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MONTREAL/QUEBEC
Centre Culturel de Pointe-Claire
In an effort to make cultural programming accessible to its residents, and breathe life into public park spaces, the Centre Culturel de Pointe-Claire will present a series of free concerts as part of their Summer Evenings in the Parks / Summer Beats in the Parks Festival. Running from June 28 to Aug. 16, the festival will consist of 10 concerts in parks across the city. Starting at Stewart Park on June 28, audiences are invited to a concert of world music titled Paul Kunigis: Yallah.
Performances of blues, Latin jazz, world jazz, and Brazilian percussion will resonate over the course of the summer, featuring such artists as Rodrigo Simões in Stewart Park (July 26), the Masmoudi Quartet at the Stewart Hall café-terrasse (Aug. 2), and Equipe Capoeira Brasileira – Montréal, who will perform two concerts of both Brazilian percussion and Brasilian martial arts at Edgewater Park (Aug. 4). The festival will conclude with a concert titled Blues Legends, on Aug. 16.
Festival Classica
Now in its 13th season, the Festival Classica has grown by leaps and bounds since its inception. Directed by Marc Boucher and Philippe Brunet, the festival has presented upwards of 420 concerts for more than 360,000 audience members. With the goal of fostering connections and encounters between established artists, emerging musical voices, and audiences, the festival’s 2023 edition, From Fauré to Felix, will run from May 25 to June 17, with concerts across the greater Montreal area. Festival Classica will open with a concert titled Lux Aeterna, after Edward Elgar’s piece by the same name.
The performance will feature canonical works by Duruflé, Fauré, Barber, and others, in tandem with contemporary works by the likes of Jóhann Jóhannsson and Jaap Nico Hamburger. The festival will also feature the performance of three operas as part of their most recent initiative, the Nouvel Opera Métropolitain (NOM), which aims to highlight French opera and operetta works. L’Homme qui rit, a new opera by Airat Ichmouratov with libretto by Bertrand Laverdure (May 31), Massenet’s forgotten operetta, L’Adorable Belboul (June 6) and Miguela by Theodore Dubois and Jules Barbier (June 14), are not to be missed. Alain Trudel, Suzanne Taffot, Marc Hervieux and the Orchestre Symphonique de Trois-Rivières will close the festival with Fantasies québécoises, a concert highlighting the works of Quebec composers and arrangers (June 17).
ICAV – Montreal Festival of Vocal Art
Nicole Car and Étienne Dupuis direct this year’s Montreal Festival of Vocal Art. The festival will open with a concert (July 15) and culminate in a gala performance (Aug. 4). This year’s iteration will introduce The Audition, a livestreamed performance by participating singers during which they will sing for industry professionals (July 21 and 22). Participants will also present Puccini’s La Bohème (July 30), and will participate in a variety of public masterclasses.
Orchestre de la francophonie
The Orchestre de la francophonie will welcome young musicians from around the world for their 2023 season in Montreal, under the artistic direction of Jean-Philippe Tremblay. Having presented a chamber music academy last year, the orchestra’s return to its full size comes highly anticipated. All participating young musicians, some of Canada’s most promising orchestral players, will be supported by scholarships from the Orchestre de la francophonie.
The program begins with a rehearsal residency in Montreal. Following the rehearsal period, the orchestra will perform concerts in Montreal (at the Maison Symphonique), in Quebec City, and at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. The program will feature a star-studded staff, including Hélène Collerette (concert master of the Philarmonic of Radio France), Douglas Payson Sturdevant (former principal trumpet of the NAC Orchestra), and Robert Uchida (concertmaster of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra), who will act as both string conductor and director of chamber music. On the program for this season’s concerts are Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 2, and new works by Giancarlo Scalia, Simon Bertrand, and pieces by a number of Indigenous composers. In addition, the orchestra will première Daniel Warren’s orchestration of Hindemith’s Trumpet Sonata, which will feature soloist James Thomson. Performances will incorporate visual art and technologies, for a series of not-to-miss nights at the symphony.
