“Eternity,” the Vallejo Symphony’s upcoming concert, will feature the voices of operatic singers Nikola Printz and Corey Bix.

Printz, a mezzo-soprano, who has been performing music for over a decade, will make a Vallejo Symphony debut in “Eternity.”

The concert includes two parts: a roughly 25-minute-long symphony, “Symphony #31, Horn Signal” by Joseph Haydn, which will be performed by the orchestra and “Das Lied von der Erde” by Gustav Mahler, which will feature the duet.

Although the show is just over a week away, Printz has yet to rehearse with the orchestra. “Usually only the orchestra rehearses for a long time and the singer some in a week before the performance,” said Printz.

Although this may seem nerve-wracking, Printz is comfortable with the performance. “I did just sing ‘Das Lied von der Erde’ with San Francisco Ballet this time last year so it’s not a piece that’s completely new to me,” Printz said.

Printz was born and raised in the Bay Area, in Marin and Sonoma, before going to college at the San Francisco Conservatory. After graduating from the Conservatory, Printz has been an active vocal performer. Just this part year, Printz finished an Adler Fellowship with the San Francisco Opera.

According to Printz, “Das Lied von der Erde” is one of Gustav Mahler’s greatest works. “It’s his last work and he actually did not live to see the premiere,” said Printz. “I think it’s one of his most potent pieces.”

“Das Lied von der Erde” translates to “Song of the Earth” and was written by Mahler during a particularly challenging year of his life after the death of his daughter, says Printz. “Each piece is a meditation on seasons and how the Earth changes and how humans change like the seasons of the Earth,” said Printz.

Although Printz had yet to meet Bix, Printz doesn’t doubt that he has a passion for the piece.

“I don’t personally know the tenor, but I know every single person I know who sings this piece is very very attached to it. It’s just a very profound and powerful piece of music,” Printz said. “It’s always a great experience to hear singers who are really emotionally connected to the piece.”

Printz’s, favorite part of performing “Das Lied von der Erde” comes in the final movement. The last verse shows a moment of acceptance, when the narrator of the story, who has been waiting for a friend to arrive, realizes they are never going to come.

“They basically accept that you come into this Earth alone and you leave it alone,” Printz says. The song ends with the orchestra paring down quietly and the vocalists repeating “Ewig,” meaning eternal.

“I like to think of it as Mahler’s farewell to the world,” says Printz. “I just hope audiences can connect to it the way the performers do.”

If you go …

WHAT: “Eternity,” Vallejo Symphony

WHEN: Jan. 19, 3 p.m.

WHERE: Empress Theatre, 330 Virginia St., Vallejo.