JAAP VAN ZWEDEN Leads Chicago Symphony Orchestra on European Tour

JAAP VAN ZWEDEN leads Chicago Symphony Orchestra on European tour.

Jaap van Zweden, former Music Director of the New York Philharmonic, will embark on his first international tour with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) this May, marking an exciting chapter for the ensemble under his direction. The tour runs from May 14 to 23, 2025, spanning five cities and eight concerts across Germany, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, and Poland.

MAHLER FESTIVAL 2025: A HISTORIC INVITATION

At the heart of the tour are the May 14–15 performances at the Mahler Festival 2025 in Amsterdam’s world-famous Concertgebouw. The CSO will make history as the first North American orchestra ever invited to perform at this rare event, which has only taken place twice since its inception in 1920.

Van Zweden, whose interpretations of Gustav Mahler’s music are deeply personal, describes Mahler’s oeuvre as a profound emotional journey:

“The beauty of Mahler’s music is that it is a roller-coaster of emotions,” he explains. “Sometimes Mahler finds peace in his music and that’s when the beauty starts to come... He always takes us with his personal misère. Then he lets it go, and comes closer to the eternal light.”

A EUROPEAN TOUR ROOTED IN MAHLER’S LEGACY

The program centres on Mahler’s “Symphony No. 6 in A minor” and “Symphony No. 7 in E minor”, both of which will be previewed for Chicago audiences at Symphony Center before the tour:

  • April 17–19, 2025: Mahler “Symphony No. 7”, Symphony Center, Chicago

  • May 8–9, 2025: Mahler “Symphony No. 6”, Symphony Center, Chicago

TOUR DATES AND CITIES

  • May 14, 2025: Mahler “Symphony No. 6”, Concertgebouw, Amsterdam

  • May 15, 2025: Mahler “Symphony No. 7”, Concertgebouw, Amsterdam

  • May 17, 2025: Mahler “Symphony No. 6”, Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg

  • May 18, 2025: Mahler “Symphony No. 7”, Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg

  • May 19, 2025: Mahler “Symphony No. 7”, Kulturpalast, Dresden

  • May 20, 2025: Mahler “Symphony No. 6”, Municipal House – Smetana Hall, Prague
    (part of the Prague Spring International Music Festival)

  • May 22, 2025: Mahler “Symphony No. 6”, National Forum of Music (NFM), Wrocław

  • May 23, 2025: Mahler “Symphony No. 7”, National Forum of Music (NFM), Wrocław

Gabriele Trombitas