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Audience members dancing at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival. Photo: Rory Cooney

Review | 2026 Vancouver Folk Festival Cultivates Camaraderie

By Kaitlyn Chan on 22 July 2026 Concert Reviews, Folk, Vancouver, West

The Vancouver Folk Music Festival (VFMF)—which celebrates its 50th anniversary next year—occupies a firmly established place in Vancouver’s music scene. The three-day event offers a deep sense of community, bringing folk-music enthusiasts together in the beautifully situated Jericho Beach Park. This year’s lineup included artists from around the world alongside local artists. During the day, musicians presented solo concerts and collaborative sessions on three smaller stages located around the park. At night, select artists performed on the main stage, drawing the biggest crowds. Those attending VFMF are offered not only a carefully curated musical experience but also a community-oriented and…

L-R: Raaginder & Rashmeet Kaur with band at Vancouver's Indian Summer Festival. Photo: Kaitlyn Chan

Review | Vancouver’s Indian Summer Festival: Inspiration is at Your Fingertips

By Kaitlyn Chan on 15 July 2026 Concert Reviews, Contemporary, Folk, Vancouver, Vocal, West, World Music

This year’s Indian Summer Festival demonstrates a beautiful truth: inspiration is all around. In the two concerts I attended, artists reinterpreted words from the songs they heard growing up, sampled melodies from film soundtracks, and translated the natural bioelectric signals of plants into audible sound. These concerts (seen July 11 & 13) offered a look into artists’ connections with their cultures, friends and family, and the natural world. In its mission statement, Indian Summer aims to “address a gap in Vancouver’s cultural landscape and to break stereotypical perceptions of South Asian art as ossified, traditional, and nostalgic”. After attending this…

An Indigenous Playlist: Artists Select Their Favourite Tunes

By Kaitlyn Chan on 1 June 2026 Classical Music, Folk, Indigenous, Interviews, Musique populaire, Opera, Vocal

In celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, La Scena Musicale presents the second edition of its Indigenous Playlist. We invited several Indigenous artists to select one song by an Indigenous musician or composer and explain why they chose the piece. Discover what some of Canada’s incredible Indigenous creators are listening to right now! Aysanabee www.aysanabee.com Aysanabee is a four-time Juno Award-winning Oji-Cree artist, who made history as the first Indigenous artist to win the Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year and Songwriter of the Year, as well as the first Indigenous artist to reach No.…

Photo: Dagnushka

William Fedkenheuer: Introducing Toronto Summer Music’s New Leader

By Heather Weinreb on 1 June 2026 Chamber Music, Classical Music, Folk, Interviews, Toronto, Vocal

Toronto Summer Music, which celebrates its 20th anniversary from July 9 to Aug. 1, has a new artistic director at its helm. A violinist and chamber musician with a strong background in fiddling, William Fedkenheuer is uniquely positioned to lead the festival’s threefold mission: presenting concerts in Toronto’s Koerner and Walter halls, running a fellowship program for emerging artists, and offering a community program for advanced amateurs. Fedkenheuer notes that although the integration of all these elements is “overwhelming sometimes,” it also opens up unique opportunities in each sphere. “There’s not many programs where the professionals play with the fellows,”…

Newswire | Vancouver Folk Music Festival Announces 2026 Artists

By Newswire on 9 April 2026 Folk, Musique populaire, Newswire, Vancouver, West

APRIL 9, 2026, VANCOUVER, B.C./ / Traditional territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations – The 49th Annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival returns to ʔəy̓alməxʷ Jericho Beach Park on July 17 to 19. The 2026 Festival welcomes 35 incredible artists and groups from across Canada, North America, and around the world. “This year’s artists are an incredible collection of unique acts of diverse cultures, styles and genres that promise many interesting mashups on our collaborative stages,” says Vancouver Folk Music Festival Artistic Director Fiona Black. “Get ready for Vancouver’s most passionately curated festival that is all about spreading love and positive musical vibes.” Adds Black,…

Andrew Wells-Oberegger. Photo: Alex BG

La Nef: Folkdance, Ancient Style

By Nathalie de Han on 2 February 2026 Dance, Folk, Montreal, World Music

Returning from a master class in Austria, Andrew Wells-Oberegger proposed the idea of a program of balfolk—Aufregend! Exaltant!—to Claire Gignac, artistic director of La Nef. It is inspired by traditional dances and music from Austria, France and Sweden that date back to the 18th and 19th centuries. Wells-Oberegger’s Déjouer le glas was nominated for concert of the year at the 29th Opus Awards Gala. For his La Nef show, he draws on the form and rhythm of period tunes, adding in contemporary accents to render them timeless. From his Austrian travels, Wells-Oberegger brought back a bock—or Bohemian bagpipe—and it is…

Vancouver Folk Music Festival Announces Full Schedule

By Newswire on 16 June 2025 Folk, Newswire, Vancouver, West

June 12, 2025, VANCOUVER, B.C./ / Traditional territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations – The Vancouver Folk Music Festival full schedule is now available for the three day event taking place at ʔəy̓alməxʷ / Iy̓ál̓mexw Jericho Beach Park on July 18 to 20. “In addition to our incredible 12 Mainstage artists, we have curated three days of performances and workshops featuring 44 artists,” says Vancouver Folk Music Festival Artistic Director Fiona Black. “Performances begin at 3:00 pm on Friday afternoon with artists TEKE:TEKE, Nico Paulo and Bel & Quinn to name a few before our Evening Main Stage shows start at 6 pm. On Saturday and Sunday, the festival site…

La Scena Musicale’s Festival Picks

By La Scena Musicale Team on 4 June 2025 Baroque and Early, Canadian Music, Classical Music, Folk, Musique populaire, Vocal

British Columbia and Alberta by Madeline Boldt EARLY MUSIC VANCOUVER This year marks the 55th anniversary of Early Music Vancouver’s Summer Festival. From July 26-Aug. 8, early-music lovers in Vancouver can expect a wide array of performances, from Mozart’s Requiem to Schubert’s Lieder, as well as a Chinese-Baroque Musical Dialogue featuring Vancouver’s Sound of Dragon Ensemble. Titled In Endless Ascent, the 2025 festival focuses on the theme of spiritual transformation and musical elevation, blending the old and the new. www.earlymusic.bc.ca Banff International String Quartet Competition From Aug. 25-31, some of the world’s finest emerging string quartets will take the stage…

Festival de la Voix: A Celebration of Cultural Diversity

By Adrian Rodriguez on 20 March 2025 Arts Industry, Folk, Indigenous, Interviews, Jazz, Montreal, Musique populaire, Vocal, World Music

Since its inception, Le Festival de la Voix has been dedicated to showcasing the beauty of the human voice, offering audiences a rich variety of vocal music from classical to jazz, folk, and world music. For its 12th edition, the festival continues to spotlight artistic diversity and meaningful cultural collaborations. One of its highlights is Nikamu Mamuitun (Songs That Unite Us), a project uniting Indigenous and Quebecer singer-songwriters to explore shared histories and musical traditions by blending French and Innu lyrics to reinforce connection and reconciliation. Eight emerging artists will present the results of their work at the Beaconsfield High…

Lebrecht Weekly | Folk Songs: Magdalena Kozena/Simon Rattle (Pentatone)

By Norman Lebrecht on 24 November 2023 Folk, Lebrecht Weekly

Nothing seemed to add up on my first encounter with Magdalena Kozena’s trawl through four sets of folk songs orchestrated by Bela Bartok, Luciano Berio, Maurice Ravel and the Spaniard Xavier Montsalvatge.

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