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Press Releases
Mar. 13: Grand Teton Music Festival Announces Mahler 5 Recording Led by Sir Donald Runnicles on Reference Recordings
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Katy Salomon | Primo Artists | VP, Public Relations
katy@primoartists.com | 646.801.9406
Grand Teton Music Festival
Releases New Album,
Mahler: Symphony No. 5
Led by Sir Donald Runnicles, One of the Great
Mahlerians of Our Time, New Album Features
the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra in
a Landmark Performance
Out Friday, March 13, 2026 on Reference Recordings
“One of America’s most impressive music festivals.” – BBC Music Magazine
“The hand-picked Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra set first-class standards.”
– International Piano
Jackson, WY (February 17, 2026) – The Grand Teton Music Festival today announces the release of Mahler: Symphony No. 5, available worldwide on Friday, March 13, 2026 on Reference Recordings. Featuring Sir Donald Runnicles leading the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra in Walk Festival Hall in Teton Village, Wyoming, this release marks the Festival Orchestra’s second album for the label, following its acclaimed Beethoven Piano Concertos with Garrick Ohlsson.
Widely regarded as one of today’s pre-eminent interpreters of Mahler, Sir Donald Runnicles brings decades of experience, deep structural insight, and emotional clarity to this towering symphony. From the stark severity of the opening Trauermarsch to the radiant confidence of the final Rondo-Finale, the performance traces Mahler’s epic journey from darkness into light with unflinching intensity and luminous orchestral color
Recorded in July 2024, the album captures the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra at the height of its summer residency – an ensemble of more than 250 elite musicians drawn from leading orchestras and institutions across North America and Europe, united annually under Runnicles’ artistic leadership. This recording features the celebrated hornist and brass pedagogue Gail Williams and preeminent trumpet player Thomas Hooten, leading the GTMF Festival Orchestra brass.
The natural acoustics of Walk Festival Hall, combined with Reference Recordings’ meticulous production values, result in a vivid, expansive soundstage available on Hybrid SACD discs (5.1 surround and stereo), as well as standard, high-resolution and Dolby Atmos digital formats.
Reflecting on the release, Runnicles notes, “Over the many years where it has been my privilege to be Music Director, the Grand Teton Music Festival has quietly yet assuredly established itself as one of the great American orchestras, nestled in the rarified beauty of the Teton Mountains. As we aspire to share the musical brilliance and versatility with the international world, may the release of the epic Fifth Symphony of Gustav Mahler burst upon the scene with the same joy and excitement that we experienced in performing this masterful work.”
GTMF Executive Director Emma Kail shares, “This release continues an exciting artistic arc for the Grand Teton Music Festival, reaffirming our long-term commitment to live recording at the highest level. Mahler’s Fifth, led by Sir Donald Runnicles, captures the spirit of our Festival Orchestra at its summer peak, and allows us to share that experience far beyond Jackson Hole.”
Mahler Symphony No. 5 Tracklist
Gustav Mahler (1860–1911) – Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp Minor (1901–1902)
I. Trauermarsch. In gemessenem Schritt. Streng. Wie ein Kondukt 13:38
II. Stürmisch bewegt. Mit grösster Vehemenz 15:45
III. Scherzo. Kräftig, nicht zu schnell 17:51
IV. Adagietto. Sehr langsam 10:05
V. Rondo-Finale. Allegro 15:35
Total Time: 72:57
Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra
Sir Donald Runnicles, Conductor
Reference Recordings FR-763SACD
RECORDED: July 26–27, 2024
RECORDING LOCATION: The Grand Teton Music Festival, Walk Festival Hall - Teton Village, Wyoming, USA
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Emma Kail
PRODUCER: Vic Muenzer
SOUND ENGINEERS: Kevin Harbison, Vic Muenzer
MASTERING ENGINEER: Graemme Brown, Zen Mastering
ALBUM ART DIRECTOR: JoAnn Nunes
FRONT/BACK COVER PHOTOS: Courtesy of Visit Jackson Hole®
CONCERT PHOTOS: © 2024 Cody Downard
THOMAS HOOTEN PHOTO: © 2016 Rob Shanahan
About Sir Donald Runnicles
Over the course of a distinguished career spanning more than four decades, Sir Donald Runnicles has built an international reputation for his deep musical insight, commanding technique, and enduring relationships with many of the world’s leading orchestras and opera companies. He is especially celebrated for his interpretations of Romantic and post-Romantic repertoire, which form the core of his artistic identity.
Runnicles has served as Music Director of the Grand Teton Music Festival since 2005 and Music Director of the Deutsche Oper Berlin since 2009. His previous chief artistic leadership roles include the San Francisco Opera (1992-2008), BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (2009-2016), and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s (2001-2007). He was also Principal Guest Conductor of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for more than two decades (2001-2023) and, since 2019, has been the first-ever Principal Guest Conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. In February 2024, he was appointed Chief Conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic, beginning with the 2025/26 season.
A frequent guest with major orchestras worldwide, Runnicles has appeared with the Chicago, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Detroit, Houston, Pittsburgh, and Sydney symphonies, among many others, and has led productions at the Vienna State Opera, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, and leading international festivals including the Edinburgh International Festival and the BBC Proms.
His extensive discography includes recordings of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, Mozart’s Requiem, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Britten’s Billy Budd, Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi, and Aribert Reimann’s L’invisible. His recording of Wagner arias with Jonas Kaufmann and the Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin won the 2013 Gramophone Award for Best Vocal Recording, and his recording of Janácek’s Jenufa was nominated for a GRAMMY® Award.
Born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, Sir Donald Runnicles was appointed OBE in 2004 and was knighted in 2020. He holds honorary degrees from the University of Edinburgh, the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. More information at donaldrunnicles.org.
About the Grand Teton Music Festival (GTMF)
Each summer, the Grand Teton Music Festival unites over 250 celebrated orchestral musicians led by Music Director Sir Donald Runnicles. These musicians represent 84 orchestras and 72 institutions of higher learning in North America and Europe. In addition to orchestral concerts on Friday and Saturday nights, the summer season also features visiting guest artists and chamber music on weekdays.
The Grand Teton Music Festival is one of America’s leading summer classical music festivals. Recognized by The New York Times as one of the top 10 music festivals in the U.S. and chosen by BBC Music Magazine as their 2020 “Festival Choice,” it is the most prominent arts organization in the state of Wyoming and a national treasure.
GTMF’s mission is to engage, entertain, educate, and inspire our resident and seasonal communities through exhilarating musical experiences. We feature orchestral, chamber, and solo performances of primarily classical music by world-class artists, and we foster a culture that draws outstanding musicians to Jackson Hole in support of this mission. For more information, visit gtmf.org.
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