Colorado MahlerFest exists for two reasons – Mahler and the Mountains. For Mahler, the mountains were the source of his inspiration, providing the backdrop and the creative fuel for his busy summers during which he wrote almost all of his music. The mighty Rockies literally loom large over every iteration of Colorado MahlerFest, but this year, we put the alpine landscape at the very heart of the festival, examining and celebrating how the grandeur of nature inspired Mahler.
We also examine the special musical and human connection between Mahler and Richard Strauss – they were friends, colleagues, brothers-in-arms, and frequent rivals. Strauss’s Alpine Symphony was written in the years immediately following Mahler’s death, and is more than just a breathtaking evocation of a day in the life of a mountaineer, it is a parable for the arc of life itself. Mahler and the Mountains, Mahler and Strauss and …. Mahler and Schubert. Perhaps no composer had a more profound influence on Mahler than Schubert, and nowhere is that influence more apparent than in Mahler’s Fourth Symphony, the work which forms the centerpiece of this year’s festival. It promises to be a very exciting and compelling week of music and ideas. Join us!
These are the MahlerFest 37 Featured Artists including soloists, chamber musicians, Festival Artists, and symposium speakers. Return to the MahlerFest Read more
