Oundjian Conducts Mahler’s "Titan" & Gershwin with Hélène Grimaud

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Program

ROUSE  Phantasmata: II. The Infernal Machine
GERSHWIN  Piano Concerto in F major
MAHLER  Symphony No. 1 in D major "Titan"

Featured Artists

Peter Oundjian, conductor
Hélène Grimaud, piano

Description

Big ideas demand bold voices, so we’ve paired the unmistakable sound of George Gershwin with the monumental vision of Gustav Mahler, bringing together two composers who reshaped the orchestral landscape. Music Director Peter Oundjian welcomes back superstar pianist Hélène Grimaud, whose unforgettable performance of Brahms’ First Piano Concerto opened the 2023/24 Season to rapturous acclaim. This time, she turns her formidable artistry to Gershwin’s Piano Concerto, a work that helped redefine what American concert music could be. With its swaggering rhythms and jazz-inflected harmonies, the concerto bridges Carnegie Hall and Broadway, capturing the restless energy of a composer who forever altered the sound of American music.

Mahler’s First Symphony — long known by the nickname "Titan" — brings the program to a towering conclusion. Though Mahler later discarded the title, the label endured, and the music earned it. One of the most audacious and impressive first symphonies ever written, the work synthesizes the Romantic legacies of Beethoven, Schubert, Berlioz, Liszt, and Bruckner while opening the door to something profoundly new. Mahler expands the orchestra not for sheer volume, but to unlock an unprecedented range of possibilities, allowing individual instruments to speak with striking individuality. From the hushed awakening of nature at the opening to the blazing triumph of the finale, Mahler charts a path towards symphonic bliss that will flourish under the baton of Oundjian.

Prelude & Talkback: Join us before and after select concerts to dive deeper into the music or take a peak behind the curtain. Check back for exact details about this concert.