Brace yourself — in the best way. The Detroit Symphony Orchestra performs Mahler’s Symphony No. 6 on December 4 and 5, 2026, with Music Director Jader Bignamini conducting the ‘Tragic’ symphony in all its thunder and tenderness.
Mahler’s Sixth is a ninety-minute emotional odyssey — swaggering marches, cowbells drifting from an Alpine distance, a love theme for his wife Alma, and hammer blows of fate in the finale. It demands a huge orchestra and total commitment, and it rewards audiences like almost nothing else in the repertoire.
Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, 3711 Woodward Avenue. Tickets and program notes are at dso.org.
