Blue Pages

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Celebrating its 28th season, Academy Concert Series offers innovative and intimate chamber music concerts on period instruments. The three-concert series brings to audiences the musical riches and spirit of improvisation of the 17th and 18th centuries, and the passion and sonorous colour palate of the 19th and early 20th centuries, all with historical performance practices. The programs are thematic and deliberately crafted. 

October 5: “Family Has Your Bach” explores the transition from the High Baroque in Leipzig with Telemann and J.S. Bach, to the Rococo style emerging in Sanssouci, with the music of Bach’s sons, including Telemann’s godson C.P.E. Bach. Alison Melville takes the journey from the alto and bass recorder to the transverse flute in this enticing family odyssey through the mid-18th century. January 18: “Tooting Mozart’s Horn, Naturally!” The Hunt is on for Mozart and Hoffmeister, played on natural horn. March 28: “Goin’ Fishing! ACS Casts Its Line.” Schubert’s Trout, Ka Nin Chan’s Salmon and the sublime Vaughan Williams quintet. This is a concert that serves it up raw! 

Concerts on Saturdays at 7:30pm, Eastminster United Church, 310 Danforth Avenue. Pay What You Decide.

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The Aga Khan Museum explores and celebrates cross-cultural dialogue through the arts. A centre for innovation and creativity, the Museum offers unique insights and new perspectives into the potential of art and culture to act as a catalyst for intercultural dialogue, engaged global citizenship, and social change. 

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All Saints Kingsway Anglican Church is a vibrant hub for music in Toronto’s west end. The All Saints Kingsway choir, in addition to providing musical leadership for worship services, sings a range of concerts, requiems and oratorios throughout the year. Recent performances have included: Fauré’s Requiem, Duruflé’s Requiem, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s The Atonement and Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols. The choir is made up of paid section leads and volunteers, and invites new singers throughout the year. November 2 and 3 will see the launch of the Posterski Lecture Series on Theology and the Arts. The inaugural lecture will be given by Dr. Stephen Newby and will feature a performance of his oratorio Hosea, and the premiere of his Mass for All Saints, commemorating our 75th Anniversary.

We partner with Organix Concerts to host the “Kingsway Organ Recital Series,” which takes place at lunchtime every other Wednesday from September through July. All Saints Kingsway also acts regularly as a concert venue for other musical ensembles, such as the Nathaniel Dett Chorale and the Kingsway Conservatory of Music. Our space is available for rental as a concert or workshop venue.

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Alliance Française Toronto provides a culturally immersive experience through over 100 events every year, including concerts (classical, jazz, world music, pop, folk), theatre plays, art exhibitions, lectures, book launches, kids events, movie screenings, French classes for all ages and many other social events. Events take place in our 150-seat theatre and our art galleries.

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The Amadeus Choir, following 35 years under the leadership of Lydia Adams, welcomes Kathleen Allan as artistic director and conductor in the 2019/20 season. The choir performs diverse programs, featuring Canadian and international composers through a self-produced concert series, guest performances and special events at various venues in Toronto and beyond.

The Amadeus Choir actively engages in educational and community outreach through choral workshops for students, music educators, composers and conductors. Regular rehearsals are held on Tuesday nights in the Don Mills and Lawrence area. The choir’s membership comprises singers from across the GTA. Annual auditions for all voice parts are held in May and June. Please call or email the choir office for more information.

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Amici Chamber Ensemble invites you on a truly diverse musical journey. Join Amici for outstanding performances that promise to push the boundaries and expectations of chamber music! From rarely performed gems to re-imagined masterpieces, here is your treat to some of the best chamber music Toronto has to offer. 

