Concertgebouw Orchestra to perform Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 at Christmas Matinee concert
Christmas concert conducted by Mahler-expert Myung-whun Chung broadcast on radio and television
On Sunday, 25 December at 2.15 p.m., Myung-whun Chung will conduct the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5. True to tradition, this Christmas Matinee concert will be broadcast live on national radio (NPO Radio 4) and at 3 p.m. on television (NPO 2) thanks to Dutch broadcasting corporation AVROTROS.
Myung-whun Chung, one of the leading Mahler conductors of our time, thus adds a new chapter to he Concertgebouw Orchestra’s deep bond with Mahler’s Fifth Symphony. Gustav Mahler conducted the orchestra in 1906 in what was the first performance for the Netherlands. Since then, the kaleidsocopic symphony has graced the Concertgebouw Orchestra’s music stands over 125 times.
Christmas Matinee tradition
The Concertgebouw Orchestra’s annual Christmas Matinee tradition started in 1975. The Eurovision Christmas Matinee concerts with chief conductor Bernard Haitink were broadcast live in dozens of countries and earned a legendary status when, between 1977 and 1987, Mahler’s music was programmed each year.
Concert and film op 22 december
Myung-whun Chung will also conduct Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 on Thursday 22 December at 8.25 p.m. Prior to this concert there will be a screening of The Mahler Monologues, a film by Joost Honselaar initiated by the Dutch Gustav Mahler Foundation, at the Concertgebouw’s Mirror Hall at 7.25 p.m (doors open at 7.15).