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On Tour
Barbara Hannigan & Bertrand Chamayou Photo: Luciano Romano
Barbara Hannigan & Bertrand Chamayou
In celebration of their recent “Messaien” album release, Juno and Grammy Award-winning soprano Barbara Hannigan and pianist Bertrand Chamayou will tour Canada and the U.S. in November and December. The concert opens with Messaien’s Chants de terre et de ciel, rich with complex rhythms and vibrant, vocal colours. In addition, Hannigan and Chamayou will perform Scriabin’s Poème-nocturne, and Vers la flamme alongside John Zorn’s Jumalattaret —a sign cycle using text from Finnish epic poetry. The tour stops in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, and Ottawa along with other American destinations.
Montreal & Quebec City
Bourgie Hall Christmas Concerts
A festive evening of literature and music. Actor Jean-François Beauvais reads from the French Christmas classic, “Les Trois Messes Basses” by Alphonse Daudet. The charming tale of a Christmas in the south of France is interspersed with the Noëls of Baroque composers Daquin and Dandrieu, performed on organ and harpsichord by François Zeitouni. Dec. 14 at Bourgie Hall.
A Charlie Brown Christmas by Vince Guaraldi is back for its 10th edition at Bourgie Hall. Though Guaraldi composed most of the music on this beloved cartoon soundtrack, he also included Christmas carols such as “O Tannenbaum” and arrangements of classical music by Beethoven and Mendelssohn. The Tory Butler Trio will be joined by singer Lulu Hughes to present this jazzy holiday classic. Dec 18, 19 at Bourgie Hall. www.sallebourgie.ca
OSM
The OSM presents a program of late Romantic and contemporary works under the baton of Rafael Payare. Pianist Bruce Liu will perform Alexander Scriabin’s sole piano concerto. The great orchestral work of the evening is Strauss’s Alpine Symphony, which evokes the splendour of the Bavarian Alps. Nov. 13, 14 at Place des Arts.
Start off the new year with Mahler’s Sixth Symphony, otherwise known as his Tragic Symphony, conducted by Rafael Payare. Musicologists suspect that some parts of this sorrowful symphony depict Mahler’s wife, Alma. But don’t worry; she has her say in this love story, too. The program is completed by Alma Mahler’s lieder, performed by mezzo-soprano Beth Taylor. Jan. 16, 17, 18 at Place des Arts.
Finnish conductor Dalia Staveska rejoins the OSM to present the lush soundscapes of the Romantic period as well as meditative contemporary works. Orchestral works are Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s Archora and Dvořák’s 8th Symphony. Randall Goosby performs Bruch’s famous Violin Concerto and Adoration by Florence Price. Jan. 22, 23 at Place des Arts. www.osm.ca
Off Bach Lecture Recital
Pianist-musicologist Viktor Lazarov presents the influence of Italian and French Baroque styles on the keyboard music of J.S. Bach. In a dynamic lecture-recital context, Lazarov will perform works by Domenico Scarlatti, Jean-Philippe Rameau and J.S. Bach. Dec. 1. www.festivalbachmontreal.com
Opéra de Montréal
A Shakespearean opera! Alain Gauthier stages Ambroise Thomas’s Hamlet—an adaptation of Shakespeare’s iconic play which first premièred in Paris in 1868. The composer was known for his light, “mignon” style, which adds an ironic depth to Shakespeare’s beloved tragedy. Jacques Lacombe conducts the Orchestre Métropolitain through the ups and downs of the dramatic masterwork. Nov. 16, 19, 21, 24, Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier. www.operademontreal.com
OSQ
This is a concert formula with which you can’t go wrong: a Mozart symphony and Beethoven piano concerto. The orchestra will perform Mozart’s Symphony No. 35, the Haffner Symphony, and will be joined by pianist Emanuel Ax for Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto in C major. Emanuel Ax is a Grammy-winning pianist who has collaborated with cellist Yo-Yo Ma and violinist Isaac Stern. Jan. 16 at Palais Montcalm.
