TORONTO SUMMER MUSIC ANNOUNCES 2025 FESTIVAL DETAIL
The 20th Anniversary Festival runs July 10 to August 2
TORONTO (February 27, 2025) – Toronto Summer Music announced today details of the 2025 Festival, which runs from July 10 to August 2, 2025. This year, the Festival celebrates its 20th Anniversary, and Jonathan Crow’s final summer as Artistic Director.
“As we mark TSM’s 20th Anniversary, we reflect on two decades of unforgettable performances, thriving community connections, and remarkable growth. It has been an incredible privilege to serve as Artistic Director for the past nine years, and as I prepare to pass the baton, I am filled with gratitude. Together, we’ve built something extraordinary — bringing world-class music to Toronto, championing emerging talent through the Academy, and fostering a community that shares a passion for classical music, in all its forms.
This celebratory TSM 20 Festival is a joyful culmination of our shared journey. Join us as we showcase the world’s leading artists and welcome the next generation of classical music stars. Together, we honour our past achievements and embrace a future filled with new voices, ideas, and possibilities.” – Jonathan Crow, Artistic Director
Jonathan Crow – credit Christopher Wahl
The 2025 Festival opens with Cappella Mediterranea’s concert production of Monteverdi’s Coronation of Poppea, and features performances by pianist George Li, acclaimed soprano Mary Bevan with pianist Roger Vignoles, virtuoso countertenor Franco Fagioli with Orchestre de l’Opéra Royal de Versailles, and the celebrated Pacifica, Rosamunde, and New Orford String Quartets. Celebrate an Evening in Vienna during the final week of the Festival with violinist Yura Lee and mezzo-soprano Simone McIntosh, alongside the TSM Festival Orchestra.
In addition to the 26 Mainstage concerts, the 2025 Toronto Summer Music Festival features a variety of free concerts, children’s programming, and educational events; full details will be announced in June.
2025 Toronto Summer Music Festival Mainstage Concerts
OPENING NIGHT: THE CORONATION OF POPPEA
Thursday, July 10 at 7:30 p.m. at Koerner Hall
Poppea Sabina, one of the most bewitching figures of Antiquity, aspires to rise to the rank of empress alongside her lover, the emperor Nero, who must repudiate his wife, Octavia, in order to do so. Power, desire, and ambition intertwine in this masterly work by Claudio Monteverdi, his last opera, The Coronation of Poppea. Conducted by Leonardo García-Alarcón at the helm of Cappella Mediterranea, the concert version reveals the full dramatic power of this timeless opera. This production will tour Cologne, Geneva, Namur, Montreal, Toronto, and New York between May and July 2025.
ROSAMUNDE QUARTET
Friday, July 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Walter Hall
The evening’s program features George Walker’s String Quartet No. 1, Lyric, Mendelssohn’s String Quartet No. 6 in F minor, Op. 80, and Mozart’s String Quintet No. 3 in C Major, K. 515. The concert features performances by the Rosamunde String Quartet, comprised of Noah Bendix-Balgley and Shanshan Yao (violin), Teng Li (viola), and Nathan Vickery (cello), with guest Juan-Miguel Hernandez (viola).
BEVAN & VIGNOLES
Monday, July 14 at 7:30 p.m. at Walter Hall
Mary Bevan
Soprano Mary Bevan released her debut solo disc, Voyages, in 2017, which explores the music of eminent French composers and the settings they wrote for the poems of Charles Baudelaire. Joined by pianist Roger Vignoles, Bevan revisits her favourite repertoire from Voyages, including songs by Duparc, Fauré, Debussy, Chabrier, and more, but this time, each song is paired with another by a female composer writing around the same time, including Lili Boulanger, Mel Bonis, Jeanne Landry, Pauline Viardot, and more. In this way, the recital seeks to bring the female composers from out of the shadow of their male counterparts and restore them to their rightful places as composers of equal quality and interest.
CALIDORE STRING QUARTET
Tuesday, July 15 at 7:30 p.m. at Walter Hall
Recognized as one of the world’s foremost interpreters of a vast chamber music repertory, the Calidore String Quartet consists of Jeffrey Myers and Ryan Meehan (violin), Jeremy Berry (viola), and Estelle Choi (cello). The program features Barber’s String Quartet in B minor, Op. 11, John Williams’s “With Malice Toward None” from Lincoln, selections from Wynton Marsalis’s String Quartet No. 1, At the Octoroon Balls, and Korngold’s String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 34.
SCHMALTZ & PEPPER
Wednesday, July 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Walter Hall
Schmaltz & Pepper is a spellbinding Yiddish music ensemble playing klezmer inspired by jazz, Roma, classical, and European folk music. This powerhouse group’s members include acclaimed Toronto Symphony principal clarinetist Eric Abramovitz, a passionate and gifted klezmer musician, and Grammy-nominated Drew Jurecka on violin/accordion/mandolin. Joined by JUNO-winning pianist Jeremy Ledbetter, award-winning bassist Michael Herring, and renowned Payadora violinist/vocalist Rebekah Wolkstein, they produce and perform original arrangements of klezmer and Yiddish music, displaying their joyous and virtuosic genre-bending fusion of many musical styles.
