Seattle’s annual celebration of Austro-Bohemian composer Gustav Mahler returns for its 30th anniversary at Shorewood Performing Arts Center beginning in mid-June for a series of reading sessions.

The festival is a celebration of the works of Mahler, one of the leading conductors of his generation (1860-1911), whose compositions were rediscovered post-World War II after the Nazi regime had banned most of his works because of his Jewish heritage.

The Mahler Fest features a full orchestra of about 240 amateur and professional musicians, and this year culminates in a concert in July with Mahler’s 10th Symphony.

“What makes the Mahler Festival truly special is the diverse group of musicians it brings together,” says Music Director Tigran Arakelyan. “Community musicians, college students, advanced high school players and young professionals all unite.”

Mahler’s works were not widely known in the U.S. until the 1960s, when conductor Leonard Bernstein began regularly performing his symphonies. Since then, his works have become some of the most frequently performed and recorded of all composers. There are four Mahler festivals in the U.S.

Interested musicians can register and find more information here.