"I have completed my Eighth. It is the greatest work I have ever created. The symphony is so unique in both form and content that words cannot capture it. Imagine the entire universe beginning to resound—not with human voices, but with planets and suns in motion."
— Gustav Mahler, August 15, 1906
Mahler 8 is an extraordinary and daring project — a performance of Symphony No. 8, composed by one of the greatest Austrian composers, Gustav Mahler. This is a unique work not only for its artistic quality but also for the sheer scale of its performance. At its premiere in 1910, it was performed by 1,005 musicians and singers. This is why Mahler's Eighth is often referred to as the Symphony of a Thousand.
Moravskoslezská Sinfonietta, z.s. is the driving force behind this project — an orchestral academy that brings together pupils from music schools, conservatory students, and university musicians. Its mission is to inspire and train the next generation of orchestral players from all over the Czech Republic.
Since its founding, the Moravskoslezská Sinfonietta has helped more than 1,000 young musicians grow, perform, and take their first steps toward a professional music career.
Born on June 7, 1860, in Kaliště near Humpolec and passing away on May 18, 1911, in Vienna, Gustav Mahler remains one of the most celebrated composers in history. Over his lifetime, he created ten symphonies, each remarkable in its own way. His Eighth Symphony, however, stands apart — a towering masterpiece and one of the largest choral works in the classical repertoire, demanding an extraordinary number of musicians and singers to bring it to life.
The historic buildings of today's Trojhalí Karolina in Ostrava were completed in 1921 as power stations producing electricity for the surrounding industrial operations. The entire industrial complex, including Trojhalí, was built and initially owned by Vítkovické horní a hutní těžířstvo (Vítkovice Mining and Ironworks Company), founded by Austrian entrepreneurs and industrialists, the Gutmann brothers, and Austrian banker Anselm Solomon Rothschild. Today, Trojhalí Karolina — one of the gems of Ostrava's industrial heritage — serves the public as a venue for a wide variety of cultural and leisure activities.
The choice of Trojhalí Karolina for this concert is no coincidence. Mahler's Eighth Symphony was premiered in Munich's Neue Musik-Festhalle, a building whose era of construction and structural design bear a striking resemblance to Trojhalí itself.
"Mahler's Eighth has been sounding in my mind for many years. During my studies at the Janáček Conservatory in Ostrava, I was inspired by the distinctive interpretation of PhDr. Jiří Čech, who spoke of the Eighth with such passion that it stayed with me ever since. Symphony No. 8 is one of the greatest instrumental–vocal works ever created in human history. The year 2026 marks significant anniversaries both in the life of the Moravskoslezská Sinfonietta and in the legacy of Gustav Mahler himself. Just as Gustav Mahler dedicated his Eighth Symphony to his wife Alma, I would like to dedicate these two concerts to the Moravian-Silesian Region — the place I call home and hold very dear."
Jan Soukup, founder of Moravskoslezská Sinfonietta and project leader
"As patron of the Moravskoslezská Sinfonietta, I was delighted to also take on the role of patron of this unique project to perform Mahler's Eighth Symphony in 2026. Knowing Jan Soukup, the passionate and courageous founder of the Sinfonietta, I have no doubt that the concert will be an exceptional musical experience."
Jana Boušková, leading Czech and world-renowned harpist, project ambassador