GEORGE LI
Thursday, July 17 at 7:30 p.m. at Koerner Hall
George Li
Praised by The Washington Post for combining “staggering technical prowess, a sense of command, and depth of expression,” pianist George Li showcases his effortless grace and brilliant virtuosity in a recital featuring a selection of picturesque masterpieces. The program includes Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18, and Die Davidsbündlertänze, Op. 6, Debussy’s Images, série I, and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.
SCHUMANN & SCHUBERT
Friday, July 18 at 7:30 p.m. at Walter Hall
This program includes Ravel’s Sonatine in F-sharp minor, M. 40, Salina Fisher’s Hikari for solo violin, Clara Schumann’s Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 17, and Schubert’s String Quintet in C Major, Op, 163, D. 956, with performances by Jeffrey Myers, Jennifer Frautschi, and Ryan Meehan (violin), Jeremy Berry (viola), Estelle Choi and Matthew Zalkind (cello), and Charles Richard-Hamelin (piano).
ALLISON AU
Monday, July 21 at 7:30 p.m. at Walter Hall
Allison Au
The program for this evening’s concert, Migrations, is a musical exploration of why people leave their homes to pursue life in a new land, and the reverberating impact it has on future generations. It is an acoustic tribute to the complex but universal human act of migration, weaving lush, mosaic-like dreamscapes with poignant, heartrending lyrics. A suite of music conceptualized by the JUNO Award-winning saxophonist and composer Allison Au (pronounced “ow”), Migrations draws emotion and depth from Au’s family history of immigration to Canada: from Southern China and Malaysia on her father’s side and war-torn Poland and Israel on her mother’s side.
THE NIGHTINGALE PROJECT
Tuesday, July 22 at 7:30 p.m. at Walter Hall
The Nightingale Project is a wholly unique narrated concert experience. Accompanied by the projection of over 100 historical photographs, author Thomas Wolf recounts the life of Lea Luboshutz, the first internationally known female violinist, her incomparable Stradivarius violin (the “Nightingale”), and her multi-generational musical family, of which he is a member. The Project tells the story behind his award-winning book, The Nightingale’s Sonata, revealing the family’s personal stories while sketching the history of classical music in the twentieth century. Through this adversity, family members were linked by a remarkable piece of music, César Franck’s sonata for violin and piano, which is performed during the concert–along with Chausson’s Poème–by the Glenn Gould School’s violinist Anna Štube, and celebrated Canadian pianist Philip Chiu.
JAEDEN IZIK-DZURKO
Wednesday, July 23 at 7:30 p.m. at Walter Hall
Jaeden Izik-Dzurko
Winner of the 2024 Leeds International Piano Competition and recipient of the Dame Fanny Waterman Gold Medal, 25-year-old Canadian pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko has been celebrated by audiences, critics, and composers alike for his communicative power, refined technical command, and artistic maturity. This virtuoso’s riveting program of piano masterpieces includes Bach’s Partita No. 4 in D Major, BWV 828, Franck’s Prélude, Choral et Fugue, FWV 21, Scriabin’s Fantasie in B minor, Op. 28, and Rachmaninoff’s Preludes, Op. 23.
MISSING: IN CONCERT
Thursday, July 24 at 7:30 p.m. at Koerner Hall
Missing—a Chamber Opera by Métis playwright Marie Clements and JUNO Award-winning composer Brian Current—is a concurrent expression of loss and hope, vocalizing the stories of missing and murdered Indigenous women. Told in both English and Gitxsan (a First Nations language that is widely spoken in that area), the story follows two women, one Indigenous and one non-Indigenous, whose lives become intertwined through tragedy. Set between downtown Vancouver’s east side and B.C.’s Highway 16—infamously known as the “Highway of Tears” for the staggering number of women and girls that have vanished or been found murdered there—Missing communicates the responsibility we have to ensure all young women have a chance to live and dream.
AFFAIRS OF THE HEART
Friday, July 25 at 7:30 p.m. at Walter Hall
Philip Chiu
Mozart’s Duo for Violin and Viola in B-flat Major, K. 424, Shostakovich’s Cello Sonata in D minor, Op. 40, and Brahms’s Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25, make up this exciting program performed by Jonathan Crow (violin), Rémi Pelletier (viola), Efe Baltacıgil (cello), and Philip Chiu (piano).
CROW & CHIU
Monday, July 28 at 7:30 p.m. at Walter Hall
Violinist Jonathan Crow and pianist Philip Chiu take a journey of masterworks with folk influence. The program consists of Bartok’s Romanian Folk Dances for Violin and Piano (arr. Székely), Janáček’s Sonata for Violin and Piano, JW VII/7, Grieg’s Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 3 in C minor, Op. 45, Ravel’s rhapsodic Tzigane, M. 76, and a world première by Carmen Braden.