In addition to concerts, participants will have the opportunity to participate in workshops, masterclasses, and mock auditions, as well as community and social musical outreach programming.
Montreal Baroque Music Festival
The Montreal Baroque Music Festival returns this summer with Chaos and Confetti, a program that celebrates thematic and musical contrasts. Concerts will feature a wide range of baroque selections, as well as jubilant folk music from both Quebec and Scandinavia. Audiences will experience a wide range of emotions and styles starting on June 15 with Peace, Plague, Party. The performance will feature soprano Myriam Leblanc, alongside three baroque orchestras: the Finnish Baroque Orchestra, Barokkanerne, and Ensemble Caprice. A wide variety of events—from dance classes to cooking workshops—will follow until the festival concludes on June 22.
CAMMAC
Against the beautiful Laurentian backdrop, audience members at CAMMAC are promised an enriching musical experience. CAMMAC will present concerts between July 2 and Aug. 20. First, an intimate performance by tenor Marc Hervieux, who will perform selected works from his albums Nostalgia 1 and Nostalgia 2. On the program are pieces by composers ranging from Charles Aznavour to Engelbert Humperdinck (July 2). Shortly thereafter, the centre will welcome the Alliage Saxophone Quintet (July 16). The Guillaume Martineau Trio will present a concert titled The World is Jazz, featuring works by Ellington and Jobim, as well as pieces of Latin, Afro-Cuban and Klezmer origin (July 30). The summer’s performances will conclude with Ensemble Mirabilia’s performance of Antonio Vivaldi’s Luce e Ombra (Aug. 20).
Festival d’Opéra de Québec
Now in it’s 12th edition, the Festival d’Opéra de Québec takes the stage from July 23 to Aug. 2. In collaboration with Jeunesses Musicales Canada, the festival will present a reimagining of Donizetti’s La Fille du regiment, titled La Fille sans regiment (July 26-29). Next up is Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette (July 28-Aug. 1). Solemn Mass for a Full Moon in Summer, Christian Thomas’s operatic adaptation of Michel Tremblay’s work of the same name, will conclude the festival (July 29-Aug. 2).
Orford Music Festival
The Orford Music Festival has a vibrant lineup of musical events running from June 14 until Aug. 5. Highlights include an all-day Schubert celebration on July 8, featuring performances by Michel Strauss, Stéphane Lemelin, and others. SMAM will perform works by des Prez, Ockeghem, de Rore, and more (July 15). Luc Beauséjour will perform an organ recital of repertoire by J.S. Bach (July 29). Philippe Sly, accompanied by pianist Olivier Godin, will interpret Schubert’s Winterreise (July 28).
Festival Domaine Forget
Domaine Forget will present over 60 events in Charlevoix, Que., this summer. Between June 24 and Aug. 19, audiences will have the opportunity to see classical and jazz concerts, as well as a variety of dance events. Ballets Jazz de Montréal will perform works choreographed by Ausia Jones, Crystal Pite, and Aszure Barton (June 29). Classical events include presentations by harpist Valérie Milot and cellist Stéphane Tétreault (June 30), guitar duo SoloDuo (July 1), the vocal ensemble Chanticleer (July 16), and the Emerson String Quartet (July 14).
ItalFest
Montreal’s Italian community celebrates its shared history with the city at large for the 30th year in a row—from Aug. 4-20. First launched in 1994, the festival offers a wide range of events and activities on the island of Montreal and in Laval. Organized by the National Congress of Italian Canadians, the festival aims to promote and bring to life Italian culture through artistic presentations, craftsmanship, and gastronomy.
This year’s festival will include a performance of Don Pasquale featuring artists such as Hugo Laporte, Carole-Anne Roussel, and the ItalfestMTL Symphony Orchestra (August 6). While the rest of the 2023 events have yet to be announced, performers in the 2022 edition included such names as Paul Cargnello, Ensemble Lyrico, and Daniela Fiorentino. Raffles, an art competition, film festival, fashion show, and car show round out Italfest’s activities, promising a month of la dolce vita for the whole family.
