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A scene from Gianni Schicchi at Opera 5's Toronto Opera Festival. Photo: Emily Ding Photography

Review | Expertly-Staged Puccini at Toronto Opera Festival

By Gianmarco Segato on 4 June 2026 Concert Reviews, Opera, Toronto, Vocal

Opera 5 opened their Toronto Opera Festival on June 3 with Puccini’s Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi. Two parts of the opera master’s Il trittico (with poor, neglected Il tabarro left out as is too often the case), these heavily contrasting one-acters run the gamut from gut-wrenching tragedy to laugh-out-loud farce. That they came off so successfully at Toronto’s small Theatre Passe Muraille can be chalked up to savvy casting and masterful stage direction by Jessica Derventzis. Suor Angelica isn’t staged all that much in Canada. I can’t think of a fully-professional production I’ve seen in this country except at…

Joe Hisaishi conducting Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Photo: Allan Cabral/Courtesy of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra

Review | Hisaishi Returns to Toronto Symphony Orchestra

By Andrea Rush on 2 June 2026 Classical Music, Concert Reviews, Orchestral, Strings, Toronto, Violin

French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal famously apologized for writing a long letter, explaining that he did not have enough time to write a short one. The multi-talented composer and maestro Joe Hisaishi would not need to make such an apology. The May 28 TSO program that he curated, and the scores he composes, exude beauty through simplicity. The evening featured three composers, three works, one governing idea: to demonstrate the beauty of simplicity. It is an attractive force that cuts across cultures and centuries. Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall was well sold out in advance. From the main floor to…

Sara Watanabe, Bade Dastan, Koshiro Takeuchi, Laurel Gagnon, Aozhe Zhang, Photo: Tam Photography

Newswire | CMIM announces five finalists for Violin 2026

By Newswire on 1 June 2026 Arts Industry, Montreal, Newswire, Violin

Montréal, Sunday May 31, 2026 – Following a Semifinal that captivated the audience, the International Jury presided by Lucie Robert selected the five Finalists of the Concours 2026. The announcement was made following the jury’s deliberations after the last session of the Semifinal, during which the competitors dazzled the audience with a program comprising at least one full sonata, a Canadian work and another piece of their choice. HERE ARE THE FIVE FINALISTS WHO ARE ADVANCING TO THE FINAL – MOZART ROUND (by order of performance) Koshiro Takeuchi, Japan Laurel Gagnon, United States Sara Watanabe, Japan Aozhe Zhang, China Bade…

Leland Ko, third-prize winner of the 2026 Queen Elisabeth Cello Competition, Photo courtesy of the Queen Elisabeth Competition.

Newswire | Canadian Leland Ko wins third at Queen Elisabeth

By Newswire on 1 June 2026 Arts Industry, Classical, Classical Music, Strings

Belgium – The First Prize – Queen Mathilde Prize includes a cash award of €25.000 and numerous concert engagements in Belgium and abroad. Thanks to the Pau Casals Foundation, Ettore Pagano will also receive the Goffriller “Casals” cello on loan for a period of four years. Prize List QUEEN ELISABETH INTERNATIONAL GRAND PRIZE First Prize – Queen Mathilde Prize €25,000 Ettore Pagano PRIZE OF THE BELGIAN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Second Prize, awarded by the Belgian Science Policy €20,000 Tae-Yeon Kim COUNT DE LAUNOIT PRIZE Third Prize €17,000 Leland Ko PRIZE OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE BELGIAN COMMUNITIES Fourth Prize,…

Editorial (June 2026)

By Wah Keung Chan on 1 June 2026 Arts Industry, Classical Music

Welcome to the June/July 2026 national issue of La Scena Musicale showcasing Canadian summer festivals! Our English cover features soprano Erin Morley who, along with tenor Lawrence Brownlee, brings their Golden Age program to Toronto Summer Music in July. Soprano Saioa Hernández, who makes her Canadian debut as Lady Macbeth at Festival de Lanaudière, graces our French cover. In addition to our own summer festival picks, we check in with various festivals across the country. Meet William Fedkenheuer, the new leader of Toronto Summer Music. We also chat with Renaud Loranger at Lanaudière, and Carissa Klopoushak at Ottawa Chamberfest. Discover…

