Our first concert of the new season includes one of the great masterpieces of the late 19th century - Gustav Mahler's Symphony no. 1 in D (often known as "Titan"). As well as being a highly popular work for both orchestras and audiences, this piece holds a special significance for our Musical Director, Jon Malaxetxebarria - as a truly formative piece in his musical development, this concert will enable a major ambition to be realised!
Jon explains:
I can still vividly recall the day my music theory teacher played Mahler's First Symphony over a humble PA system. I was 13, just beginning my journey with the French horn, and in that moment, my world expanded. The sheer force of those intertwining melodies, the shifting colors and textures, and the overwhelming wall of sound created through Mahler’s intricate counterpoint—it was nothing short of mind-blowing. But then came the final movement. It was like a storm erupting, more powerful than anything I had ever heard, crashing through with intensity before soaring into a triumphant march.
For the first time, music didn’t just move me—it consumed me. I knew, right then, that my dream was to one day stand in front of an orchestra and be enveloped by that very sound.
Now, as I prepare to conduct this symphony for the first time, the same one that ignited my passion all those years ago, I can hardly believe it. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for.
The performance takes place at 7.30pm at High Storrs school, Sheffield, on Saturday 19 October. Book your tickets here!
Looking forward to an exciting evening for the orchestra, Toi Toi Toi to Jon and the players