FRANCO FAGIOLI: THE LAST CASTRATO
Tuesday, July 29 at 7:30 p.m. at Koerner Hall
Franco Fagioli
The golden age of castrati, custodians of flawless singing technique and unmatched virtuosity, came to an end in the late eighteenth century. The last great castrato was Giovanni Battista Velluti (1780-1861), for whom composers such as Gioachino Rossini, Giacomo Meyerbeer, Francesco Morlacchi, and Giuseppe Nicolini wrote their most successful operas. With the richness of his embellishments and the expressive power of his singing, Velluti left an indelible mark on the opera seria of the early nineteenth century; all the composers who wrote for his voice were profoundly influenced by him. This project will include some of the greatest scores written by the aforementioned composers, for Velluti.
NEW ORFORD STRING QUARTET
Wednesday, July 30 at 7:30 p.m. at Walter Hall
Described as “string virtuosos [who]animate every note with uncommon power and passion as well as
elegance,” by The Toronto Star, The New Orford String Quartet consists of Andrew Wan and Jonathan Crow (violin), Sharon Wei (viola), and Brian Manker (cello). They present Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 131, and are joined by Ian Parker (piano) for Brahms’s beloved Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34.
AN EVENING IN VIENNA
Thursday, July 31 at 7:30 p.m. at Koerner Hall
An Evening in Vienna will be an unforgettable night of arias, waltzes, bon-bons, and violin favourites by J. Strauss, R. Strauss, Lehar, Kreisler, Mozart, and more. Let the TSM Festival Orchestra take you on a magical journey through the “City of Music” for a celebration of the Viennese masters! Featured soloists include Yura Lee (violin) and Simone McIntosh (mezzo-soprano).
MENDELSSOHN’S OCTET
Friday, August 1 at 7:30 p.m. at Walter Hall
This thrilling performance brings together an exciting lineup of musicians for a program featuring Mendelssohn’s beloved String Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20, and the world premières of String Quartet No. 2 by Robert Rival, and “I Will Greet the Sun Again” by Pouya Hamidi. The Rosebud Quartet is joined by Yura Lee and Barry Shiffman (violin), Ivan Ivanovich (viola), Song Hee Lee (cello), Elizabeth Polese (soprano), and Steven Philcox (piano).
TSM FINALE
Saturday, August 2 at 7:30 p.m. at Walter Hall
The 2025 Festival concludes with our finale concert, featuring Academy Fellows, Festival Artist Mentors, and Community Program participants! Featuring the world première of Kelly-Marie Murphy’s new work for Viola and Piano, performed by TSM Alumna, Cassia Drake.
ReGeneration Concerts
Launched in 2010, the TSM Academy for Emerging Artists runs concurrently with the Festival, providing intensive training for the rising stars of classical chamber music and art song. Thanks to the generous support of TSM donors, exceptionally gifted chamber musicians and singers (ages 18-35) are awarded a full scholarship to study for two to four weeks with the Festival’s international guest artists. The Festival presents eight ReGeneration Concerts in Walter Hall to showcase the TSM Academy Fellows performing chamber music repertoire and art song masterpieces alongside their Mentors. Full details for the ReGeneration Concerts will be announced in June.
Ticket & Venue Information
Festival Passes go on sale February 28 at 10 a.m. and can be purchased through the Royal Conservatory of Music Weston Family Box Office by calling 416-408-0208 or in person (273 Bloor Street West). Single Tickets to the TSM Festival Concerts ($20-$102) go on sale March 14, 2025, online at www.torontosummermusic.com, or by calling or visiting the Royal Conservatory of Music Weston Family Box Office. For information on all Festival activities call 416-408-0208 or visit www.torontosummermusic.com.
Festival Mainstage performances take place at Koerner Hall in the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning (273 Bloor Street West), and Walter Hall at the University of Toronto (80 Queen’s Park).
2025 TSM Festival Supporters
Toronto Summer Music gratefully acknowledges the support of Canadian Heritage, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, TD Bank, Deloitte, Power Corporation of Canada, Burgundy Asset Management, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Stantec, RBC Dominion, Porsche H. Ching Kircher Inc DFC Auto Group, Toronto Arts Foundation, Azrieli Foundation, Ontario Arts Foundation, Whiteside Foundation, Weston Family Foundation, Nelson Arthur Hyland Foundation, Xenia Concerts, Associated Chamber Music Players, Music Performance Trust Fund, Toronto Music Association, Classical 96.3 FM, The Globe and Mail, Ludwig Van TORONTO, The WholeNote, Riddle Films, Sheffield Moving and Storage, JCIC, Emblem, Remenyi House of Music, Incredible Printing, RazorBraillle, Sublime Catering, University of Toronto Faculty of Music, Woodsworth College, Royal Conservatory of Music, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel, TELUS Center for Performing Arts and Learning, and the Heliconian Club.
About Toronto Summer Music
Toronto Summer Music (TSM) is a Festival and an Academy that serves to enrich lives within our community through the shared appreciation of music. With a two-fold, interconnected mission, we programme a Festival with world-renowned artists, and we operate an Academy that offers high-level training and performance opportunities for emerging musicians as well as adult amateurs. Through these two channels, we actively promote engagement between musicians and their audiences.
To learn more about the Toronto Summer Music Festival, visit www.torontosummermusic.com
