Mandle Cheung will conduct the Mandle Philharmonic in Mahler’s epic Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection” in an outdoor concert. It takes place at the RBC Amphitheatre on Lakeshore Blvd. on July 24, 2026.
More than 200 professional musicians and singers will perform the work, known for the grandeur of its emotional landscape on the shores of Lake Ontario. Along with the orchestra and the MandlePhil Choir, the performance features soloists Lesley Bouza, soprano, and Alex Hetherington, mezzo-soprano.
“This concert is about bringing great symphonic music to the widest possible audience in an unforgettable setting,” says Mandle Cheung in a statement. “Mahler’s Second Symphony is one of the most overwhelming and transformative musical experiences ever written, and hearing it outdoors under the night sky will be truly extraordinary.”
Performers
Mandle Cheung, conductor
Entrepreneur Mandle Cheung made his career and fortune in computer science and technology, but his heart was always in music. He studied harmonica in school as a child, and played in the school band. Later, he took various courses in music, and eventually included conducting, which he studied with Arthur Polson. He conducted Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 for his graduation concert, and has never looked back. Mandle was invited to perform the Arthur Benjamin’s Harmonica Concerto with the CBC Winnipeg Orchestra, led by conductor Eric Wilde.
While his business career took precedence for many years, in 2015, he decided to set out to make his dream of conducting come true. He founded the Mandle Philharmonic in 2017, and began programming and performing music, with the goal of making classical music accessible to all.
Lesley Bouza, soprano
Lesley Bouza is a versatile soprano whose repertoire includes opera and classical, Broadway show tune, jazz, and pop music. She was studying saxophone performance at the University of Guelph when she first discovered her voice, and made the switch. She went on to advanced vocal training at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, with a dual focus on education and outreach.
Career highlights include a Joni Mitchell tribute concert titled Lesley Sings Joni, performing at the Steve Reich at 80 concert with Soundstreams, Dido and Aeneas at Carnegie Hall with Les Violons du Roy, and touring Taiwan as a member of the Swingle Singers. She has performed as a soloist with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, The Elora Singers, The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, the Winnipeg Symphony, and the Calgary Philharmonic.
Alongside her performing career, Lesley is an accredited music therapist.
Alex Hetherington, mezzo-soprano
Alex Hetherington is a graduate of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio, and she has returned to the COC to perform in Faust, Roméo et Juliette, Carmen, and Salome. She has performed with Toronto City Opera, Toronto Lyric Opera, Vancouver Opera, and in the cast recording of Tapestry Opera’s Rocking Horse Winner.
She studied Voice Performance and Opera Performance at the University of Toronto, where she earned both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree.
Alex premiered the role of [Riley] in R.U.R. A Torrent of Light with Tapestry Opera, and took home a Dora Mavor Moore Award for in 2022 as part of the outstanding ensemble performance.
She has appeared with the National Arts Centre Orchestra on several occasions, including as the alto soloist in Mozart’s Requiem, and performing in Ana Sokolović’s Golden Slumbers Kiss Your Eyes and the premiere of Cecilia Livingston’s orchestral arrangements of lieder selections by Clara Schumann. Alex has also performed as a soloist with the Victoria Symphony, Ottawa Chamberfest, the Amadeus Choir, and Chorus Niagara.
The Details
The Mandle Philharmonic’s goal is to make large scale orchestral performance accessible and community driven. Tickets are available starting at just $24.
The Sound of Resurrection Under the Stars! takes place at the RBC Amphitheatre on July 24, 2026.
- Find tickets and other concert details [HERE].
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