Reinvention: Channeling Change into Creativity

When a great artist begins a new chapter in their creative life, it is as if they are reinventing the future. Not just theirs, but ours.

Many artists have experienced new beginnings: Franz Joseph Haydn ended his long tenure in Esterhazy (northern Hungary) and started a new life in London; The Who’s Pete Townshend’s creative frustration and religious awakening changed the course of rock music with Tommy. Unrequited love spurred Leoš Janáček to his peak of originality; and Edward Elgar returned to composition after the First World War.

Gustav Mahler started over several times as a conductor, a composer, and a man. He began anew with his Fifth Symphony. Later, after his long tenure at the Vienna State Opera, he sought out new musical and professional challenges in New York prior to composing the Ninth Symphony, the focal point of this year's festival.

MahlerFest 39 explores how a new beginning stemming from frustration, pain, or turmoil can shape an artist’s work.

More info: https://mahlerfest.org/pages/mf39