The new, original cycle “Mahler” ( #малер ) is initiated by the Zaryadye Hall. During the forthcoming concert season, all of the symphonies of this greatest symphonist will be performed. Each symphony will be performed by a certain orchestra, one of the best in the capitol or another Russia’s big city. It should be underlined that neither orchestra no conductor play twice during the cycle!

Each concert is introduced by the lecture that explains the piece itself, its cultural context, and the time it was created.

The Russian National Orchestra was founded in 1990 by pianist and conductor Mikhail Pletnev. Maintaining an active international schedule, the RNO appears in the music capitals of Europe, Asia and the Americas, is a frequent guest at festivals such as Edinburgh, the BBC Proms and presents the RNO Grand Festival each September to open the Moscow season. Their discography, launched with a highly praised 1991 recording of Tchaikovsky's Pathétique, now numbers more than 80 critically acclaimed recordings. Their recording of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf and Beintus' Wolf Tracks, conducted by Kent Nagano and narrated by Sophia Loren, Bill Clinton and Mikhail Gorbachev, received a 2004 Grammy Award, making the RNO the first Russian orchestra to win the recording industry's highest honor.  Their recording of Shostakovich Symphony No. 7, conducted by Paavo Järvi, was awarded the Diapason d’Or de l’Année 2015 as the year's best symphonic album, and was nominated for a 2016 Grammy Award.