17/07/2010

Six choirs, including one from Sydney, Australia, eight renowned soloists and a large symphony orchestra all join together under the baton of Czech conductor Jiří Bĕlohlávek for the First Night of the 2010 season. Marking the 150th anniversary of the composer's birth, they perform Mahler's Symphony No. 8 in E flat major which is often called his "Symphony of a Thousand" because of the number of musicians needed.

Photo of Jiří Bĕlohlávek by Clive Barda.

Performers:
Mardi Byers soprano
Twyla Robinson soprano
Malin Christensson soprano
Stephanie Blythe mezzo-soprano
Kelley O'Connor mezzo-soprano
Stefan Vinke tenor
Hanno Müller-Brachmann baritone
Tomasz Konieczny bass
Choristers of St Paul's Cathedral
Choristers of Westminster Abbey
Choristers of Westminster Cathedral
BBC Symphony Chorus
Crouch End Festival Chorus
Sydney Philharmonia Choirs
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Jiří Bělohlávek conductor

Introduced by the BBC's Louise Fryer and Brett Weymark, conductor of the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs.