This February and March, Andris Nelsons joins the Vienna Philharmonic on tour, with performances in Vienna, Frankfurt, New York City, and more. Nelsons has a strong, longstanding relationship with the orchestra, regularly appearing as a guest conductor at home and on tour, as well as collaborating on an acclaimed recording of Beethoven’s complete symphonies. Nelsons and the orchestra will collaborate on a series of three diverse programs, alternating them throughout the tour.  

The first program opens with Mozart’s Symphony No. 36, often called the “Linzer Symphonie”, which was composed in just four days in November 1783 as Mozart passed through Linz, Austria. It is paired with Dvořák’s Symphony No. 6, which combines a Czech folk music with Germanic symphonic tradition. The concert will be played in Vienna on February 14 and 15, with performances in New York on February 28, Naples, FL on March 7, West Palm Beach, FL on March 8, and Orlando, FL on March 12. 

The second program features Also sprach Zarathustra, Strauss’ famous tone poem inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophical novel, as well as Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2, sometimes called the “Symphony of Independence” for its reflection of Finland’s struggle against Russian oppression. Some performances of this program will also feature György Kurtág’s Petite musique solennelle – En hommage à Pierre Boulez, Kurtag’s 2015 tribute to his contemporary and friend Pierre Boulez on his 90th birthday. The first performances take place in Vienna on February 19 and in Frankfurt on February 24, with performances at New York’s Carnegie Hall on March 1, The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on March 4, and in Orlando, FL on March 11. 

The final program pairs Nelsons and the orchestra with acclaimed pianist Lang Lang, who will play Bartók’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in E Major, a classically-inspired and melodic work that stands in stark contrast to his earlier, more violent works. The concerto is followed by Mahler’s Symphony No.1, nicknamed “Titan,” a much-revised, deeply personal work that features folk music, marches, and sounds from nature. This vibrant program will be performed in Vienna on February 20, 21, and 22, followed by Carnegie Hall on February 27 and Boston’s Symphony Hall on March 3. Further performances take place in Naples, FL on March 6 and West Palm Beach, FL on March 9.