Toronto, ON – February 11, 2026 – Alexander Brose, Michael and Sonja Koerner President & CEO of The Royal Conservatory of Music, Executive Director of Performing Arts Mervon Mehta, and Dean of The Glenn Gould School James Anagnoson, today revealed programming details of some of the classical and jazz concerts for the 2025-26 season at Koerner Hall.
The full season of more than 80 concerts, including pop, world music, and student concerts, will be released in June.
Said Alexander Brose: “The Royal Conservatory’s 2026-27 season celebrates the remarkable range and vitality of today’s musical landscape, bringing together legendary artists, distinctive voices, and exceptional rising stars. A highlight of the season is A Centenary of Trane and Miles, a special series honouring the enduring legacy of John Coltrane and Miles Davis through performances that reflect their lasting influence on jazz, and far beyond. From the largest Piano Recitals series in our history and the return of some of our greatest violin and vocal friends to appearances by many of the world’s most celebrated classical and jazz artists, 2026-27 also marks the final season programmed by Mervon Mehta, whose singular artistic vision has shaped 18 concert seasons that are unrivalled for their breadth, quality, and cultural impact. My deepest thanks to Mervon, as well as to the RCM’s irreplaceable partners and staunch supporters, for making it possible to share the world’s greatest musicians in our extraordinary spaces.”
Mervon Mehta said: “As I review the 33 concerts we are announcing as the first part of our 2026-27 season, it is somewhat of a coincidence that this also marks my 33rd year of programming major concerts halls in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Toronto. Add to that a previous 12 years acting on stages across North America and countless nights spent in theatres other than my own. In total, up to 7,000 nights have been spent in darkened rooms listening to, watching, or participating in great performances. The spark of live performance has never died. More than half of the artists appearing the final season I have programmed for the RCM are also dear friends or former students, some of whom I have known for decades. This has not been planned – they all richly deserve to be on our stage – but it is wholly gratifying and humbling. I hope that you will enjoy them as much as I have enjoyed programming their special projects.”
The Royal Conservatory celebrates 100 years of Miles Davis and John Coltrane with a powerhouse five‑concert series, A Centenary of Trane and Miles, featuring John Beasley’s Unlimited Miles: Miles Davis at 100; Ravi Coltrane: The John Coltrane Centennial; Branford Marsalis Quartet and Dianne Reeves as they pay homage to the John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman album; Chicago trumpet master Orbert Davis in Davis plays Davis; and the all-female Artemis in their Sketches of Miles project. As a bonus, three of the concerts include some of the best jazz artists in Toronto.
The popular Quiet Please, There’s a Lady on Stage sees the return of Portuguese fado sensation Mariza, hilarious cabaret singer Meow Meow doing her Christmas show Feline Festive, and Stacey Kent presenting a heartfelt tribute to legendary Brazilian songwriter Antônio Carlos Jobim.
The biggest Piano Recitals series to date includes 10 pianists. Three are Chopin Competition winners – Bruce Liu, Garrick Ohlsson, and Yulianna Avdeeva – and silver medallist, and an RCM alumnus, Kevin Chen in a duo recital with Ilia Ovcharenko. The series also includes the returns of Yuja Wang, Daniil Trifonov, Simone Dinnerstein, Sir Stephen Hough, and Bertrand Chamayou.
Vocal Concerts will feature Canadian singers Ema Nikolovska and Rihab Chaieb accompanied by Sean Shibe and Ammiel Bushakevitz respectively, and the British vocal ensemble The Gesualdo Six in their Koerner Hall debut.
String Concerts include Canadian violinist James Ehnes’s 50th Birthday Tour with pianist Andrew Armstrong; cellists Jean-Guihen Queyras and Johannes Moser accompanied by Alexandre Tharaud and Marc‑André Hamelin; superstar violinist Joshua Bell and soprano Larisa Martínez presenting their Voice and the Violin program; and 14-year-old Japanese sensation Himari with pianist Chelsea Wang.
Royal Conservatory alumnus and first Artist-in-Residence Stewart Goodyear performs with the New Orford String Quartet; Spanish violinist Leticia Moreno and friends present a program titled Bach in the Americas; and the legendary Kronos Quartet returns to Koerner Hall for the Chamber Music Concerts series.
Royal Conservatory Orchestra will be conducted by Laura Jackson, Tania Miller, Earl Lee, and one of today’s most versatile and respected conductors, James Conlon.
More information and complete programs for all of the concerts can be found at rcmusic.com/performance.
