Mahler Eight

Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Conductor

Angela Meade Soprano
Erin Wall Soprano
Lisette Oropesa Soprano
Stephanie Blythe Mezzo-soprano
Mihoko Fujimura Mezzo-soprano
Anthony Dean Griffey Tenor
Markus Werba Baritone
John Relyea Bass
Westminster Symphonic Choir
Joe Miller Director
The Choral Arts Society of Washington
Scott Tucker Artistic Director
The American Boychoir
Fernando Malvar-Ruiz Music Director

Mahler Symphony No. 8 ('Symphony of a Thousand')

The nickname 'Symphony of a Thousand' may be an exaggeration; there will be 'only' four hundred or so singers and musicians in these performances. But Mahler's masterful Symphony No. 8 is otherwise immune to hyperbole. It's an enormous, ambitious, soul-stirring work that simply must be experienced live.

Yannick Nézet-Séguin marshals these tremendous forces to produce a sublime realization of Mahler's absolute belief in the profound importance of this music. These performances mark the 100th anniversary—almost to the day—of the Symphony's U.S. premiere by The Philadelphia Orchestra. It played a pivotal role in launching our now-renowned ensemble onto the international stage. Leopold Stokowski (who'd seen Mahler himself conduct the world premiere in Munich in 1910) insisted that his Philadelphians should be first to perform the work in America, despite the cost and difficulty. The reverberations from that performance continue today.

Subscribe now for the best seats!