ONTARIO
Ottawa Chamberfest
The Ottawa Chamberfest began in 1994, and has since expanded to encompass a popular concert series, a set of community engagement initiatives, and educational programming. While their community outreach activities—such as the City Series, Adapted Concerts Series, Chamber Chats, Rising Stars and Masterclass programs, plus school visits—span an entire year, the 2023 Chamberfest proper will run from July 20 to Aug. 3.
The festival will open with a performance of Bach Concerti by violinist James Ehnes and the National Arts Centre Orchestra (July 20). The Gryphon Trio will celebrate their 30th anniversary with Chamberfest audiences, which seems appropriate given their extensive collaborative history with the festival (July 27). Other highlights include a concert by Ottawa native mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta, with Hinrich Alpers at the piano, accompanied by the Chamberfest Ensemble (July 28). The Lafayette String Quartet, Canada’s original all-female string quartet, will take their final bows at Chamberfest, as they conclude their final touring season (July 30).
The festival will continue to spotlight homegrown talent the following night, with a performance by classical pianist Angela Hewitt (July 31). Fans of vocal music will delight in Cantus’s Chamberfest debut, as the ensemble presents music that centres around the struggle and courage of geographical migration (Aug. 1).
The Ottawa Chamberfest will culminate in its annual Closing Night Mashup, an evening of chamber music new and old (Aug. 3).
Festival Franco-Ontarien
Since 1976, the Festival Franco-Ontarien has been representing and celebrating the French-Canadian community in Ottawa and beyond. This year, in its 48th edition, it will take over Major’s Hill Park for the weekend of June 16 to 18. Performances will run Friday and Saturday nights from 7 to 11 p.m. The fun starts early on Sunday, at 10 a.m., to kick off a free day of family-oriented events. On Friday, Gregory Charles, recipient of the Order of Canada, will take the stage. His performance will be preceded by those of Sophie Grenier, Dayv Poulin, and Michel Lalonde. Saturday night’s festivities will be headlined by Zachary Richard. His concert will include some of his greatest hits, combined with new music. Acadian singer and Polaris Prize nominee Lisa LeBlanc will also perform Saturday.
Luminato Festival
Toronto’s International Arts Festival returns this summer, from June 7 through 18. Dedicated to presenting exemplary works of contemporary art, the festival pushes boundaries and invites collaboration between music, dance, theatre and visual art. Luminato guarantees something for everyone, with theatrical presentations such as Aalaapi, combining the sounds of the North with radio documentary (June 8-10); Nuit, a contemporary dance performance (June 8-10); and musical presentations such as Scott Joplin’s nearly-lost opera, Treemonisha, which combines Western classical musical language with that of ragtime, folk, and gospel music (June 6-17).
Toronto Summer Music
Toronto Summer Music presents both its festival and training academy between July 6 and 29. At Koerner Hall, Walter Hall, the York Club, and Church of the Redeemer, the festival will offer concerts centred around this year’s theme: Metamorphosis. Along with a number of concerts featuring TSM’s Academy Fellows, these events will include recitals by the likes of Canadian superstar pianist Angela Hewitt, who will play a recital of works by Bach at Koerner Hall (July 25); Grammy Award-winning Puerto Rican soprano Ana Maria Martinez, who will offer a selection of Spanish repertoire alongside pianist Craig Terry; and soprano Sondra Radvanovsky who, with pianist Anthony Manoli, will interpret works by Purcell, Handel, Duparc, Rachmaninoff, Strauss, and Verdi—to name a few (July 27).
Fans of romantic music are sure to enjoy a program of Brahms and Schumann (July 7). Jonathan Crow (violin), Juan-Miguel Hernandez (viola) and Cameron Crozman (cello) will delight lovers of early music with a performance of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, at the Church of the Redeemer (July 13).
