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Wisdom Meets Curiosity: Arts Learning Opportunities for Older Adults

By Kaitlyn Chan on 3 September 2025 Classical Music, Dance, Education, Interviews, Literature, Montreal, Theatre, Toronto

After young adulthood, structured forms of education might no longer be a regular part of your routine. But there are many benefits to lifelong learning, including improved cognitive health, increased personal fulfillment, and a sense of community and connection with others. For those seeking learning opportunities in music and the arts as older adults, here are some options to consider. University Courses If you have an interest in academic study, many Canadian universities offer courses for those continuing their education. Often, these programs will have smaller class sizes, which allow students to form deeper connections with their peers and professors…

Michael McMahon, piano. Photo: TamPhotography

Michael McMahon: The Singer’s Pianist

By Emma Yee on 3 September 2025 Art Song, Interviews, Piano, Romantic

By Emma Yee; interview by Wah Keung Chan Not many pianists, no matter how accomplished, can say they learned lieder from Elly Ameling; taught alongside famed language and diction pedagogue Nico Castel; and accompanied Maureen Forrester, Gerald Finley, Richard Margison, and Catherine Robbin. Or have been passed the torch by the founders of McGill University’s famous opera and song interpretation programs. But as Michael McMahon says, he’s “worked really hard, not because [I have] to, but because [I love] it so much.” The pianist and professor who, on April 17, 2025, was awarded the Order of Canada. McMahon grew up…

Tesla Quartet. Photo: Titilayo Ayangade

Edmonton’s Summer Solstice Music Festival

By Madeline Boldt on 9 June 2025 Chamber Music, Classical Music, Interviews

Edmonton is buzzing with music throughout the summer. Under the solstice summer sun, the Edmonton Chamber Music Society offers stellar programming in an intimate setting. Now in its 17th season, the festival came together in 2008 to fill a gap in Edmonton’s classical music calendar. For Artistic Director and pianist Patricia Tao, the guiding principle has always been musical excellence. “I don’t like amplification for chamber music,” she says. “So we keep [the concerts] in churches and venues where the instruments maintain their beautiful sound.” This year’s roster of guest artists maintains the festival’s long record of bringing the best…

Spiritus Chamber Choir: 30 years of Canadian Choral Excellence

By Kaitlyn Chan on 3 June 2025 Canadian Music, Chamber Music, Choral, Classical Music, Interviews, Vocal

In 1995, David Wilson founded the Spiritus Chamber Choir. This Calgary-based ensemble quickly grew in popularity and esteem, filling a space in the community for a high-level chamber choir. During Wilson’s six-year tenure, they received an International Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (1999) and reached the semifinals in the CBC National Choral Competition (2000). In the 30 years since Spiritus was founded, the choir has become recognized nationally and internationally for its excellence. One of the pivotal moments in its history was winning second prize and the Heinrich Schütz Perpetual Trophy for the best performance of a work by the…

Michael Bridge, accordion. Photo: Sam Gaetz

Michael Bridge: Accordion Virtuoso

By Justin Bernard on 1 June 2025 Classical Music, Contemporary, Interviews, Musique populaire, Toronto

One must have several talents to be an accomplished artist: technical skills that make you rare and sought-after, perseverance, vision, a sense of showmanship to give the audience an exceptional experience—and, in addition, the ability to adapt to life’s circumstances. In a nutshell, this is the philosophy and work ethic of Michael Bridge, who though Calgary-born and Toronto-based, has dedicated himself to the most Latin of musical instruments! “I’m generally the only one doing what I do,” he says of playing the accordion. And Bridge does it well. In June, he kicks off his summer tour in Edmonton at the…

Murdoch Mysteries in Concert

Summer with the National Arts Centre Orchestra: From Murdoch Mysteries to Beethoven

By Kaitlyn Chan on 30 May 2025 Classical Music, Contemporary, Interviews, Orchestral, Ottawa

National Arts Centre Orchestra’s (NACO) programming continues this summer with a mix of contemporary and classical works ranging from Murdoch Mysteries in Concert (July 10–11) to Symphonic Waves: Beethoven for Everyone (July 17). Murdoch Mysteries in Concert In collaboration with CBC television’s long-running Murdoch Mysteries, NACO will bring the show to new life in the concert hall. Audiences can watch an episode, “Murder in F Major,” on the big screen, accompanied by a live symphonic score. “During one of my very first experiences watching the show in concert, I was struck with all the collective laughs. It was nice to…

Renaud Loranger. Photo: Agence Bigjaw

Festival de Lanaudière: Renaud Loranger on Themes of Altérité

By Sara Schabas on 30 May 2025 Classical Music, Interviews, Opera, Orchestral, Vocal

Programming Richard Wagner in the 21st century is never going to be simple. But Renaud Loranger, the Joliette-born artistic director of Festival de Lanaudière since 2018, sees opportunity in programming Wagner’s works. “It’s important to look at Wagner’s works holistically,” he says. “The underlying ideas are crystal clear because he wrote extensively about them. All of this becomes part of the mosaic of culture, and one must not look away.” Loranger, who has been based in Berlin for the past 15 years, is referring to Wagner’s infamous antisemitism in anticipation of the festival’s performance of Tristan und Isolde. The Aug.…

Photo: Ville De Pluie – Andre Rainville

Elisabeth St-Gelais: The North Star

By Viktor Lazarov on 30 May 2025 Classical Music, Indigenous, Interviews, Opera, Vocal

Makings of a Star Freshly emerged from a winning streak on the domestic competition circuit with an almost unparalleled record for a Canadian vocal artist in her 20s, soprano Elisabeth St-Gelais is enjoying a promising career on the national and international stage. Since 2022, she has won an impressive number of awards, including the Wirth Vocal Prize at McGill, first prize (age 19-30) at the Canadian Music Competition, the Prix d’Europe, first prize and audience prize at the Centre Stage Competition of the Canadian Opera Company as well as mentions at the District Winner of the Met Lafont Competition in…

Oscar Peterson. Photo: Al Gilbert, C.M., F.R.P.S.

Oscar Peterson at 100: Beyond the Keys

By Viktor Lazarov on 30 May 2025 Interviews, Jazz, Montreal, Piano

A flurry of agile fingers churning up notes at dazzling speed like a turbo butterfly flying over fields of black and white keys. Instant delivery of musical thought to hands that look like they could render anything at a moment’s notice. Such is the impact of Oscar Peterson’s piano playing, even 100 years after his birth on Aug. 15, 1925. Peterson, who died on Dec. 23, 2007, transcended all barriers. A jazz pianist of historic proportions, he is revered by artists and musicians of all genres. Over the course of a career spanning more than six decades, he paved the…

Pierre Bourgie at Salle Bourgie's 2025–2026 season launch event. Photo: Frédéric Faddoul

Salle Bourgie’s 15th Anniversary: Building on Success

By La Scena Musicale Team on 1 May 2025 Chamber Music, Classical Music, Contemporary, Interviews, Jazz, Montreal, Newswire, Piano, Strings, Vocal

By: Madeline Boldt and Adrian Rodriguez Salle Bourgie marked its 15th anniversary on April 29 with a season launch that highlighted its steady growth and continued commitment to musical excellence. The event brought together artists, partners, and the public for an overview of what’s to come in 2025–2026. The launch featured three short performances that reflected the range of programming ahead. Soprano Aline Kutan, with pianist Michael McMahon, performed a lyrical selection that opened the evening with warmth. Historical clarinetist Maryse Legault was joined by Gili Loftus on the pianoforte for a nuanced exploration of early music. Later, Sal Sissokho…

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