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: 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. Thanks to this, Düsseldorf has solidified its reputation as a renowned cultural city.
In the 18th century, composers such as Handel and Corelli worked at the “Düsseldorfer Hofkapelle” court ensemble until its dissolution. In 1818, with the founding of the municipal music association, an orchestral culture emerged in Düsseldorf—drawing 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 evolved into one of the country’s foremost symphonic ensembles under 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 of Tokyo.
In 2017 and 2018, the orchestra was invited to Arnhem (Netherlands) and Moscow, as well as to Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw. In 2018–2019, it performed in Budapest and completed a successful five-concert tour of Spain.
Two Mahler symphony recordings conducted by Adam Fischer received prestigious awards in 2019: Symphony No. 1 won the BBC Music Magazine Award, and Symphony No. 3 received the Opus Klassik.
ADAM FISCHER, CONDUCTOR
Born in Budapest, he later studied conducting and composition in Vienna with Hans Swarowsky. In 1973, he jointly won First Prize at the Cantelli Conducting Competition in Milan. He 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 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 first Gustav Mahler Festival in Kassel—serving as Artistic Director and establishing a new festival orchestra with strong support from the German government. The festival continues to thrive today.
He regularly conducts productions at the Zurich Opera with international artists including 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 televised revival of his highly acclaimed *Linda di Chamounix* starring Gruberova.
In January 1997, Fischer brought the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra to Athens for a full production of Verdi’s *Macbeth*.
He has conducted numerous leading international 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 artistic partnership with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra. His first Japanese tour took place in 1984—and he has returned regularly ever since. Fischer made his debuts with both the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the 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 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 Haydn’s complete symphonies for Nimbus. He has also recorded for CBS, EMI, Hungaroton, and Delta. His BBC film documentary on 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.