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Highlights of upcoming Canadian concerts selected by Madeline Boldt, Kaitlyn Chan, and Gianmarco Segato.
Montreal
Bourgie Hall
Charles Richard-Hamelin. Photo: Julien Faugere
Pianist Charles Richard-Hamelin returns to Bourgie Hall on April 12 to play works by Debussy, Albéniz, Poulenc, and Chopin. This concert concludes with the four Scherzos by Chopin, one of Richard-Hamelin’s favourite composers. In the following week, Les Idées heureuses performs their 17th Passion Concert. Since 2023, this project, established by Geneviève Soly, explores Christoph Graupner’s Passiontide cantatas, which were composed for Good Friday. Les Idées heureuses welcomes the same collaborators who have participated in this complete work since 2023 to perform four cantatas at Bourgie Hall on April 18.
www.mbam.qc.ca
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal
Rafael Payare
From April 16-18, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and the OSM Chorus perform two works by Bach and Mozart’s Requiem in D minor, K. 626. Conducted by OSM’s Music Director Rafael Payare with several Canadian soloists including soprano Myriam Leblanc, mezzo Julie Boulianne, tenor Joé Lampron-Dandonneau, and bass Robert Gleadow. Continuing with Mozart’s works, the orchestra will also perform his opera Così fan tutte at Maison symphonique de Montréal on April 23 & 25 with our French-edition cover artist, Thomas Hampson, directing and singing Don Alfonso.
www.osm.ca
Emmanuel Laforest
Pro Musica
Brought together by the artistic director of Pro Musica, cellist Marion Portelance and pianist Emmanuel Laforest perform as a duo for the first time as part of the Mélodînes series (April 23 & 24). The program features works by Beethoven, Chopin, and Brahms. See these two young, accomplished artists collaborate at Salle Claude-Léveillée.
Marion Portelance. Photo: Annie Diotte
A trio assembled in the Mélodînes 2024 series returns on April 27 to perform their original program dedicated to Beethoven’s symphonies. Violinist Julia Mirzoev, cellist Braden McConnell, and pianist Antoine Rivard-Landry will make this appearance at St-John Centre in Bromont, Que., as part of Pro Musica’s Sur la route series.
www.promusica.qc.ca
Orchestre classique de Montréal
Marc Djokic. Photo: Sasha Onyshchenko/Kravetz Photographics
On May 2, the OCM dedicates a concert to composer Leonard Bernstein, whose works have appeared on Broadway and in concert halls around the world. With excerpts from West Side Story, Candide, and Mass, three vocalists—Sharon Azrieli, Julie Nesrallah, and James Westman—usher the audience through Bernstein’s most famous musical theatre works. The performance also features some of Bernstein’s orchestral works such as Serenade with Marc Djokic as soloist. This evening at Pierre-Mercure Hall is a benefit event in support of OCM’s Music for Everyone program.
www.orchestre.ca
Opéra de Montréal
Lauren Margiso. Photo: Gaetz Photography
To end their 2024–25 season, Opéra de Montréal presents Puccini’s La bohème for five showings from May 10 to 20. The opera company brings the Latin Quarter of Paris to Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier with a majority Canadian cast, including Lauren Margison (Mimi), Frédéric Antoun (Rodolfo), Andrea Núñez (Musetta), Mikelis Rogers (Shaunard), and Jean-Philippe McClish (Colline). This performance also marks Montreal conductor Simon Rivard’s debut with Opéra de Montréal as he conducts the Orchestre Métropolitain in the pit.
www.operademontreal.com
Orchestre Métropolitain
In collaboration with Palazzetto Bru Zane, OM presents Paris, 1900 (May 21). This concert celebrates the Belle Époque in Paris, the period after the end of the Franco-Prussian War that is regarded as a time of high artistic and cultural development. The program highlights French composers of the period including Camille Saint-Saëns, Ange Flégier, Claude Debussy, and Francis Poulenc. The familiar Bourgie Hall acts as the venue for this event honouring French culture.
