Video streamed event and on demand: Mahler and Bartók

Phenomenal violinist Alina Ibragimova made her debut as soloist at Konserthuset in 2017 with Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No 1. She regularly performs with elite orchestras around the world, and leads the acclaimed string quartet Chiaroscuro. 

We hear her in Bartók’s Violin Concerto No. 1, a musical portrait of the young violinist Stefi Geyer, with whom he was in love and to whom he wrote long, passionate letters. The musical declaration of love in the first movement is beautiful in a nearly otherworldly way at times.

Elevated musical beauty is also present in Gustav Mahler’s beloved Symphony No. 5, which is perhaps his most played. The symphony is a captivating musical journey that begins with mourning and concludes with a triumphant finale – with a subtle note of irony. In between, he has charged the work with a grand, dancing scherzo, which is a song that celebrates the joy of existence, full of desire and sensual experience. And then of course, we have the famous Adagietto.

The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra is led by its American Chief Conductor Ryan Bancroft, who began his tenure in September 2023. He came to international attention in 2018 when he won both First Prize and Audience Prize at the prestigious Malko Competition for Young Conductors, and has since conducted conducted many acclaimed orchestras around the world.