Gil Shaham and Festival Musicians play Beethoven
2026-08-18 18:30 (America/Denver) | Sun Valley Pavilion, 300 Dollar Rd, Sun Valley, Idaho, 83353, United States
Pre-Concert Chat at 5:45 PM
Lawn Paver Bar

Maurice Ravel
Introduction and Allegro for Harp, Flute, Clarinet, and
String Quartet
Ludwig van Beethoven
String Quintet in A Major, Op. 47b, “Kreutzer”

Beethoven wrote a string quintet?? Though it was published after his death, scholars believe the great composer re-arranged his famous “Kreutzer” violin sonata into a quintet featuring two cellos. Full of fiery passion, it features demanding solo parts for each instrument. The program opens with Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro for Harp, Flute, Clarinet, and String Quartet, a piece commissioned by a harp company to show off its instruments. Yet while the harp shines brightly, this is ultimately a shared tapestry that showcases Ravel’s masterful orchestration.

Season Finale: Mahler’s Symphony No. 1
2026-08-20 18:30
Pre-Concert Chat at 5:45 PM
Lawn Paver Bar

Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 1 in D Major, “Titan”

The Festival’s Summer Season concludes with Mahler’s first symphony, whose monumental score demanded the largest orchestra ever assembled at the time. An epic narrative of struggle and triumph, it opens with the sounds of nature awakening, moves through dances, folk tunes, and a funeral march that twists “Frère Jacques” into something of a parody, and in the final movement pulls the audience into a heroic journey from despair to a glorious triumph. Watch out for some of Mahler’s tricks along the way–just when you think you might have arrived in heaven, things crash down only to begin the journey all over again!

Alasdair’s take on the program:
Mahler’s first symphony is a staggeringly original first foray into the genre, and it still packs an enormous punch nearly 140 years after its conception.
