Jaap Van Zweden To Conduct Mahler's Symphony No. 6, Apr 11–13

Music Director Jaap van Zweden will conduct the New York Philharmonic in Mahler's Symphony No. 6, Thursday, April 11, 2019, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, April 12 at 11:00 a.m.; and Saturday, April 13 at 8:00 p.m.

Maestro van Zweden will conduct the middle movements in the order in which Mahler originally placed them, with the Scherzo before the Andante; although Mahler would conduct the symphony with the Andante before the Scherzo, several sources claim that Mahler later settled on his original order, and musicologists have made cases for both interpretations. The New York Philharmonic gave the US Premiere of Mahler's Symphony No. 6 in December 1947, led by Dimitri Mitropoulos; the marked scorehe used is available in the New York Philharmonic Leon Levy Digital Archives.

The music of former Philharmonic Music Director Gustav Mahler has figured prominently in Jaap van Zweden's conducting career. His first conducting experience came when, as concertmaster of Amsterdam's Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, he was asked to lead Mahler's First Symphony in rehearsal at the request of former Philharmonic Music Director Leonard Bernstein so that he could hear the balances from the audience. Maestro van Zweden led Mahler's First Symphony in his New York Philharmonic debut (April 2012) - which The New York Times called "a dynamic, all-out performance.... He drew blazing playing from the orchestra" - and Mahler's Fifth Symphony in his opening program as Music Director Designate, broadcast on Facebook Live (September 2017). He also released a recording of the Sixth Symphony with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in 2013.

These performances anticipate Jaap van Zweden and the Philharmonic's 2019-20 season celebration of Mahler in New York and Europe. The Philharmonic will present Mahler's New York, connecting New Yorkers to the Philharmonic's tenth Music Director through performances and ancillary activities. During its European tour the following month, the Philharmonic will open the Royal Concertgebouw's Mahler Festival - which began 100 years ago and takes place every 25 years - with performances of Mahler's Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2 as the first American orchestra in the festival's history.

"The DNA of Mahler is so deep in the New York Philharmonic that performing his music with this Orchestra is - not only for me, but for every conductor - an incredible responsibility," Jaap van Zweden said. "There are many things I remember from Bernstein, who really understood Mahler as a composer and man, that are still in my heart and my head, and continue to influence how I look at this music."

The New York Philharmonic will offer an allotment of free tickets to young people ages 13-26 for the concert on Friday, April 12 as part of Philharmonic Free Fridays.

Single tickets start at $31. (Ticket prices subject to change.) Tickets to Open Rehearsals are $22. A limited number of $18 tickets for select concerts may be available for students within 10 days of the performance at nyphil.org/rush, or in person the day of; valid identification is required. The New York Philharmonic is offering an allotment of free tickets to young people ages 13-26 for the concert Friday, April 12 as part of Philharmonic Free Fridays; learn more at nyphil.org/freefridays.

Tickets may be purchased online at nyphil.org or by calling (212) 875-5656, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday; 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 5:00 p.m. Sunday. Tickets may also be purchased at the David Geffen Hall Box Office. The Box Office opens at 10:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and at noon on Sunday. On performance evenings, the Box Office closes one-half hour after performance time; other evenings it closes at 6:00 p.m.