Amici is celebrating 32 years as one of Canada’s finest and most distinguished chamber music ensembles. The artistic directors, clarinetist Joaquin Valdepeñas, cellist David Hetherington and pianist Serouj Kradjian, invite some of the finest musicians to join them in innovative and eclectic programming, celebrating friendship through music. Alongside numerous broadcasts of their concerts on national radio, Amici’s recordings have placed them firmly among the world’s best chamber musicians and garnered the ensemble two JUNO awards. The 2019/20 season includes five concerts: October 25 at 8pm – “Komitas: A Canadian Tribute”; November 24 at 4pm – “Mosaic Gala”; February 9 at 3pm – “Bohemian Rhapsody”; March 29 – “Cinema”; and May 31 at 3pm – “Schubert Octet.” Visit our website for more information.

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The Annex Singers of Toronto, now in its 40th season, is a spirited, auditioned choir with an eclectic repertoire spanning seven centuries. Under the dynamic and creative leadership of artistic director Maria Case, the choir performs three programs each season, collaborating with professional vocalists, instrumentalists and ensembles. Recent performances include Poulenc’s Gloria, Dobrogosz’s Jazz Mass, Mozart’s Great Mass in C Minor, and the acclaimed original choral drama December Diaries. The Annex Chamber Choir, a smaller ensemble drawn from the main choir, is dedicated to presenting gems from the chamber repertoire. We offer choral development workshops led by some of Toronto’s most innovative musical coaches and clinicians, engage in community outreach, and encourage young singers with a sponsorship program.

In the 2019/20 season, we will present three concerts: “Winter Light” (December 14); “Carmina Burana: Sacred and Profane” (April 18); and “This Shining Night” (May 30). We rehearse Monday evenings at St. Thomas’s Anglican Church (383 Huron St.) and perform at Grace Church on-the-Hill and St. Andrew’s United Church. Experienced singers who wish to audition, please contact our membership coordinator.

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Arraymusic is an artist-driven contemporary music organization committed to creating and presenting speculative Canadian works within an international, interdisciplinary context. As performing ensemble, curator, commissioner, producer, venue, and educator, Arraymusic has been a leading advocate for Canadian composers for nearly 50 years. Through composer commissions, interdisciplinary collaboration, and boundless curiosity, Arraymusic creates music that finds wonder in the discovery of the unexpected and draws listeners into new musical worlds.

Founded in 1972 by a collective of student composers from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music, Array’s ensemble has toured worldwide, released nine CDs, and established Canada’s longest-running mentorship program for emerging composers - the Array Young Composers Workshop - in 1987.

Today, Arraymusic acts as a centre hub in the vast network of Toronto’s vibrant musical communities. In addition to Arraymusic’s own 14 concert season and outreach activities, The Array Space hosts over 600 concerts and rehearsals by nearly 350 groups and 2,800 individuals, encompassing a vast range of cultures, artists, collectives, and organizations from all walks of life.

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Renowned concert pianist Andrew Burashko formed Art of Time Ensemble in 1998 by inviting a group of like-minded musicians and prominent figures in dance, theatre and other art forms to perform one-off concerts in Toronto. The company has gone on to become a leader in Toronto’s vibrant performing arts scene, through its subscription season at the Harbourfront Centre Theatre, regular appearances at Koerner Hall, album releases, performances with leading Canadian orchestras, and tours of its unique offerings to dozens of cities throughout Canada and the United States.

Exploring the relationship between classical music and other genres such as jazz, pop, electronica, rock, folk, electroacoustic, gospel and others, Art of Time seeks to reveal the qualities that lie at the heart of all great music.

The ranks of Art of Time Ensemble’s artists are deep and their talents unmatched; featured collaborators include authors Margaret Atwood and Michael Ondaatje, jazz legend Branford Marsalis, vocalists Madeleine Peyroux, Sarah Slean, Hawksley Workman and Tony Award-winner Brent Carver, composers such as Gavin Bryars and Jonathan Goldsmith, and many more.