An Indigenous Playlist: Artists Select Their Favourite Tunes

By Kaitlyn Chan on 1 June 2026 Classical Music, Folk, Indigenous, Interviews, Musique populaire, Opera, Vocal

In celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, La Scena Musicale presents the second edition of its Indigenous Playlist. We invited several Indigenous artists to select one song by an Indigenous musician or composer and explain why they chose the piece. Discover what some of Canada’s incredible Indigenous creators are listening to right now! Aysanabee www.aysanabee.com Aysanabee is a four-time Juno Award-winning Oji-Cree artist, who made history as the first Indigenous artist to win the Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year and Songwriter of the Year, as well as the first Indigenous artist to reach No.…

Industry News | June 2026: Latest Appointments & Prizes Announced

By Gianmarco Segato on 1 June 2026 Arts Industry, Classical Music, La Scena Online

Appointments On April 23, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal announced the renewal of Rafael Payare’s tenure for a five-year term. His initial term began in 2021 when he was appointed by unanimous decision as the orchestra’s ninth music director. Payare’s contract has been renewed through 2031–32, now with the new title of music and artistic director to reflect his desire to shape the future of the OSM beyond programming and his presence on the podium. Among his achievements with OSM, Payare has led them on international tours to South Korea, the United States, and two to Europe. He created Programme El…

Gambrel Barn; Rachel Fenlon. Photo: Clara Evens

Elora Festival: The Sweet Music of a Midsummer Night

By Adrian Rodriguez on 1 June 2026 Classical Music, Orchestral, Vocal

“Long summer days give way to dusky evenings that create an ideal atmosphere for our concerts at the Gambrel Barn, a unique indoor-outdoor venue,” says Artistic Director Mark Vuorinen. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream-themed concert felt like the right way to open the festival, and to shape its broader artistic direction.” That atmosphere sets the tone for the 47th edition of the Elora Festival, running July 10 to August 2. “The Mendelssohn Overture and Vaughan Williams’s Serenade to Music introduce us to Shakespeare and the beauty of words set to music,” says Vuorinen. “We love to begin with a large orchestral…

Photo: Dagnushka

William Fedkenheuer: Introducing Toronto Summer Music’s New Leader

By Heather Weinreb on 1 June 2026 Chamber Music, Classical Music, Folk, Interviews, Toronto, Vocal

Toronto Summer Music, which celebrates its 20th anniversary from July 9 to Aug. 1, has a new artistic director at its helm. A violinist and chamber musician with a strong background in fiddling, William Fedkenheuer is uniquely positioned to lead the festival’s threefold mission: presenting concerts in Toronto’s Koerner and Walter halls, running a fellowship program for emerging artists, and offering a community program for advanced amateurs. Fedkenheuer notes that although the integration of all these elements is “overwhelming sometimes,” it also opens up unique opportunities in each sphere. “There’s not many programs where the professionals play with the fellows,”…

Flavie Lacoste

National Youth Orchestra of Canada: A Talent Incubator From Coast to Coast

By Benjamin Goron on 1 June 2026 Classical Music, Orchestral

National Youth Orchestra of Canada’s (NYOC) Canadiana 2026 tour is much more than just a series of performance opportunities. Through intensive rehearsals, immersion in the life of an ensemble, young musicians selected from among the best in the country are completely immersed in the realities of the profession—an artistic and human laboratory that can transform a life. From July 18 to 31, NYOC will tour with stops in Toronto, Stratford, Ottawa and Saint-Irénée (Domaine Forget). Conducted by Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, the tour brings together young artists (ages 16 to 28) for an ambitious program combining Prokofiev, Strauss and Elgar along with…

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