Mahler’s Fifth Symphony Takes Centre Stage as QSO Opens 2026 Season

Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) officially opens its highly anticipated 2026 Season in grand style with its opening Maestro Series concert, Umberto’s Mahler 5, illuminating QPAC’s Concert Hall on Friday 20 March and Saturday 21 March.

Led by Chief Conductor Umberto Clerici, this radiant program sets the tone for the year ahead, with the sweeping emotional power and soaring intensity of Mahler’s Symphony No.5, a monumental work named one of classical music’s most exhilarating journeys.

From shadowed depths to blazing triumph, this season opener reveals music at its most profoundly human. Shaken by a near-death experience, Gustav Mahler poured his deepest hopes, sorrows and searching reflections into Symphony No.5, creating a work of raw intensity and transcendent beauty.

The evening begins with Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor, one of the most cherished works in the repertoire, brought vividly to life by international artist Sergej Krylov on his maiden Australian tour.

Chief Conductor Maestro Umberto Clerici leads QSO in this unforgettable concert, describing it as the perfect season opener. 

“Opening a season requires something eventful. Mahler always invokes something special and his work can be compared to a cinematic experience,” Maestro Clerici said.

“It’s busy, it’s vivid and it’s everything a symphony can do on a stage. Mahler takes us on a journey from sadness and despair (he almost died by a haemorrhage the year he started composing his fifth symphony), through love (he met his wife Alma, to whom he dedicated the fourth movement, the famous Adagietto) and finally towards happiness and triumph. I could not think of a more spectacular way to begin our 2026 season.”

The Maestro Series bookends QSO’s season, presenting 10 masterful concerts in QPAC’s Concert Hall with repertoire that ranges from orchestral favourites to contemporary Australian compositions.

This year, the series also spotlights a trio of intriguing concertos, featuring accomplished musicians playing instruments rarely profiled in the concerto spotlight: James Crabb on the classical accordion, trombonist Jörgen Van Rijen and Claire Edwardes, Australia’s very own percussion virtuoso. 

They are among a magnificent line-up of soloists, including QSO musicians as well as national and international guests, performing exquisite pieces from Dvořák’s Cello Concerto Op.104 and Beethoven’s only Violin Concerto to Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2.

QSO Artistic Director Matthew Wood promises this year’s Maestro Series will enchant audiences with the beauty and depth of classical music. 

“The Maestro Series has been curated to take audiences on a journey. From the introspective intensity of Mahler’s Fifth, to the dramatic power of Strauss’s Don Juan and Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony, through a season that balances orchestral classics with bold contemporary Australian works,” said Mr Wood. 

“We’ve programmed each concert to showcase both the familiar masterpieces and exciting discoveries. Whether you are a devoted classical music fan or a first-time attendee, the Maestro Series promises performances that move, inspire and leave audiences spellbound.”

Umberto’s Mahler 5 opens the 2026 Season on Friday 20 March and Saturday 21 March at QPAC, offering audiences an unforgettable journey through music of remarkable depth, emotion and brilliance.

For more information about Queensland Symphony Orchestra’s Maestro Series and 2026 Season, visit qso.com.au.

— ENDS — 

Media Contacts 

Beth Uttley | Aruga
beth@aruga.com.au
0430 726 564 

Chelsea O’Brien | Aruga
chelsea@aruga.com.au
0431 113 046

Queensland Symphony Orchestra 2026 Maestro Series Concerts

QPAC Concert Hall

Maestro 1:
Umberto’s Mahler 5
Friday 20 March – 7.30pm
Saturday 21 March – 7.30pm
Information: HERE

Maestro 2:
Respighi, Higgins & Strauss
Friday 18 April – 7.30pm
Information: HERE

Maestro 3:
Rachmaninov & Shostakovich
Friday 23 May – 7.30pm
Information: HERE

Maestro 4:
Beethoven, Dvořák & Smetana
Friday 13 June – 7.30pm
Information: HERE

Maestro 5:
Ravel & MacMillan
Friday 17 July – 7.30pm
Saturday 18 July – 7.30pm
Information: HERE

Maestro 6: La Mer
Friday 4 September – 7.30pm
Information: HERE

Maestro 7:
Symphonic Dances
Friday 25 September – 7.30pm
Saturday 26 September – 7.30pm
Information: HERE

Maestro 8: Scheherazade
Friday 16 October – 7.30pm
Saturday 17 October – 7.30pm
Information: HERE

Maestro 9:
Beethoven, Mendelssohn & Fisher
Friday 7 November – 7.30pm
Information: HERE

Maestro 10
Don Juan & Manfred
Season Finale Friday 27 November – 7.30pm
Saturday 28 November – 7.30pm
Information: HERE