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 ticket sales begin on 30 July 2026.
Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra
The Düsseldorfer Symphoniker primarily performs at the Tonhalle concert hall and the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, as well as on international tours aimed at promoting music and culture. Thanks to this, Düsseldorf has earned a reputation as a renowned cultural city.
In the 18th century, composers such as Handel and Corelli worked at the “Düsseldorfer Hofkapelle” until its dissolution. In 1818, the founding of the municipal music association sparked an orchestral tradition in Düsseldorf, attracting musicians including Felix Mendelssohn and Robert Schumann. However, it was not until 1864 that the Düsseldorf City Orchestra was formally established — making it one of Germany’s oldest orchestras.
Over time, it grew into one of the country’s leading and largest orchestras, led by eminent 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 launched a nine-concert tour in Tokyo.
In 2017 and 2018, the orchestra was invited to perform in Arnhem (Netherlands) and Moscow, as well as at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw. In 2018 and 2019, it appeared 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: the First Symphony won the BBC Music Magazine Award, and the Third Symphony received the Opus Klassik Award.
Adam Fischer, conductor
Born in Budapest, Fischer later studied conducting and composition in Vienna with Hans Swarowsky. He shared first prize at the 1973 Cantelli Conducting Competition in Milan and subsequently held posts at the Graz, Karlsruhe, and Freiburg opera houses, where he served as General Music Director. His collaboration 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 — serving as both Artistic Director and founder of the festival’s dedicated orchestra, backed by substantial support from the German government. The festival continues to flourish today.
Fischer regularly conducts productions at the Zurich Opera with international artists such as Thomas Hampson, Edita Gruberova, and Cecilia Bartoli. Recent seasons have included Haydn’s *L’anima del filosofo*, Rossini’s *La Cenerentola*, Cimarosa’s *Il matrimonio segreto*, and a revival of his highly acclaimed production of Donizetti’s *Linda di Chamounix* starring Gruberova — produced for television broadcast.
In January 1997, Fischer brought the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra to Athens for a full production of Verdi’s *Macbeth*.
He has conducted many of the world’s leading 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 maintains a close artistic partnership with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra. His first Japanese tour took place in 1984; he has returned regularly ever since. Fischer made his debuts with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1984, and also toured the United States that year with the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra.
In 1987, Adam Fischer founded the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Festival and Orchestra in Eisenstadt, Austria — where he currently serves as Music Director. The festival is now internationally established and attracts top orchestras, ensembles, and soloists from around the world.
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 television film of Bartók’s *Bluebeard’s Castle*, performed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, won the 1989 Premio Italia, the Royal Philharmonic Society Award, and the Charles Heidsieck Award for BBC Radio/TV/Video.