Heaven and Earth
Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra
Juan Bautista Comes Children's Choir
Orfeó Universitari de València
Catriona Morison, mezzo-soprano
Adam Fischer, conductor
Mahler — Symphony No. 3
Individual tickets go on sale from 30 July 2026.
Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra
The Düsseldorfer Symphoniker performs primarily at the Tonhalle concert hall and Deutsche Oper am Rhein, as well as on international tours aimed at promoting music and culture—contributing significantly to Düsseldorf’s reputation as a renowned cultural city.
In the 18th century, composers such as Handel and Corelli worked at the “Düsseldorfer Hofkapelle” court orchestra until its dissolution. In 1818, the founding of the municipal music association gave rise to an orchestral tradition in Düsseldorf, attracting prominent musicians including Felix Mendelssohn and Robert Schumann. However, it was not until 1864 that the City of Düsseldorf officially established its own orchestra—one of Germany’s oldest.
Over time, it grew into one of the country’s leading and largest orchestras under the baton of distinguished conductors such as Heinrich Hollreiser, Eugen Szenkar, Jean Martinon, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Henryk Czyż, Willem van Otterloo, Bernhard Klee, David Shallon, Salvador Mas Conde, John Fiore, and Andrey Boreyko.
Maestro Adam Fischer has served as Chief Conductor since 2015.
In 2011, the orchestra toured Spain; in 2012, it participated in the “Beethoven Easter Festival” in Poland and performed in Moscow.
In 2014, its musicians made their debut at Vienna’s Musikverein; in May 2015, they embarked on a nine-concert tour in Tokyo.
In 2017 and 2018, the orchestra was invited to Arnhem (Netherlands), Moscow, and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw. In 2018–2019, it performed in Budapest, followed by a successful five-concert tour across Spain.
Two recordings of Mahler symphonies conducted by Adam Fischer received prestigious awards in 2019: Symphony No. 1 won the BBC Music Award, and Symphony No. 3 received the Opus Klassik Award.
Adam Fischer, conductor
Born in Budapest, Fischer studied conducting and composition in Vienna with Hans Swarowsky. In 1973, he shared first prize at the Cantelli Conducting Competition in Milan. He subsequently held positions at the Graz, Karlsruhe, and Freiburg opera houses, where he served as General Music Director. His association with the Vienna State Opera began the same year.
From 1987 to 1992, Fischer was Music Director of the Kassel Opera. In July 1989, he founded and conducted the first Gustav Mahler Festival in Kassel—of which he remains Artistic Director. For this festival, he assembled a new orchestra and secured substantial support from the German government. The festival continues to thrive today.
Fischer regularly conducts productions at the Zurich Opera with international stars such as Thomas Hampson, Edita Gruberova, and Cecilia Bartoli. Recent seasons included Haydn’s *L’anima del filosofo*, Rossini’s *La Cenerentola*, Cimarosa’s *Il matrimonio segreto*, and a revival of his highly acclaimed *Linda di Chamounix* (with Gruberova), filmed for television.
In January 1997, Fischer led the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra in a full production of Verdi’s *Macbeth* in Athens. He has conducted numerous world-class orchestras, including the Vienna Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Dresden Philharmonic, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, and Bamberg Symphony.
He also maintains a close collaboration with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra. His first Japanese tour took place in 1984—and he has returned regularly ever since. Fischer debuted with both the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1984, and that same year toured the United States with the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra.
In 1987, Adam Fischer founded the Haydn Festival and Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra in Eisenstadt, Austria—where he currently serves as Music Director. The festival is now internationally established and attracts leading orchestras, ensembles, and soloists from around the globe.
With the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra, Fischer is currently recording the complete Haydn symphonies for Nimbus Records. He has also recorded for CBS, EMI, Hungaroton, and Delta. His BBC film of Bartók’s *Bluebeard’s Castle*, performed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, won the 1989 Premio Italia and the Royal Philharmonic Society / Charles Heidsieck Award for BBC Radio/TV/Video.