A concert conceived as a fairytale. Clemens Schuldt conducts excerpts of Tchaikovsky’s tragic ballet, The Black Swan, as well as Alexander von Zemlinsky’s The Little Mermaid, a three-movement orchestral fantasy based on the classic tale by Hans Christian Andersen. Renowned Canadian pianist Charles Richard-Hamelin joins the orchestra to perform Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Nov. 24 at Grand Théâtre du Québec. www.osq.org
Orchestre FILMharmonique
Patrick Watson’s dream-like songs often have spellbinding string arrangements. Now, these arrangements are taken to a whole new level as the Canadian singer-songwriter performs his well-loved songs with orchestra. Watson’s classical influences include Debussy, Ligeti, Carl Stalling and Ravel, so this concert promises to be an interesting fusion of 20th-century classical soundscapes with modern pop. Nov. 20, 21, 28, 29, 30 at Maison symphonique of PDA. www.gfnproductions.ca
Orchestre Métropolitain
Canadian cellist Bryan Cheng joins the OM in this concert of Russian works. Cheng will perform Alexander Glazunov’s Chant du ménestrel, a musical reflection on the minstrel of the Middle Ages. He will then perform Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo theme, the composer’s closest work to a full concerto for cello and orchestra. Louis Langré conducts the OM in Shostakovich’s 11th Symphony, “1905,” which refers to the events of the Russian Revolution of 1905. Jan. 23, 24, 26 in Montreal. www.orchestremetropolitain.com
Jeunesses Musicales
Opéra bon-bon symphonique: a candy opera! This opera for children involves two singers who keep trying to tell the tale of Hansel and Gretel. Though their friend has the best intentions, he keeps getting distracted with candy. This children’s show was a finalist at the 22nd edition of the Opus Prize, and is staged by Alain Gauthier. Nov. 22, Gerry Robinson Community Center. www.jmcanada.ca
Allegra Chamber Music
Yannick Nézet-Séguin joins the Allegra chamber musicians in a performance of lush Romantic works. The program consists of Fauré’s Dolly Suite for four hands piano, followed by the Andante from Brahms’s Piano Quartet No.3 in C minor (arranged for clarinet, violin, viola and cello by Simon Aldrich). The evening concludes with Robert Schumann’s Piano Quartet in E♭ major. Jan. 28, 29, Tanna Schulich Hall. www.allegrachambermusic.com
Aramusique
A rare concert in Québec: George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue played by brass quintet. Aramusique’s Buzz Salue Gershwin is sure to delight; Buzz Cuivres is already well experienced in performing symphonic works and collaborating with orchestras. Jan. 24, Alphonse-Desjardins Theatre, Repentigny. www.aramusique.org
Toronto
Koerner Hall
Throughout January 2025, Koerner Hall and the RCM will host the 21C Music Festival, a collection of eight concerts and 21+ premières. Highlights include Bernard Foccroulle’s lyric drama about a Parisian Jew deported to Auschwitz brought to life by mezzo-soprano Rihab Chaieb (Jan. 21-23), and flutist Leslie Newman performing an entirely solo recital of contemporary works (Jan. 25). Other notable events at Koerner Hall in the coming months include a visit by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Semyon Bychkov (Dec. 7, 8) and the Royal Conservatory Orchestra performing Chopin and Mussorgsky under the baton of Naomi Woo (Feb. 7). www.rcmusic.com
TSO
After a collection of holiday-themed concerts such as “Holiday Pops” and Handel’s Messiah, the TSO will begin the new year with Dvořák’s New World Symphony conducted by Anja Bihlmaier (Jan. 9, 11, 12). Renowned pianist Emanuel Ax then takes the stage for Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 25 (Jan. 15, 18, 19). January ends with Sergey Khachatryan performing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major with conductor Tarmo Peltokoski on a program that also includes Vaughn Williams’s fourth symphony. Jan. 31, Feb. 1, Roy Thomson Hall. www.tso.ca
COC
This winter, the Canadian Opera Company achieves new heights with Julien Bilodeau’s La Reine-Garçon—the first ever co-commission between the COC and Opéra de Montréal. Sopranos Kirsten MacKinnon and Kirsten LeBlanc star as the Queen of Sweden who was raised as a boy by her father. Later, she is employed by René Descartes during the Scientific Revolution (Jan. 31-Feb. 15). Puccini’s Madama Butterfly will return to the Four Seasons Centre starring soprano Eri Nakamura as the titular Butterfly and tenor Kang Wang as Pinkerton. Jan. 24-Feb. 16, Four Seasons Centre. www.coc.ca
Sinfonia Toronto
