Anton Bruckner began work on his last, masterful symphony, as usual, immediately following the completion of his previous work in summer, 1887. He worked for nine years on his truly monumental Ninth, which he himself viewed as the last will and crowning of his symphonic production, but it was incomplete at his death in 1896. Simone Young has been Artistic Director of the Hamburg State Opera and Chief Music Director of the Hamburg Philharmonic since August 2005, conducting a broad musical spectrum of premieres and repertoire performances ranging from the classical to the modern eras.