Welcome to the sunny side of Mahler. This symphony, his shortest, brightest, and most performed, leaves behind the brooding, tumultuous, and vast soundscapes of the others for blue skies and childlike innocence. The first symphony to end with a solo vocalist accompanied by orchestra, it builds to the final movement, which depicts “The Heavenly Life.” Soprano Julia Bullock joins the orchestra to sing these verses describing an innocent and serene view of heaven.

Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 8 was dedicated “to the victims of fascism and the war.” It’s likely a very autobiographical work that features a musical monogram, a means by which Shostakovich inserted his own voice into the musical narrative in a very under-the-radar way. The story is that, upon hearing it played for the first time by the Borodin Quartet, he buried his head in his hands and wept. In contrast, Mozart’s sunny String Quartet K. 465, nicknamed the “Dissonance” for its famous opening, moves quickly from darkness into light and remains there.

Cellist Alisa Weilerstein “is a throwback to an earlier age of classical performers . . . she inhabits a piece fully and turns it to her own ends” (New York Times). For this performance she’ll tackle Schumann’s cello concerto, a piece in which “the romantic quality, the vivacity, the freshness and humor…are indeed wholly ravishing.” This review came from Clara Schumann, who would have known. The program opens with Jennifer Higdon’s beautiful blue cathedral, a piece she wrote in memory of her younger brother, incorporating references to their life together.

The Villalobos Brothers join the Festival Orchestra for an evening of Latin-inspired music. Acclaimed as one of today’s leading Contemporary Mexican ensembles, the trio of violinists, singer-songwriters, and composers have performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and at the 60th Anniversary of the United Nations. Their original compositions fuse and celebrate the richness of Mexican folk music with the intricate harmonies of jazz and classical music. Following the concert with the Festival Orchestra, they’ll move to the lawn, lay down some backtracks, and lead a dance party to Afro-Colombian beats.