Vienna Philharmonic / Klaus Mäkelä

World class

One of the world’s best orchestras and an internationally acclaimed conductor together on stage for the first time: Klaus Mäkelä makes his debut with the Vienna Philharmonic in mid-December with Gustav Mahler’s magnificent Sixth Symphony. A very special pleasure for the Finn, as the Vienna Philharmonic is »one of the very few remaining authentic Mahler orchestras«. And even though Mahler only wrote the Sixth after his time as a subscription conductor with the Vienna Philharmonic, the orchestra played an important part in its creation. The musicians decided to hold three rehearsals of the symphony free of charge so that the composer could hear his work before it went to press – a gesture for which Mahler was deeply grateful and which certainly contributed to the success of the premiere. So it is fortunate for Hamburg that Klaus Mäkelä and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra have decided to make a detour to the Elbphilharmonie with this programme.