In December, Sinfonia Toronto will aim to capture four centuries of beauty. Nurhan Arman will take the podium to conduct works by Bach, Mozart, and Schumann, before bringing the orchestra into the 21st century for the Ontario première of Kevin Lau’s Prayer in a Green Cathedral, featuring oboist Caitlin Broms-Jacobs (Dec. 6). Later, Sinfonia Toronto has programmed a concert that features two soloists. Accordionist Maciej Frackiewicz will première Norbert Palej’s Lacrymae Rerum and violinist David Baik will play Piazzolla’s irresistible Five Tango Sensations (Jan. 24). Jane Mallett Theatre, Trinity St-Paul’s Centre. www.sinfoniatoronto.com
Music Toronto
Music Toronto has numerous chamber-music performances planned this winter. The Gryphon Trio joins violinist Lara St. John and vocalist Aviva Chernick for an exploration of the concept nigun, or improvised musical prayer. The concert will also feature the world première of Azrieli Prize-winner Avner Dorman’s Nigunim for solo violin and ensemble (Dec. 5). The JACK quartet will then take the stage to bring accessibility to contemporary music through their performances known for impressive colours, textures, and virtuosity. Jan. 30, Jane Mallett Theatre. www.musictorontoconcerts.com
The Rose Brampton
For the holidays, the Rose Orchestra is set to collaborate with the Brampton Children’s Chorus and the St. Roch Chorale for their annual “Yule Sing.” The performance will feature John Williams’s Home Alone Suite and other holiday classics (Dec. 14). In 2025, the orchestra will work with guest artist Adi Braun to perform the passionate melodies of Cole Porter. Feb. 8, The Rose. www.theroseorchestra.ca
West
Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
In December, conductor Nicolas Ellis will make his ESO debut for a program featuring selections from The Nutcracker and Mozart’s Ballet Music from Idomeneo. This concert also includes the ESO’s own flutist, Sarah Pollard, performing Ibert’s flute concerto (Nov. 28). Guest conductor Naomi Woo will take the podium in January for a program of Sibelius’s fifth symphony and Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto featuring Narek Arutyunian. www.winspearcentre.com
Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra
Artistic Director Rune Bergmann and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra will be joined by eminent Canadian violinist James Ehnes for Brahms’s dazzling violin concerto, alongside Sibelius’s first symphony (Nov. 30). A Mozart celebration will then ensue as the orchestra celebrates the composer’s birthday with a concert featuring Symphony No. 38 and the magnificent Mass in C major. The orchestra will be joined by the Calgary Philharmonic Chorus. Jan. 25, Jack Singer Concert Hall. www.calgaryphil.com
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
The VSO will host the B.C. première of Philip Glass’s 11th symphony in a program of new music in December. John Adams’s Gnarly Buttons will be performed by VSO clarinetist Jeanette Jonquil, with the program pinnacle being the world première of VSO’s commission from Linda Catlin Smith titled Mountain (Dec. 6). In January, Italian conductor and pianist Vanessa Benelli Mosell will perform Philippe Schoeller’s Sereno Sole for piano and strings before leading works by Bartók and Schubert (Jan. 17). Later, Italian-American violinist Francesca Dego will perform Beethoven’s violin concerto with VSO Maestro Otto Tausk. Jan. 31, Feb. 1, Orpheum. www.vancouversymphony.ca
City Opera Vancouver
The winter production at City Opera Vancouver is a captivating recital titled “Voices from the African Diaspora.” Mezzo-soprano Catherine Daniel and pianist Gordon Gerrard will perform works by Maria Thompson Corley, Carmen Brouard and Rosephayn Powell, among others. The compositions were selected from Black composers who are too often overlooked in classical music. The musicians are looking forward to sharing about the rich heritage and resilience of music from the African diaspora. Nov. 28, Annex. www.cityoperavancouver.com
Edmonton Opera
The infamous and irresistible tale of Bluebeard’s Castle will be brought to the Edmonton stage this winter. Bartók’s beloved opera will be set in modern times with a new English libretto by Director Daisy Evans. Russell Braun will assume the role of Duke Bluebeard and Krisztina Szabó will play Judith. Evans and her creative team have woven contemporary themes into this storied tale as Judith (suffering from dementia) opens doors to past memories and pieces of her identity. Feb. 1, 3, Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. www.edmontonopera.com
Calgary Opera
The Calgary Opera’s winter production is none other than Donizetti’s Don Pasquale. Jacques Lacombe will lead an all-Canadian cast, including Lucia Cesaroni as Norina and John Fanning as the eponymous Don Pasquale. This staging situates Don Pasquale as a silent-film actor in the heyday of Italian films as he pursues a young starlet of the “talkies” (a different Italian film genre). Feb. 1, 5, 7, Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. www.calgaryopera.com
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