(Credit: Eduardus Lee)

The Royal Concertgebouw has announced the cancellation of the Mahler Festival 2021 due to restrictions imposed on concert halls and orchestras as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Per an official statement on the Mahler Festival 2021 Amsterdam website, “Concerts by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jakub Hrůša, the Budapest Festival Orchestra conducted by Iván Fischer, the Munich Philharmonic conducted by Valery Gergiev, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Jaap van Zweden were to participate in international tours. Travel restrictions on the orchestras due to the pandemic have once again made it impossible for the festival to take place.”

Meanwhile, Managing Director Simon Reinink added that “it would have been wonderful if we could have resumed within a year of the originally planned festival, but unfortunately this is not to be. Now we have our eyes on the future and are working on a new concert season.”

The Gewandhausorchester canceled the Mahler Festival in Leipzig on Feb. 11.