Utah Symphony Honors Its Special Connection to Mahler with Symphonies 5 and 6

The Utah Symphony has a storied and unique relationship with Mahler's music, deeply embedded in Salt Lake City's cultural history. Under the visionary leadership of past music director Maurice Abravanel, the orchestra became the first in the U.S. to perform and record Mahler's complete symphonies—an extraordinary feat given the monumental scope of these works in length, complexity, and size of the orchestra. This legacy continues today, as the Utah Symphony prepares for back-to-back Mahler performances under the baton of Music Director Emeritus Thierry Fischer beginning this weekend.  

On February 21 and 22, 2025, at 7:30 PM, the Utah Symphony will perform Mahler's Symphony No. 5 at Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City. This symphony is renowned for its tremendous power and the gentle beauty of its Adagietto, where the harp's delicate, ethereal presence enhances its heartfelt lyricism. The work moves from mourning, to love, to triumph, encapsulating themes from Mahler's own life, including his courtship of his wife, Alma Schindler. The performance will also feature Haydn's Symphony No. 13, known for its buoyant beauty and a deeply expressive Adagio. 

The following week, on February 28 and March 1, 2025, Thierry Fischer will conduct Mahler's Symphony No. 6, often referred to as the "Tragic" Symphony. This deeply personal work delves into Mahler's inner thoughts and premonitions, exploring themes of love, loss, and fate. The symphony includes tender sketches of his wife, Alma, and a heart-rending musical representation of childhood innocence turning tragic. The chilling finale features a giant hammer strike symbolizing the blows of fate that haunt Mahler's vision. 

“I wanted to pair these two [Mahler Symphony Five and Mahler's Symphony Six] in two consecutive weeks, because this music begins with sadness, but ends with hope and light,” says Music Director Emeritus Thierry Fischer. I really like this message of transition from the utmost darkness to finding light—it's more than inspiring, it's a state of mind.” 

Maurice Abravanel's recordings of Mahler's symphonies with the Utah Symphony were groundbreaking. Partnering with Vanguard Records, he brought Mahler's music to a wider audience, contributing significantly to the growing appreciation of these works in America. The recordings were lauded for their interpretive depth and clarity, especially given the challenges of capturing Mahler's intricate orchestrations and dynamic range. Though recorded on a smaller budget compared to other major orchestras, Abravanel and the Utah Symphony's Mahler cycle stood out for its emotional intensity and commitment to Mahler's vision. These recordings played a critical role in both the Utah Symphony's rise to prominence and Mahler's increasing popularity among American audiences in the mid-20th century. 

Thierry Fischer, during his tenure as Utah Symphony Music Director from 2008 to 2023, honored the ensemble's storied history with Mahler. One of the most significant milestones came in 2011, when he led the Utah Symphony in an ambitious project to perform Mahler's complete symphonic cycle. This achievement was monumental not only because of the scope of Mahler's music but also because it helped solidify the Utah Symphony as one of the leading Mahler ensembles in the United States. Since then, Mahler's symphonies have been a mainstay in the symphony's programming, attracting both seasoned classical music lovers and new audiences drawn to the emotional intensity and grandeur of Mahler's music. These performances have often garnered rave reviews for Utah Symphony's ability to communicate Mahler's expansive emotional range. 

Mahler's music is woven into the very identity of the Utah Symphony, having shaped its legacy and propelled it onto the national and international stage. The orchestra's landmark recordings of Mahler's symphonies under Maurice Abravanel were a defining achievement, elevating Utah's cultural profile and cementing the ensemble's reputation for ambitious, world-class music-making. As Music Director Emeritus Thierry Fischer (another figure who shaped the orchestra's legacy) returns to Utah, his upcoming performances invite audiences to celebrate an important piece of our state's culture history and experience the emotional and sonic grandeur of Mahler in the present day, in the stunning acoustics of Abravanel Hall.  

“You feel the weight of each performance,” explains Fischer, referring to the symphonies he will lead over the next two weekends. “At the end you will say, ‘I don't feel the same; I am changed.' In fact, my own senses of perception are not the same after conducting these performances. It's magnificent.” 

Concert Listing 

MAHLER'S SYMPHONY NO. 5 

Thursday, February 20, 2025 / 8:00 PM / BYU Concert Hall – School of Music Building 

(1100 N 900 E Provo, UT 8460) 

Friday, February 21, 2025 / 7:30 PM / Abravanel Hall    

Saturday, February 22, 2025 / 7:30 PM / Abravanel Hall 

(123 W South Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah)     

ARTISTS: 

Thierry Fischer, conductor   

Utah Symphony     

PROGRAM:    

HAYDN: Symphony No. 13 
MAHLER: Symphony No. 5 

MAHLER'S “TRAGIC” SYMPHONY 

Friday, February 28, 2025 / 7:30 PM / Abravanel Hall    

Saturday, March 1, 2025 / 5:30 PM / Abravanel Hall 

(123 W South Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah)     

ARTISTS 

Thierry Fischer, conductor   

Utah Symphony 

PROGRAM:    

MAHLER: Symphony No. 6 

TICKETS start at $21   

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