3 Stories Behind “Yannick Leads Mahler 9” on Nov. 8
On Sunday, November 8, Curtis Symphony Orchestra returns for its second concert of the 2026–27 season with “Yannick Leads Mahler 9,” featuring Gustav Mahler’s monumental Symphony No. 9, led by Grammy Award-winning conductor and Curtis’ head of conducting, Yannick Nézet-Séguin. The concert also features Valerie Coleman’s stirring orchestral anthem Umoja, conducted by Rita E. Hauser Conducting Fellow Yiran Zhao.
To help you get more out of the concert-going experience, we’re exploring three stories behind the music—from the personal tragedies that shaped Mahler’s final symphony to the powerful message of togetherness at the heart of Coleman’s work.
Mahler’s Ninth: A Symphony of Farewells
As Mahler’s last completed score presented to the public, the Ninth is often seen as his farewell to life. There’s meaningful subtext as to why: When he began composing it in 1909, he had recently received a diagnosis for a serious heart ailment—the underlying cause of his death just two years later.
Mahler had also recently lost his four-year-old daughter Maria suddenly to scarlet fever and was forced to resign from the Vienna State Opera. These experiences have shaped how many listeners understand the symphony—particularly its final movement, which gradually fades into silence.
“The Ninth is music of farewell—farewell to the world,” Nézet-Séguin said in a recent interview. “It’s Mahler at his most visionary, most modern, approaching the world and paving the way for composers in the 20th and 21st centuries. [It’s the] perfect canvas for orchestras to express all their glory.”
In 1911, Mahler died without ever hearing the symphony performed. Its premiere took place in Vienna the following year, conducted by his close associate Bruno Walter.
Umoja (Anthem of Unity)
First composed as a short work for women’s choir, Coleman later adapted Umoja for Imani Winds, the wind quintet she co-founded, before expanding it into an orchestral work. In September 2019, the Philadelphia Orchestra premiered the orchestral version under Yannick Nézet-Séguin, making Coleman the first African American woman to receive a commission from the ensemble.
Swahili for unity, Umoja is associated with the first principle of Kwanzaa, which focuses on building togetherness through family and community. Coleman’s music explores this through a journey of its own, moving from lyrical, atmospheric passages to moments of tension before building toward a bold musical expression of unity.
A Musical Journey from Tension to Resolution
Although Mahler’s Ninth and Coleman’s Umoja tell very different stories, both take listeners through striking musical contrasts. Mahler’s Ninth is often heard as a meditation on mortality and letting go, while Umoja offers an affirmation of unity in a world marked by division. Together, the works invite listeners to reflect on how we navigate life’s uncertainties and what brings us together despite them.
For Curtis students, studying these works offers a meaningful learn-by-doing experience: engaging firsthand with how music from the past can speak to the challenges of the present.
“I can think of no more meaningful work to share with the gifted young musicians here at Curtis than this Mahler symphony, which sums up so much of what being alive feels like today,” says James Ross, Curtis’ director of orchestral studies. “It allows students to confront the metaphorical and real challenges of bringing music of the past to life in ways that speak to the present.”
Tickets for “Yannick Leads Mahler 9” at Marian Anderson Hall start at $24 and are available through curtis.edu.
Curtis’ flexible Choose Your Own subscription option offers 25% off single ticket prices when purchasing tickets to two or more performances. To order a subscription, visit curtis.edu/subscribe, call (215) 893-7902, or email tickets@curtis.edu.
