A photographic remembrance of a remarkable, international and musical event: Mahler Festival 2025
The third Mahler Festival took place in May 2025 at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and brought together an extraordinary gathering of world-class international orchestras, conductors and soloists around the œuvre of Gustav Mahler. For the third time in the 140-year history of the Concertgebouw, all of Mahler's symphonies were performed by leading orchestras, with the special presence of Mahler's granddaughter Marina Mahler. Among the highlights were the 'Mahler Nights' — free and open to the public in the open-air setting of the Vondelpark — and daily broadcasts on Dutch radio and television.
Over the course of several days, the Concertgebouw presented a complete survey of Mahler's symphonic output, performed by orchestras that rank among the finest in the world: the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Budapest Festival Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo. Each orchestra brought its own tradition and interpretation: from deeply rooted Mahler cultures to more contemporary approaches. Under the direction of distinguished conductors, the symphonies unfolded in all their complexity — from intimate, almost chamber-like passages to the monumental eruptions for which Mahler is so renowned.
Mahler's symphonies
The programme included the complete cycle of Mahler's symphonies and selected song cycles, in which the human voice plays a central role. Together, these works form a universe of emotion, philosophy and existential inquiry, in which themes of love, nature, transience and transcendence recur throughout. Mahler Festival 2025 was not merely a series of concerts, but an intense encounter with one of the most penetrating composers in the history of music.
The exhibition 'Mahler's Universe' offers a unique portrayal of the event, ranging from magnificent formal portraits to the heat of the performances, while also capturing the atmosphere on stage and behind the scenes. It forms a reflection on the festival as a musical and cultural moment, and through images from personal perspectives, it reveals how music, place and time converge. The photographs in the exhibition were taken by Eduardus Lee, the house photographer of the Concertgebouw and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and Simon Reinink, General Director of the Concertgebouw.
This exhibition is on display at Leica Gallery Amsterdam between 8 May 2026 – 14 June 2026.
Eduardus Lee
Active as both artist and musician, which explains his deep affinity with the music of Mahler and the Concertgebouw. As house photographer of the Concertgebouw and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, he has an unparalleled ability to translate music into photography. In this exhibition, the viewer is invited to pause at moments that often go unnoticed, yet in Lee's images acquire a singular expressive power. His work revolves around portraiture and presence: making visible the person behind the musician, with an emphasis on stillness, precision and authenticity. His portfolio includes portraits of international musicians, singers and ensembles, frequently rendered in a restrained, classical style.
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Simon Reinink
During Mahler Festival 2025, Simon Reinink reveals a new dimension of his engagement with music. Beyond his role as Director of the Concertgebouw, he steps forward here as a photographer — not from a distance, but from within. The images in this exhibition breathe the intensity of the festival. Not detached documentation, but a personal gaze rooted in years of closeness to musicians and repertoire. In the works on display, the echoes of Mahler resonate: grand and intimate at once, rich in detail and charged with emotion. It invites the visitor to relive the festival — not through the ear, but through the eye.
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Leica Gallery Amsterdam
Contact
Manager/Curator: Linda Warmerdam
Email: [email protected]