Mandle Philharmonic Presents Toronto Symphony Orchestra: Mahler’s Symphony No. 2. Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Mandle Cheung, Conductor; Kirsten LeBlanc, Soprano; Mireille Lebel, Mezzo-soprano; Amadeus Choir. June 25, 2025 at Roy Thomson Hall.
If you were 78 years old and money was no object, what would be on your bucket list to accomplish? For one man, it was to indulge in his hobby of conducting, leading the performance of a monumental orchestral work with close to 200 of Canada’s finest musicians in Toronto’s biggest concert hall.
Former tech entrepreneur Mandle Cheung did just that — he hired the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Amadeus Choir, rented the 2500-seat Roy Thomson Hall, and even printed glossy 20-page colour programs with no ads — all at his own expense.
What made this venture more remarkable is that Mandle is a self-taught conductor with no formal music training. He only took up the baton seven years ago, when he founded his namesake orchestra, the Mandle Philharmonic.
Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No.2, The Resurrection, is a powerful spiritual odyssey that explores the meaning of human existence — life, death, and resurrection. This complex work would be challenging for even the most seasoned conductors.
Bradley Cooper, who played Leonard Bernstein in the Hollywood blockbuster “Maestro”, purportedly spent six years learning to conduct the six-minute scene of the symphony’s finale.
This Mandle-TSO collaboration was equally intriguing and controversial. There was known dissent among TSO players with the idea of being conducted by an amateur. The music community at large was justifiably skeptical of Mandle’s ability to pull this off.
The Performance
Naturally, all eyes were on Mandle in Wednesday’s performance. That strong passion for classical music was notably absent in his conducting, which could be described as mechanical and strictly utilitarian. He had his eyes on the score most of the time, without much communication with the musicians. It appeared as if the orchestra was leading the conductor, not the other way around.
At the end of the intense 80 minutes, he did not even break a sweat.
But, this concert shouldn’t be about Mandle alone. By all accounts, the TSO was in top form. From the turbulent funeral march in the first movement, to the gentle strings depicting an Austrian dance in the second, and the whimsical scherzo in the third, the playing was executed with good balance between the orchestral sections. The final movement was glorious and chilling at the same time, full of heart-pounding crescendos.
Even though there may have been minor hiccups in the tempo transitions, some awkwardly prolonged pauses in the fifth movement, and the “death shriek” in the third movement could have been more climatic, the calibre of playing was a true testament to the TSO’s professionalism and artistic brilliance, regardless of who was conducting.
The orchestra let the music speak for itself, taking the audience on an emotional roller coaster from apocalypse to rebirth that left us all feeling euphoric.
Vocalists
There was equally solid singing from the Amadeus Choir and two excellent Canadian soloists. Despite being a last minute replacement, mezzo Mireille Lebel delivered a compelling “Uricht” — a heartfelt yearning for redemption — with velvety warmth. Together with soprano Kirsten LeBlanc, their resplendent voices were beautifully harmonized and had enough power to soar over the orchestra.
Final Thoughts
The TSO can take a few pointers from the Mandle Philharmonic. Having an announcer deliver an explanation of each movement just before the start of the concert deepened our appreciation and understanding of the music. Another added bonus was having the lights turned up so the texts from the singing parts in the program can be followed along.
When I interviewed Mandle earlier this month, he said that the success of the concert would be measured by how many seats he could fill, and if the audience would respond with loud cheers and a standing ovation. This performance checked both boxes — the almost full house and the audience’s genuinely enthusiastic reactions were indicators that it was an undeniable success.
As Mandle himself puts it, “This is not just a concert. It’s the culmination of a lifetime of listening, learning, and believing that it’s never too late to follow your passion.”
Go big or go home. Congratulations Mandle. You did it.
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