Mahler’s Fifth: Landscapes of Emotion

Item details

Date

Sunday, Apr 12, 2026 3:00PM

Name

Mahler’s Fifth - Landscapes of Emotion

Description

📍 This concert takes place at Powell Hall
🕒 2 hours, 15 minutes (including intermission)

Stéphane Denève, conductor
Hilary Hahn, violin
Seth Parker Woods, cello (SLSO debut)

Carlos Simon Double Concerto (First SLSO performances/SLSO Co-Commission)
Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 5

With its tremendous emotional range, breathtaking melodies, and the exceptional virtuosity required of its musicians, Mahler’s Fifth Symphony creates a soul-stirring orchestral experience. This monumental symphony is paired with a new concerto by Carlos Simon performed by two of the brightest stars in the string world: three-time Grammy Award-winning violinist Hilary Hahn and Grammy-nominated cellist Seth Parker Woods. The magnificence of Mahler’s Fifth and the power of these two soloists make for a breathtaking collection of sounds.

A few things to know:

• Currently the John F. Kennedy Center’s composer-in-residence, Carlos Simon has been described by The Washington Post as “an artist whose windows are thrown wide open to the world, and whose musical scope of late lands like a grand panorama of American life.”
• Hilary Hahn is not only one of the most celebrated violinists of our time but an extraordinary advocate for music education, passionately engaging with her fans through social media, blogging, and post-concert connections.
• Grammy-nominated cellist Seth Parker Woods is a champion of new music, having premiered or recorded works by some of today’s boldest composers such as Nathalie Joachim, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Julia Adolphe, Rebecca Saunders, and Tyshawn Sorey.
• The third part of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony begins with the Adagietto, written for just strings and harp. One of the composer’s best-known works, the Adagietto is said to be an expression of love for his wife, Alma Schindler, and is often performed as a stand-alone piece, notably by Leonard Bernstein at Robert Kennedy’s funeral in 1968.

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