A symphony that embraces the world.
Saturday, April 11, 2026 · 8:00 PM
Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston
Chorus pro Musica continues its celebrated partnership with Benjamin Zander and the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra for Mahler’s monumental Third Symphony—a 100-minute journey from the awakening of nature to the transcendence of love.
About the Work
Completed in 1896, Mahler’s Third is the longest symphony in the standard repertoire. Across six movements, the music conjures summer’s arrival, meadow flowers, forest creatures, and the depths of midnight before culminating in one of the most radiant slow movements ever written.
The symphony calls for massive orchestral forces joined by alto soloist, women’s chorus, and children’s choir. In the hushed fourth movement, the soloist intones Nietzsche’s “Midnight Song” from Thus Spoke Zarathustra. The jubilant fifth movement brings voices together as angels sing of redemption while children imitate pealing bells.
About the Venue
Symphony Hall opened in 1900 as the first concert hall designed using scientific acoustical principles—the work of Harvard physicist Wallace Clement Sabine. Today it ranks among the top three concert halls in the world alongside Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and Vienna’s Musikverein. With seating for 2,625 beneath its coffered ceiling and Greek statues, this National Historic Landmark provides the ideal acoustic environment for Mahler’s vast sonic canvas.