MAHLER SYMPHONY NO. 8 Will Be Performed at Roy Thomson Hall by 550 Musicians

The Mandle Philharmonic will take the stage in Toronto’s storied Roy Thomson Hall on November 27 to perform Mahler’s Symphony No 8, widely known as one of the largest-scale choral works in all of the classical canon.

Conducting the astonishing range of performers - 118 instrumentalists, 350 adult choristers, 100 children’s choristers, and 8 vocal soloists - will be Mandle Cheung with his first public rendition of Mahler’s 8th Symphony.

Although greatly beloved by both classical music aficionados and casual listeners, Mahler 8 is a rare, special, live occurrence due to the logistical complexities of its enormity; notably, this performance will be the only full-scale production of Mahler 8 in North America in the 2026 calendar year, the first time it has been performed in Toronto since 2012, and one of the most significant classical music events in Toronto this season.

Cheung states, “The significance of the Eighth Symphony is far greater than the enormous orchestration in Mahler’s score. When he composed it in 1906, Mahler believed he had written something completely unlike his previous works. About the Eighth, Mahler famously declared, ‘Try to imagine the whole universe beginning to ring and resound. There are no longer human voices, but planets and suns revolving.’ His words reveal the expanse of his imagination, and not merely what the power of a thousand musicians could produce. Ultimately, the Eighth is an epic declaration about humanity participating in something greater than the sum of its parts. It’s about affirmation, transcendence, and redemption. The Mandle Philharmonic welcomes Torontonians to join us on November 27 at Roy Thomson Hall to experience this soul-stirring event with us.”

Alongside the professional orchestra - whose members can be found on the rosters of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Canadian Opera Company, National Ballet of Canada, and many others - will be a dazzling lineup of vocal soloists: sopranos Hannah Crawford, Lauren Margison, and Mireille Asselin; altos Simona Genga and Hillary Tufford; tenor Freddie Ballentine; baritone Jesse Blumberg; and bass Robert Pomakov.

Despite Mandle Cheung’s relatively new musical trajectory - the octogenarian Cheung began conducting in 2015 to fulfill a lifelong dream - his musical accomplishments cannot be overstated. In direct parallel to Mahler 8 itself, Cheung’s unwavering passion for symphonic repertoire is the impetus behind his artistic pulse, and its message of deliverance through the power of love.

To date, the Mandle Philharmonic, founded in 2017, has performed 23 full-scale orchestral performances, the majority to a sold-out house. No stranger to Mahler, Cheung’s first orchestral reading was Mahler’s First “Titan” Symphony; and, he has guest conducted the Second “Resurrection” Symphony for the Toronto Symphony and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Born in Hong Kong, Mandle Cheung first felt a strong affinity for classical music in his early teens. Despite his keen interest, Cheung studied computer science at its initial meteoric rise and discovered a business acumen that resulted in his founding ComputerTalk in 1987. After decades of professional success in leadership, he began studying a different kind of leadership - conducting - in earnest in 2015.