Les Arts begins its 2026 symphonic season with Mahler’s Fifth Symphony and Berlioz’s The Childhood of Christ, conducted by Sir Mark Elder.

• The resident orchestra of Les Arts will perform Mahler’s most celebrated symphony for the first time, the same symphony that Visconti immortalized in Death in Venice.

• In February, he will conduct Berlioz’s The Childhood of Christ, a pinnacle of the French repertoire, characterized by its profound spirituality and sublime beauty.

 The Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía will feature Sir Mark Elder as the central figure in its symphonic programme during the first months of 2026, with two works never before performed by the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana (OCV): Gustav Mahler’s Fifth Symphony and Hector Berlioz’s oratorio The Childhood of Christ.

The British maestro was responsible for closing the 20th anniversary celebrations of Les Arts in 2025 with acclaimed performances of Luisa Miller, the first opera he has conducted in Valencia as the newly appointed principal conductor of the Valencia Symphony Orchestra (OCV). Following his foray into opera, he now delves into the works of two of his favorite composers, with whom he has created some of the most memorable pieces of his successful career.

Sir Mark Elder is already immersed in rehearsals for the first major symphonic event of the year, which will take place on January 3, 2026, at the Auditori, where the OCV will perform for the first time one of the cornerstones of the repertoire: Mahler’s Fifth Symphony.

A leading Mahlerian, the principal conductor of Les Arts stands out as one of the most highly regarded interpreters of the Bohemian composer’s most celebrated symphony, now inextricably linked to European cultural heritage. His Adagietto has transcended the symphonic realm to become an icon of mourning and contemplation, which Luchino Visconti masterfully immortalized in his acclaimed Death in Venice.

Sir Mark Elder replaces Philippe Jordan in this concert, who has been forced to cancel his Valencia debut due to health reasons.

Music lovers have another unmissable event in February with one of the great works of the symphonic-choral repertoire, still unperformed at Les Arts: Hector Berlioz’s The Childhood of Christ, which the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana and the Cor de la Generalitat will perform on February 6, 2026, at the Auditori de Castelló and the following day, Saturday the 7th, at the Auditori de Les Arts.

Elder’s career is inextricably linked to Hector Berlioz. Unanimously recognized as the leading figure in the French composer’s work of recent decades, the music director of Les Arts is considered the legitimate heir to the legacy of great British Berliozians such as Thomas Beecham and Colin Davis.

The Childhood of Christ, an oratorio for soloists, choir, organ, and orchestra, is one of the most captivating works in Berlioz’s catalog, bequeathing a moving invitation to contemplation, sublime beauty, and profound spirituality in this journey through the early life of Jesus of Nazareth: from Herod’s dream to the Holy Family’s refuge in Sais.

The score features iconic passages that have become staples of the repertoire, such as the “Chorus of the Shepherds,” which will allow the Cor de la Generalitat to perform one of the most moving moments of the concert.

The Infancy Narratives of Christ have not been heard in the city of Valencia since 1964, the year the University Choir premiered the oratorio in Spain with the city’s municipal orchestra, conducted by José María Franco Gil.

Les Arts reminds patrons that tickets for both Sir Mark Elder concerts can be purchased through the theatre’s various sales channels: the box office, the sales line 96 197 59 00, and the Les Arts website:https://www.lesarts.com/

Report by Will McCarthy

Article copyright ’24/7 Valencia’

Photo: Sir_Mark_Elder-LesArts©Mikel_Ponce

Palau de les Arts

(City of Arts & Sciences)

Av. del Professor López Piñero, 1

46013

València