www.orchestremetropolitain.com
Les Violons du Roy
Nicolas Ellis. Photo: Kevin Calixte
Les Violons du Roy’s Symphonie à la française avec Nicolas Ellis showcases a program of French music, with works composed before or just after the French Revolution. Principal Guest Conductor Nicolas Ellis leads the orchestra through works by Gossec, Duport, and Rameau at three venues in Quebec (June 5 & 6). Cellist Raphaël Pidoux lends his talents for Duport’s Cello Concerto No.6 in D minor in his first performance with the orchestra.
www.violonsduroy.com
Musica Camerata Montréal
Musica Camerata brings their 55th season to a close with a concert of piano trios. The program features Paul Schoenfield’s best-known work, Café Music—a piece inspired by his own experience playing dinner music at Murray’s Restaurant in Minneapolis, Minn. Alongside Schoenfield, Musica Camerata plays piano trios by J. C. Cirigliano and Anton Arensky, offering a diverse repertoire for the evening. This concert takes place at Joseph Rouleau Hall on June 7.
www.cameratamontreal.com
Société philharmonique du Nouveau Monde
SPNM presents Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana in three cities—Sainte-Thérèse, Ottawa, and Montreal— from June 7 to 14. More than 150 choristers will perform this popular classical work with the orchestra. The concert also features two guest pianists, Gianluca Luisi and Lorenzo Di Bella, and soloists Ania Hejnar (soprano), Jeffrey Carl (tenor), and Alexandre Sylvestre (bass). Alongside a number of percussionists, these artists will demonstrate the timelessness of this piece.
www.spnm.ca
Ottawa
National Arts Centre Orchestra
Jessica Hunt. Photo: Her & Him Studio
Colombian-American Lina Gonzalez-Granados leads NACO on April 9 & 10. On the program is Richard Strauss’s Oboe Concerto played by the orchestra’s principal oboe of 30 years, Charles Hamann. Also included is the Canadian premiere of American composer Jessica Hunt’s Climb, a deeply personal homage to Ludwig van Beethoven and Brahms’s Symphony No. 2. On May 20, NACO launches their June tour of South Korea and Japan with a celebratory, free concert. Music Director Alexander Shelley leads a program including Brahms’s Hungarian Dance No. 5 and 6, Kelly-Marie Murphy’s Dark Nights, Bright Stars, Vast Universe and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 played by Olga Scheps.
www.nac-cna.ca
Ottawa Chamberfest
Cheng² Duo
As part of its City Series: uOttawa Groups, Chamberfest presents advanced soloists and chamber ensembles of the University of Ottawa School of Music. On the program are Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, performed by UOttawa Orchestra soloist, Jana Dugalic, and Ravel’s Miroirs, played by 2024 UOttawa Concerto Competition winner, Eric Lee. At Ottawa City Hall on April 29. Then, on May 2, Cheng² Duo, comprised of siblings cellist Bryan and pianist Silvie Cheng, present Grande Soirée. A benefit to support Ottawa Chamberfest’s community-focused initiatives at the Grand Salon of the French Embassy in Canada.
www.chamberfest.com
Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra
Magali Simard-Galdès. Photo: Larissa Lognay
Conductor and harpsichordist Alexander Weimann joins Thirteen Strings in a program celebrating the power and the beauty of nature. On the program is Lully’s Suite from Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme and soprano Magali Simard-Galdès sings two Handel arias, “Da tempeste” from Giulio Cesare and “Heart the seat of soft delight” from Acis and Galatea. May 8 at Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre.
www.thirteenstrings.ca
Toronto
Koerner Hall
Sheku & Isata Kanneh-Mason
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain returns to Koerner as they celebrate their 40th anniversary with a program stretching from Tchaikovsky to Nirvana via Otis Redding and Spaghetti Western soundtracks (April 16). The Royal Conservatory’s gala fundraiser, The Royal Occasion, takes place April 24 with headliners Rufus Wainwright and Amanda Marshall. On April 25, a host of vocalists present the songbook of neo-standard composers, Breithaupt Brothers. Performers include Patricia O’Callaghan, Denzel Sinclaire and Samantha Slean. Canadian star violinist James Ehnes is heard in recital on May 11 with American pianist Orion Weiss in music by Vaughan Williams, Korngold and Bach. Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason appears with his pianist sister, Isata Kanneh-Mason, on June 3, playing sonatas by Mendelssohn, Fauré and Poulenc.
