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Book nowThu 28 May 2026, 7.30PM
The Bridgewater Hall
Kahchun Wong Conducts Mahler’s Sixth
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Humanity’s frailty and fortitude combine in Mahler’s existential Sixth Symphony, as Kahchun Wong conducts.
Mahler composed his Sixth Symphony during some of the happiest times of his life. His wife, Alma, the subject of the intensely emotive Adagietto of his Fifth Symphony, had just given birth to their second child. It seems an odd juxtaposition, then, that his Sixth Symphony is often subtitled ‘The Tragic’.
While certainly filled with brooding, nihilistic undertones, the symphony also possesses moving tributes to the composer’s greatest loves. The soaring melodies of the first movement represent Alma, and the playful, scurrying Scherzo of the third movement represents his two toddler daughters. Kahchun Wong’s affinity with Mahler’s work is world-renowned and this promises to be a very special season finale.
Get to know the music
Featuring
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Kahchun Wong
Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor
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Kahchun Wong
Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor
It’s Hammer Time!
The symphony calls for the fatalistic ‘Mahler Hammer’, whose sound the composer described as ‘brief and mighty… like the fall of an axe.’ Performances of the work have achieved this in a variety of ways, from mallets hitting wooden boxes to sledgehammers striking bass drums.
Kahchun Wong
Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor“There is nothing more thrilling than the magic of live music and I cannot wait to experience it with you. Whether it's your first concert or one of many, I hope each performance leaves you inspired, moved and eager for more. See you in the concert hall!”