Donald Runnicles conducts Mahler’s Sixth Symphony presented by Sydney Symphony Orchestra tickets

Mahler’s Sixth Symphony charts a turbulent emotional course. Across four searing movements he wrestles with hope and futility, conjuring moments of delicate beauty and pounding dread.

From an innocent lullaby to an unforgiving military march, this symphony spans the full spectrum of feeling. It all culminates in the final movement with one of the most dramatic moments in all of music: a huge mallet strikes a giant wooden box, signifying the hammer blows of fate. A sound so dramatic it has become a legend.

After his ‘memorable performance’ (Limelight) of Mahler’s Fourth in 2024, Principal Guest Conductor Sir Donald Runnicles once again demonstrates his signature command of large-scale Romantic works, and why he is an ideal interpreter for this emotional odyssey.

With an enormous orchestra (including musicians from the Australian National Academy of Music) and a conductor who knows exactly how to navigate the emotional terrain of this colossal work, this concert offers the kind of full-bodied impact that only comes from experiencing it live.