www.rcmusic.com
Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Kristiina Poska
On April 9 & 11, TSO Music Director Gustavo Gimeno welcomes Austrian-Iranian celllist Kiam Soltani to play Saint-Saëns’s Cello Concerto No. 1 in a program that also includes Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé Suite No. 2. Superstar pianist Yuja Wang joins the orchestra for Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 which is on the bill alongside Janáček’s Sinfonietta, all under Gimeno’s baton (Apr. 16-19). Canadian pianist Stewart Goodyear is the guest soloist for Callaloo—A Caribbean Suite for Piano and Orchestra in a concert led by Estonian conductor Kristiina Poska (May 28-31).
www.tso.ca
Voicebox: Opera in Concert
Holly Chaplin
To close their season, the company presents the Canadian premiere of Giacomo Meyerbeer’s Robert le Diable. A cast of young, up-and-coming Canadian soloists includes tenor Matt Chittick in the title role, with soprano Holly Chaplin as Isabelle and baritone Evan Korbut as Bertram. Pianist Helen Becqué is music director. At Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre on April 25.
www.operainconcert.com
Tafelmusik
Rachel Podger
The group’s principal guest director, violinist Rachel Podger, returns for her last appearance with Tafelmusik this season. The program focuses on virtuoso concerti by Vivaldi and Telemann (May 2-4). Then, our English-edition cover artist, male soprano Samuel Mariño, joins the orchestra for a unique, opera-inspired program including an aria from Mozart’s Mitridate and Gluck’s most famous aria, “Che faro’ senza Euridice” from Orfeo ed Euridice (May 23-25). At Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre.
www.tafelmusik.org
Esprit Orchestra
Esprit’s final concert of the season is entitled Cosmic Heartbeats. The program includes prominent Korean composer Unsuk Chin’s Alaraph ‘Ritus des Herschlagz’ (2023) which blends a large array of percussion instruments with massive orchestral forces. Claude Vivier’s Lonely Child (1980) features American soprano Sophia Burgos. April 17 at Koerner Hall.
www.espritorchestra.com
Canadian Opera Company
Ambur Braid. Photo: Anya Shor
The COC brings South African artist William Kentridge’s staging of Alban Berg’s Wozzeck to the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts from April 25-May 16. This co-production with The Salzburg Festival, The Metropolitan Opera, and Opera Australia features German baritone Michael Kupfer-Radecky in the title role alongside prominent Canadian singers Ambur Braid as Marie, Matthew Cairns as the Drum Major, and Michael Schade as the Captain. COC Music Director Johannes Debus conducts. The season closes with Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin in director Robert Carsen’s well-travelled production. Ukrainian baritone Andrii Kymach sings the title role with Australian soprano Lauren Fagan as his ill-fated love, Tatyana. Italian conductor Speranza Scappucci leads the COC Orchestra (May 2-24).
www.coc.ca
Music Toronto
Gryphon Trio
The Gryphon Trio closes Music Toronto’s season with a performance of Beethoven’s Archduke Piano Trio on April 13 at North York’s George Weston Recital Hall. The recital comes under the rubric of Rob Kapilow’s “What Makes It Great?” series in which the presenter delves into Beethoven’s music, offering fresh insights and perspectives to make complex musical concepts accessible and engaging.
www.musictorontoconcerts.com
Sinfonia Toronto
The orchestra presents Italiana on April 11 at Trinity St-Paul’s Centre. Maestro Giulio Marazia leads works by Respighi and Wolf-Ferrari. The concert also features violinist Christina Bouey playing the world premiere of Andrew MacDonald’s A Distant Point in the Vast Heavens: Violin Concerto No. 2. Sinfonia Toronto’s season closes on May 3 at the George Weston Recital Hall with a program conducted by Nurhan Arman that includes pianist Sunny Ritter in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 as well as Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony.
