Dresdner Musikfestspiele: Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Jaap van Zweden

About the Event

Witness the Chicago Symphony Orchestra perform Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 7, conducted by Jaap van Zweden.

The Dresden Music Festival is proud to announce the return of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, a renowned collective from the United States, as part of its prestigious lineup during their 2025 European tour. Under the skilled leadership of Dutch conductor Jaap van Zweden, the ensemble will captivate audiences at the Dresden Kulturpalast with Mahler's groundbreaking compositions. Mahler is celebrated for his unique approach to expanding the boundaries of orchestral music, venturing into new realms of sound. His Symphony No. 7, first unveiled in Prague in 1908 and described by van Zweden as hovering “on the border between dream and reality,” presents one of the most complex pieces in the symphonic world. While Mahler characterized parts of this symphony as “cheerful” and “humorous,” particularly in sections dubbed “night music,” it also includes darker, more profound segments that lend the piece its deep existential tone.