal masterworks written almost exactly a century apart, united by themes of conflict and transcendence.
Pianist Igor Levit joins the orchestra for Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3, a landmark orchestral work from the early 19th century in which the soloist assumes an unprecedented individual, energetic and heroic position. Its sense of dramatic tension and powerful contrasts foreshadows the existential struggle at the heart of the second work on the programme.
Mahler's Symphony No. 5 represents a turning point in the composer's output: abandoning the pastoral lyricism of his earlier symphonies, it confronts raw conflict between joy and tragedy, two of life's most fundamental forces. Luisi continues his ongoing cycle of Mahler's symphonies with this deeply personal work, whose emotional arc moves from anguish to triumphant optimism.
The two performances take place on 4 and 5 March 2027 in the Koncertsalen at DR Koncerthuset, Copenhagen.