www.sinfoniatoronto.com
Tapestry Opera
Marjorie Chan. Photo: Dahlia Katz
At their new downtown Toronto theatre, Tapestry opera presents a work for all ages. Sanctuary Song explores the story of Sydney, an Asian elephant poached from the jungles of Indonesia at a young age, who recalls her remarkable life in captivity, far from home, as her keeper of 22 years leads her on a journey toward sanctuary in the hills of Tennessee. Written by librettist Marjorie Chan 陳以珏 and composer Abigail Richardson-Schulte and directed by the company’s Artistic Director Michael Hidetoshi Mori. Cast includes soprano Midori Marsh as Sydney.
www.tapestryopera.com
Vancouver
Early Music Vancouver
Ablaye Cissoko
On April 12, EMV presents Doulce Mémoire: Now, Let Us Dance!, a showcase of 15th- and 16th-century dances. French dancer and choreographer Hubert Hazebroucq will perform alongside the Ensemble Doulce Mémoire directed by Denis Raisin Dadre. This lively event will put to rest the idea that early dances are formal and solemn. Accompanied by a wind band, this concert features a range of sounds from the “loud” shawms and oboes to the “soft” flutes and bassoons. EMV spotlights two unique string instruments—the kora and setar—in Estuary: Ablaye Cissoko & Constantinople (May 6). Estuary is a collaborative work by Ablaye Cissoko and Kiya Tabassian, who will be accompanied by their percussionist partner, Patrick Graham.
www.earlymusic.bc.ca
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
Thomas Hampson. Photo: Jiyang Chen
In the VSO Pops Series, American jazz and soul singer Tony DeSare performs an all-Cole Porter program (May 2 & 3) accompanied by conductor Vern Griffiths and special guests Aubrey Logan (trombone and vocals) and John Manzari (tap dancer and vocals). On May 9 & 10, Grammy Award-winner Thomas Hampson joins conductor Andrey Boreyko and the VSO in a program featuring works by Rachmaninoff, Mahler, and Zemlinsky. The VSO has several other impressive guest performers in May including violinist Geneva Lewis, and pianists Behzod Abduraimov and Bruce Liu.
ww.vancouversymphony.ca
Vancouver Opera
Yasko Sato
From April 26 to May 4, VO closes out their 2024–25 season with five performances of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly conducted by Music Director Maestro Jacques Lacombe. Tokyo-born soprano Yasko Sato makes her Canadian debut as Cio-Cio-San, having performed this role throughout Italy, the U.S., Belgium, Slovenia, Greece, Spain, and Japan. The extended run calls for a double cast in which five performers—alongside the director, Mo Zhou—make their company debut with VO.
www.vancouveropera.ca
Vancouver New Music
Stefano Maiorana. Photo: Francesca Pompei
On April 26, VNM presents Stefano Maiorana: Secret Pages for Theorbo in collaboration with Early Music Vancouver. Italian theorbo player Stefano Maiorana will play a program featuring works by Hyeronimus Kapsberger and contemporary composer Claudio Ambrosini, showcasing Venice’s musical heritage. The organization also welcomes SlowPitchSound, a celebrated Canadian turntable artist and award-winning composer, for a 50-minute audiovisual performance titled Within Touch (May 10). Within Touch combines music and visual projections to highlight the importance of forests and the life forms that inhabit them.
www.newmusic.org
Calgary
New Works Calgary
Edzi’u
New Works Calgary presents Edzi’u’s The Moose Are Life, an immersive multimedia performance highlighting Indigenous storytelling, featuring an installation, live performance, and guided walk. Inspired by their Tahltan and Tlingit heritage, Edzi’u explores themes of land, identity, and tradition through a deeply personal sonic landscape. Through shedding light on the decline of moose in Tahltan Territory, Edzi’u demonstrates the devastating effects colonial practices have on sacred land. April 19-20 – NVRLND. Boutique.
www.newworkscalgary.com
Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra
The Tenors
Experience Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back like never before as the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra performs John Williams’s iconic score live with a screening of the film. Immerse yourself in the battle of a galaxy far, far away with the fifth episode of the Star Wars saga. Don’t miss conductor Julian Pellicano’s orchestral interpretation of everyone’s favourite cinematic universe! April 25-26 – Jack Singer Concert Hall.