TSM will also feature newer works, such as The Butterfly Project, created and performed by soprano Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野, directed by Aria Umezawa, with sound art by Andrea Wong. The piece, originally performed in 2021, reimagines Puccini’s famous Madama Butterfly, considering in particular the Japanese melodies quoted in the piece (July 12).
Gryphon Trio
Elora Festival
Canada’s premier international choral festival celebrates its 44th anniversary this year, with a season that won’t disappoint. Led by artistic director and conductor Mark Vuorinen, the Elora Festival will present concerts between July 7 and 18, in the beautiful town of Elora, Ont. This year’s program offers a variety of performances from Canadian music organizations, such as The Elora Singers themselves, who will appear throughout the festival in various events, as well as Ensemble Constantinople (July 9), the Canadian Chamber Choir (July 13), and the Gryphon Trio (July 16). These events will be interspersed with concerts by international visiting musical groups, such as the low voice a-capella group Cantus (July 9), and the New Zealand String Quartet (July 16).
WEST
BISQFest
Recognized as one of the top events of its kind internationally, the Banff International String Quartet Competition (BISQC) has been running for nearly 40 years triennially. Starting in 2017, the organization launched the Banff International String Quartet Festival, which they host in non-competition years. As the competition’s 14th iteration took place in 2022, this will be the first BISQFest since 2021. For one weekend only, audiences have the opportunity to hear past competition laureates in intimate concert settings, performing both well-known works of the string quartet repertory and newer, lesser-known pieces.
The weekend’s first concert, for instance, will feature the Leonkoro Quartet in a performance of Britten’s String Quartet in C Major, and the Dior Quartet performing works by Dinuk Wijeratne and Christos Hatzis. This year’s BISQFest will take place Sept. 1-3, both livestreamed and in-person, with concerts in the Banff Centre’s Rolston Recital Hall, and Margaret Greenham Theatre. Quartets scheduled to perform also include the Viano String Quartet, the New Orford String Quartet, and the BISQFest Players, all of whom will appear in multiple concerts over the course of the weekend. In addition, there will be performances in other chamber-music configurations, which will include appearances by pianist Gilles Vonsattel, mezzo-soprano Ema Nikolovska, accordionist Michael Bridge, violinists Hao Zhou, Andrew Wan and Anna Štube, bassist Joel Quarrington, and violist Barry Shiffman. In addition to concerts, ticket holders will be invited to attend lectures, a film screening, and to share meals with performers and other concert attendees.
www.banffcentre.ca/banff-international-string-quartet-festival
Isidore String Quartet
Early Music Vancouver
Early Music Vancouver’s annual summer festival runs this year from July 27 to Aug. 5. Equally recognized for their year-round programming, EMV’s festival will present a sampling of the wide variety of musical stylings that fit under the umbrella of early music. The festival will open with the world première of a new opera, titled The Queen of Carthage (July 27). Described as a combination of baroque and contemporary music and dance, the opera tells the story of Dido, the queen herself, reclaiming her story as “a political leader, an empire builder, and a woman of colour.” Directed by Dr. Debi Wong and Stefanie Wong, and starring soprano Charlotte Siegel, this co-production with re:Naissance Opera is not one to miss.
The festival will continue to celebrate the voices of women in early music with such concerts as Songs Without Words: Women in Music in the Middle Ages and Renaissance (July 30), Our City of Ladies (Aug. 1), The Ladies Vespers (Aug. 2), Atempor/elle: In Search of Inner Coherence (Aug. 3), Celebrating Elizabeth Jacquet de la Guerre (Aug. 4), and the concluding concert, A Woman’s Voice in Bach’s World (Aug. 5). This closing night event will feature the Pacific Baroque Orchestra with soprano Jane Long, mezzo-soprano Krisztina Szabó, tenor Philippe Gagné and baritone Sumner Thompson, and will celebrate the artistic partnership between J.S. Bach and poet/librettist Christiane Mariane von Ziegler.
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