Heaven and Earth
Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra
Children's Choir "Juan Bautista Comes"
University Choir "Orfeó" (Valencia)
Catriona Morison, mezzo-soprano
Adam Fischer, conductor
Mahler — Symphony No. 3
INDIVIDUAL TICKET SALES: From 30 July 2026.
DÜSSELDORF SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The Düsseldorfer Symphoniker primarily performs at the Tonhalle concert hall and the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, and regularly tours internationally to promote music and culture. This has helped establish Düsseldorf as a globally recognised cultural city.
In the 18th century, composers such as Handel and Corelli worked at the “Düsseldorfer Hofkapell” court ensemble until its dissolution. In 1818, the founding of the municipal music association gave rise to an orchestral culture in Düsseldorf, attracting prominent musicians including Felix Mendelssohn and Robert Schumann. However, it was not until 1864 that the city’s official orchestra was formally established — making it one of Germany’s oldest symphony orchestras.
Over time, it grew into one of the country’s foremost and largest orchestras, led by distinguished conductors such as Heinrich Hollreiser, Eugen Szenkar, Jean Martinon, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Henryk Czyz, 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 of Tokyo.
In 2017 and 2018, the orchestra appeared in Arnhem (Netherlands) and Moscow, as well as at Amsterdam’s renowned Concertgebouw. In 2018–2019, it performed in Budapest and undertook a successful five-concert tour of Spain.
Two Mahler symphony recordings conducted by Adam Fischer won major international awards in 2019: Symphony No. 1 received the BBC Music Magazine Award, and Symphony No. 3 earned the Opus Klassik award.
ADAM FISCHER, CONDUCTOR
Born in Budapest, Fischer later 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 collaboration with the Vienna State Opera also began that same year.
From 1987 to 1992, Fischer was Music Director of the Kassel Opera. In July 1989, he founded and conducted the inaugural Gustav Mahler Festival in Kassel — serving as both founder and Artistic Director. For this festival, he assembled a new orchestra and secured substantial support from the German government. The festival continues to thrive today.
He regularly conducts productions at the Zurich Opera with international stars including Thomas Hampson, Edita Gruberova, and Cecilia Bartoli. Recent seasons featured 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), produced for television broadcast.
In January 1997, Fischer led the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra in a full production of Verdi’s *Macbeth* in Athens. He has conducted numerous leading international orchestras, including the Vienna Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, Danish National Radio Symphony, 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 since returned regularly. Fischer debuted with the Boston Symphony and Chicago Symphony Orchestras in 1984, and that same year toured the United States with the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra.
In 1987, Adam Fischer launched the Haydn Austro-Hungarian Festival and Orchestra in Eisenstadt, Austria — he is now its Music Director. The festival has gained international stature and attracts top orchestras, ensembles, and soloists from around the world.
With the Haydn Austro-Hungarian 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 on Bartók’s *Bluebeard’s Castle*, featuring the London Philharmonic Orchestra, won the 1989 Prix Italia and the Royal Philharmonic Society / Charles Heidsieck Award for BBC Radio/TV/Video.