The internationally acclaimed vocal trio The Tenors joins the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra for an unforgettable evening of powerful harmonies and orchestral elegance. Expect a mix of classic rock favourites, pop hits, and beloved ballads. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to get up close and personal with the Tenors, accompanied by a full orchestra at the baton of Juliane Gallant. April 10 at 7:30 p.m. – Bella Concert Hall.
Jaquelyn Wagner
Rune Bergmann conducts Mahler’s monumental Symphony No. 2 (Resurrection), a profound exploration of life, death, and transcendence. Featuring full orchestra, choir, and vocal soloists, this epic work delivers an awe-inspiring musical experience. Vocalists Jaquelyn Wagner and Marianne Beate Kielland will be joined by the Calgary Philharmonic Chorus for the performance of this monumental work. May 30-31 at 7:30 p.m. – Jack Singer Concert Hall.
www.calgaryphil.com
Calgary Opera
Kirsten LeBlanc
Calgary Opera presents Bartók’s haunting Bluebeard’s Castle and Puccini’s comedic Gianni Schicchi. A journey through darkness and deception, followed by a tale of wit and mischief, this production showcases the immense range of operatic storytelling. Both pieces that emerged out of the post-war era in 1918, these operas bring into question the depths of existential meaning. April 5, 9 & 11 – Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium.
www.calgaryopera.com
Edmonton
Edmonton Opera
Miriam Khalil. Photo: Shayne Gray
Opera meets the celestial world with Edmonton Opera’s Aquarius – Songs of the Stars. Mozart’s The Queen of the Night, accompanied by the stunning resolution of the visuals at the Zeidler Dome, is sure to immerse you in the transcendent beauty of the universe. Combining breathtaking visuals with the majesty of a full symphony orchestra, this audiovisual experience provides viewers with new perspectives of the celestial world. April 9-12 at 7:30 p.m. – Telus World of Science – Zeidler Dome.
Jaclyn Grossman. Photo: Jessica Osber
Edmonton Opera continues Richard Wagner’s Ring Cycle with Die Walküre, a bold new production sung in Jonathan Dove’s reduced score. Coming to the Maclab theatre early this June, this gripping performance will bring dramatic intensity, incredible storytelling, and operatic innovation to life. Featuring Russell Braun’s conducting debut with Edmonton Opera, this thrilling production is not one to miss. June 5, 7, 9, 10, 12 & 13 at 7:30 p.m. – Maclab Theatre, Citadel Theatre.
www.edmontonopera.com
Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
Illia Ovcharenko
With world-renowned pianist Illia Ovcharenko on the keys, Tchaikovsky’s vision will be brought to life, followed by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra’s rendition of Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra at Karen Kamensek’s baton. The evening will conclude with a Scottish fiddle theme by Anna Clyne. May 30-June 1 at 7:30 p.m. – Winspear Centre.
Hear the works of legendary film composer Hans Zimmer performed by a full symphony orchestra. Known for his distinctive scoring heard in movies spanning across all genres, from Interstellar to The Lion King, Zimmer’s sounds will be played at the Winspear Centre on May 10. Whether you’re a movie enthusiast or an orchestral-music fan, this performance will showcase unforgettable pieces that will leave you in awe. May 10 at 7:30 p.m. – Winspear Centre.
www.winspearcentre.com
Early Music Alberta
Elinor Frey
Join Early Music Alberta on May 9 to experience an evening of serenity featuring composers such as Dietrich Buxtehude, William Byrd, and Johann Sebastian Bach, among others. Experience the beauty of the viola da gamba, enriched by the human voice. Feel the resonance of its warmth and the intimate soundscape it creates, as Josephine Van Lier, Elinor Frey, and Sarah Poon work their magic on this often-overlooked instrument. May 9th at 7:30 p.m. – First Presbyterian Church.
www.earlymusicalberta.ca
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