{"id":114813,"date":"2025-06-03T12:13:40","date_gmt":"2025-06-03T16:13:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=114813"},"modified":"2025-06-03T12:19:28","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T16:19:28","slug":"interview-mandle-cheungs-ambitious-undertaking-mahlers-resurrection-symphony-toronto-symphony-orchestra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/06\/03\/interview-mandle-cheungs-ambitious-undertaking-mahlers-resurrection-symphony-toronto-symphony-orchestra\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Mandle Cheung\u2019s Ambitious Undertaking Of Mahler\u2019s Resurrection Symphony With The Toronto Symphony Orchestra"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Mandle
Mandle Cheung conducts (Photo courtesy of the Mandle Philharmonic Orchestra)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mahler\u2019s Symphony No. 2, the \u201cResurrection Symphony\u201d, is one of his most beloved works, whose themes of life, death, and redemption are inspired by the composer\u2019s own life experiences. Recently, it was made famous by Maestro, the Hollywood blockbuster which saw Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein conducting this monumental work.<\/p>\n

It will be back on the Toronto stage this June with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra after a seven year absence, but by an unusual arrangement. The concert is not part of the TSO\u2019s regular season, nor is it helmed by a guest conductor. TSO is the guest orchestra in this case, and will be conducted by a man whose strong vision of innovation and unparalleled musical passion more than make up for his lack of formal music training.<\/p>\n

Mandle Cheung<\/a> is a successful tech entrepreneur and self-taught conductor who founded the Mandle Philharmonic when he was in his 70s. Since its inception in 2018, the orchestra has performed 18 concerts of various classical masterworks.<\/p>\n

But Mandle sets his sights on something bigger \u2014 a lifelong dream to conduct Toronto\u2019s largest orchestra. This self-funded venture is particularly ambitious, being presented at Roy Thomson Hall, with 2,500 seats to fill.<\/p>\n

The performance also features the Amadeus Choir, one of Toronto\u2019s finest, and two renowned Canadian soloists: Soprano Kirsten LeBlanc (who recently sang the title role of the Canadian Opera Company\u2019s La Reine-gar\u00e7on), and Mezzo Krisztina Szabo, who is well-known to Canadian audiences in her many COC appearances.<\/p>\n

\"Mandle
Mandle Cheung conducts (Photo courtesy of the Mandle Philharmonic Orchestra)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mandle Cheung: The Interview<\/h2>\n

Mandle says that music is in his genes, and he feels it is his destiny to conduct. \u201cEvery time I step on a podium, the feeling is profound.\u201d He loves all classical music, but has a special passion for Mahler\u2019s works, which he calls \u201cthe penultimate of classical music.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mandle Philharmonic\u2019s inaugural concert featured Mahler\u2019s Fourth Symphony, and the orchestra also performed Mahler\u2019s Symphony No. 1 just before the pandemic. Mandle concedes that all classical pieces are difficult and takes him years to learn, but he describes Mahler as the most challenging, his Mount Everest. He started learning this piece about two years ago, and with only three weeks to go until the concert, he says \u201cI\u2019m still studying it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Mandle Cheung in rehearsal (Photo courtesy of the Mandle Philharmonic Orchestra)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Destiny At Work<\/h3>\n

After deciding to work with the TSO, Mandle coincidentally came across the story of Gilbert E. Kaplan. Kaplan was a multi-millionaire Wall Street publisher who became an amateur conductor in his 40s, and was solely dedicated to performing Mahler\u2019s Second Symphony. In his lifetime, he conducted over 60 top orchestras, including the London Symphony and the Philharmonics of New York, Vienna and Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

Even though it is purely coincidental that Mandle\u2019s journey bears striking parallels to Kaplan\u2019s story, Mandle can\u2019t help but feel that destiny is at work again.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you live for? What do you suffer for? Is it all just a huge, terrible joke? We must answer this question if we are to live on.\u201d Mahler asked these questions in his Resurrection Symphony in search of life\u2019s meaning. Perhaps, it is through this symphony that Mandle finds his own life\u2019s purpose, and which fuels him to follow his dream by intense hard work and learning, even at age 78.<\/p>\n

For this upcoming concert, Mandle wants audiences to feel wowed and gratified. \u201cYou will feel all the suffering and glory in the music. It is transcendent. With almost 200 musicians on stage, it’s not something that is put on too often.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not just a concert. It\u2019s the culmination of a lifetime of listening, learning, and believing that it\u2019s never too late to follow your passion.\u201d<\/p>\n