The Orfeó Català thrills Stockholm with Mahler

StockholmThe fact that the Orfeó Català sings the Symphony No. 2, Resurrection, by Gustav Mahler, is nothing new. However, having performed it in Stockholm to a euphoric, standing-room-only audience is a milestone that he proudly adds to an unstoppable career. After performing with the prestigious orchestras of Hamburg and Berlin, the vocational heart of the Palau de la Música debuted last Friday in the Berwaldhallen, accompanied by the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and under the baton of British conductor Daniel Harding. "The truth is that the heart is in a very sweet moment; it's a work we know very well and have performed often," says the director of the Orfeó, Pablo Larraz. The concert will be repeated at the Palau de la Música on May 26 and at the Auditori-Palau de Congresos in Girona on May 27.

The link between the Second by Mahler And the heart comes from afar: in 1910 they were the first to premiere it in Spain under the direction of the Swiss Volkmar Andréae. Since then, the Orfeó has sung it several times. Composed between 1888 and 1894, the work is a spiritual journey that transits through life and death until reaching resurrection as a song of hope. "Mahler gives you a certainty in the idea of resurrection that, in a world where everything is so unstable, and where spirituality is so diluted, suddenly impresses you," says Aurora Miró, singer of the heart and primary school music teacher.

Daniel Harding, one of the best conductors in the world, is the principal and creative director of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, from which he now bids farewell after nineteen years. "He's one of the great conductors today. You can tell he's worked with great maestros and has a connection with the orchestras and the hearts that shines through," says singer and archivist Oriol Ubach. Harding also expressed his gratitude for the "heart's generous way of singing," from whom he learned a lot thanks to his "warm and enthusiastic" interpretive quality.

A cathartic "resurrection"

The chemistry between the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, the 110 singers of the Orfeó Català, and Daniel Harding, accompanied by soprano Johanna Wallroth and mezzo-soprano Avery Amereau, resulted in a clear and sung-through concert at the end. The concert was also highlighted by the magnificent acoustics of Berwaldhallen, a hall built in the late 1970s from reclaimed wood. The concert will be online for a month on the Berwaldhallen Play platform.

Over the past decade, the Orfeó Català has worked with major international conductors and orchestras to forge new relationships. "Seeing how the heart grows in confidence and professionalism is wonderful," notes the guest artistic director and ambassador of the Palau choirs. Next February, already in 2026, The heart will go on tour to Los Angeles to sing the Solemn Mass by Beethoven, with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. The concerts will be held on February 20, 21, and 22, 2026, in the same city.