You begin your series of focus concerts on the podium of the Gewandhaus Orchestra with Joseph Haydn’s symphony “Der Philosoph”. Why did you choose Haydn, and what do you appreciate about his music?

Haydn is one of the greatest symphonists of all time, and his importance in developing the symphonic genre cannot be overestimated. Haydn’s portraits convey an impressive, respect-inspiring personality, which he undoubtedly was. One of the challenges is that Haydn’s music demands a great deal – technically, musically, intellectually and emotionally. Haydn’s music is a fine line to walk if you want to balance what is written in the score on the one hand and between the lines on the other. Haydn’s legendary humour never ceases to surprise.

The second programme includes a symphony in F sharp minor, composed by Dora Pejačević – a very special work from a Musikverein perspective, as two of its movements were first performed at the Musikverein in 1918.

This symphony is a real discovery! We played it twice during the Corona period in Leipzig. Its emotional content, musical developments, and richness of sound colours, not least due to the use of a vast orchestra, make it an exciting work. It is pleasing to the ear and touching, composed in the very personal language of this composer.

What can we all do in the music industry to bring more female composers into concert programmes?

It’s simply about playing and listening to them. There are sometimes strange reasons why compositions have not been performed. When we listen to or play a concert or opera, we are looking for an emotional, intellectual, or human experience. What counts is the depth of the music, its content, its quality, and perhaps also the novelty or simply the immediate sensations that the music evokes. We have to go into the archives and look around, but also in the present. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter whether a work was composed by a woman or a man.

One of your concerts with the Vienna Philharmonic is dedicated to Gustav Mahler’s Third Symphony. What is unique about the sound of the Vienna Philharmonic in regard of Mahler, and what do you look for in the Mahler interpretation?

When you prepare for Mahler as a conductor, many questions arise – about the right sound, expression and much more. Of course, Mahler was probably one of the best conductors of his time for his works. His entries in the scores are the ideal guide for interpretation. If, for example, you might be tempted to take a little more time to enjoy yourself, he warns: “Don’t drag!”
If you listen to earlier recordings of the Vienna Philharmonic, for example, with Bernstein or Boulez – two antipodes, as you might imagine – their respective interpretations always make sense immediately, and it becomes clear why Mahler prescribed this or that particular expression. I want to say that when this orchestra plays under different conductors, there is always this DNA that is difficult to explain, this Viennese feeling, a kind of understanding – it takes you by the hand. It takes you on a journey, leaving you feeling emotionally fulfilled. At the same time, the Vienna Philharmonic is open to imaginative worlds of ideas and, of course, to the different paths that can be taken in interpretation.

In the last Gewandhausorchester programme you will perform the first act of “Walküre”. What does Wagner mean to you? What is your relationship with his music?

My first great love of music was Richard Wagner. When I was five, my parents took me to the opera house in Riga to see “Tannhäuser”. My father had prepared me for it: We listened to records, and he told the story of how it reflected our lives and spirituality. I will never forget that this music made an immense impression on me. In the first act of “Walküre”, fantastic grand operatic moments and almost chamber music-like passages make this Wagner act particularly interesting for the concert hall.

As a conductor, you are constantly surrounded by classical music. Do you also have passions outside of music?

I feel privileged to make music with all these excellent orchestras at the highest level. On the non-musical side, I’m very interested in martial arts and do Taekwondo myself. It’s not about fighting but about body language – expressing your inner world through movement. As a conductor, it’s not just about organizing but, in a way, about conveying your inner feelings through music. It’s about mindset, concentration, inner discipline, balance, and body awareness.
Then, of course, there’s my passion for perfume …

We are surrounded by many problems and conflicts in our time, and many people think the world is drifting apart. Can music be a source of healing?

I am convinced of that. When I think about how I experienced it as a child and how I experience it today through encounters with orchestras and audiences on different continents, it becomes clear how deep, sincere and human the connection is through this world language of music. It reveals people’s deepest dreams, longings and worries and can provide emotional, almost physical comfort. This relationship, this intimate dialogue between one’s soul and the universe that music creates, is and remains a mystery.