Fundación EDPNews

The Mahler Chamber Orchestra, under the baton of Czech Jacob Hrusa, was the ensemble entrusted with inaugurating this year's San Sebastian Musical Fortnight. The EDP Foundation, in its quest to support and promote the best cultural initiatives, sponsored the opening performance at the Kursaal Conference Centre in San Sebastian.

On this occasion, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra performed an extensive programme determined by the collaboration of the Orfeón Donostiarra. To open, the ensemble chose Beethoven's Choral Fantasy op. 80 and continued with Dvorak's Te Deum. As the main piece, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra chose Robert Schumann's Symphony No. 2 op. 61.

Mahler Chamber Orchestra, an unconventional ensemble

50 musicians from 17 nationalities make up the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. Two of them are Spanish, flautist Júlia Gallego and double bass player Rodrigo Moro. The performance at the San Sebastian Music Fortnight featured three soloists: soprano Katerina Knezikova, bass-baritone Adam Plachetka and pianist Seong-Jin Cho.

The Mahler Chamber Orchestra is an unconventional ensemble, largely due to its high ability to adapt. Since its creation, 20 years ago, they have had a democratic management system whereby decisions are taken by majority vote. They do not have a fixed conductor but change baton according to circumstances and, far from having a set repertoire per season, they adapt their programme to each performance.