Jean-Yves Thibaudet performs Qigang Chen

Mahler’s powerful orchestral forces are best experienced live. The Song of the Earth is vast and moving, and the perfect way to open our 2026 Season.

Mahler’s The Song of the Earth ends with an extraordinary fade out, as a contralto sings ‘everywhere, forever…forever and ever.’ It captures beautifully the way music lives around us and in our memory and is the perfect way to open our 2026 Season. 

Simone Young has opened each of her seasons as Chief Conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra with one of Mahler’s symphonies to rave reviews. We continue this tradition in 2026 with the vast and moving The Song of the Earth, a symphony in all but name, brought to life by world-class vocalists Simon O’Neill and Alexandra Ionis.

Mahler’s powerful orchestral forces are best experienced live. His sound worlds engulf you like the weather, reflecting both the landscape and the human experience with their vast emotional range. From drama to tranquillity. Sombre to sun-drenched. 

Part symphony, part song cycle, Mahler’s work is based on a German translation of Tang dynasty Chinese poems. In this remarkable program, that Chinese thread connects Mahler’s work to Qigang Chen’s Er Huang for piano and orchestra, which draws on melodies from Peking opera. French superstar Jean-Yves Thibaudet is magnetic in this gorgeous concerto that reaches ‘a climax of Mahlerian dimensions’ (Bachtrack).  

With the incredible Simone Young commanding this giant work from Mahler and superstar solo performances, this is an unmissable start to our Season. 

Program:

Adam MANNING - Rhythmic Acknowledgement of Country

Qigang CHEN - Er Huang (Piano Concerto) AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE

MAHLER - The Song of the Earth

Event Details:

• Dates:
  Wed 25 Feb, 2026, 8.00pm

  Thu 26 Feb, 2026, 1.30pm

  Fri 27 Feb, 2026, 8.00pm

  Sat 28 Feb, 2026, 8.00pm

• Duration: The concert is expected to run for 105 minutes and includes a 20 minute interval.

• Suitable for: N/A

• Location: Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House

• Warnings: N/A

• Notes: We can’t guarantee entry to the Concert Hall if you’re running late. If there’s a suitable break in the performance, you’ll be guided to the first available seats.

• Notes: Join us for the pre-concert talk 45 minutes before the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday performances in the Northern Foyer, and before the Thursday performance on the Lounge Level, presented by David Larkin.

More info & tickets here.