The Vienna Philharmonic returns to Berkeley for a three-program residency led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, renewing a partnership refined through years of concerts, tours, and recordings. The focus is Gustav Mahler, whose music holds a special place in the orchestra’s history; guest artists include pianist Yuja Wang, soprano Christiane Karg, mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča, and the San Francisco Symphony Chorus directed by Jenny Wong.

The residency begins with Mahler’s Symphony No. 9 in D major, the composer’s poignant final completed symphony. A second program pairs Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3, with Wang as soloist, and Mahler’s serene Symphony No. 4, featuring Karg. The concluding program presents Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, Resurrection, with Karg, Garanča, and the chorus, tracing an immense journey from earthly struggle toward transcendence.