Herbert Blomstedt and Leonidas Kavakos

Revered conductor Herbert Blomstedt, still sharing the delight he finds in music-making in his late nineties, conducts Mahler’s Ninth Symphony.

The last work Mahler completed, his Ninth is a work of overwhelming emotional impact. In almost 90 minutes, it spans doubt and defiance; grief and hope; climaxes of devastating power, and a hushed ending that can make an enthralled audience of thousands almost forget to breathe. This chance to hear it in the hands of the Philharmonia Orchestra, and one of the most respected and well-loved conductors of our time, is a highlight in London’s cultural calendar.

First, Blomstedt is joined by legendary violinist Leonidas Kavakos in the fourth of Mozart’s five violin concertos. Its clarity and refinement are the perfect foil to Mahler’s full-bodied fare. Kavakos’s last performance with the Philharmonia was “pitch perfect… [He] gave the audience an afternoon of life-enhancing joy” (Seen and Heard International).