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Who are the Associates of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (ATSO) and what do we do? The ATSO is made up of people who sponsor and organize “The Small Concerts” series, featuring musicians of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, presenting first-class chamber music. With the support of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, ATSO volunteers secure musicians for concerts, publicize concerts through various media, and ensure that events run smoothly. If you would enjoy working with people who appreciate and promote classical music, please consider becoming a volunteer with the ATSO. You can phone 416-221-8342 or visit our website to learn more about volunteer opportunities. Let’s keep “The Small Concerts” going! After a one-year lapse, the Associates have succeeded in reviving the series through the generosity of an audience member and matching crowdfunding, and will be very pleased to present a five-concert, 47th season from January to May! However, ongoing donations are essential to ensure that these fine concerts continue in the future. Please visit the ATSO website, and ‘Like’ or ‘Share’ us on Facebook.

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“Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert” returns to Toronto (Roy Thomson Hall, January 1 at 2:30pm) and Hamilton (FirstOntario Concert Hall, December 29 at 2:30pm) this holiday season, with a joyous, unforgettable new program and cast of European singers, ballroom dancers, ballet and full orchestra. Also co-produced with Roy Thomson Hall: “Bravissimo! Opera’s Greatest Hits” (New Year’s Eve, 7pm). Celebrate New Year’s Eve in style as acclaimed international opera stars, backed by the colossal power of the Opera Canada Symphony and Chorus, perform the finest arias, choruses, and duets from history’s most famous operas.

Glatz Concerts also co-presents the “Cinematic Series with TO Live” - films presented in stunning HD with live orchestra. Upcoming performances: “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in Concert” (October 31 to November 2); “Skyfall in Concert” (February 21 and 22); and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 in Concert” (May 29 to 31).

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Inspired by Jewish values and the vision and resilience of our founder, the late David J. Azrieli, the mission of Azrieli philanthropy is to improve the lives of present and future generations through education, research, healthcare and the arts, mainly in Canada and Israel. The Foundation has eight priority funding areas: education; music and the arts; fellowships; community; Holocaust education and legacy; science, research and healthcare; neuro-development; architecture, design and engineering. In addition to strategic philanthropic investments in organizations large and small, the Foundation operates a number of programs including: the Azrieli Music Prizes, the Azrieli Prize in Architecture, the Azrieli Fellows Program, the Azrieli Neuro-developmental Research Program, and the Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program.

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The Barrie Concert Association, a charitable non-profit organization, presents 12 live performances of mainly Classical music in two series. The 2019/20 Barrie Concerts: violinist Elisso Gogibedashvili with Sinfonia Toronto – October 19, 2019; “Voices of Angels” (Hamilton Children’s Choir) – Nov 9, 2019; “Beethoven Celebration” (Xiaohan Guo, violin; Zhengyu Chen, piano; Daniel Hass, cello) – January 18, 2020; Gillian MacKay and U of T Brass Ensemble – February 29, 2020; “A Night at the Opera” (soprano Sara Papini and tenor Romulo Delgado, the Kerry Stratton Orchestra) – March 21, 2020; Hannaford Street Silver Band – April 27, 2020. Hiway Pentecostal Church, Barrie.

Georgian Music: Mendelssohn and Hummel Trios (flutist Kaili Maimets, cellist Rachel Mercer and pianist Angela Park) – October 6, 2019; Gryphon Piano Trio – Nov 24, 2019; Rolston String Quartet – “Death and the Maiden” – February 9, 2020; “The Trout” (Annette-Barbara Vogel, violin; Raquel Bastos, viola; Katerina Juraskova, cello; Joseph Phillips, bass; and Pieter Grobler, piano) – April 5, 2020; Kawartha Trio (Judy Loman, harp; Linda Umbrico, viola; and Ross Edwards, clarinet) – April 19, 2020. Bethel Community Church, Barrie. 6th “Pianofest” (pianists Younggun Kim and Benjamin Smith) – January 20, 2020. Bethel Community Church.

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Under the direction of their new musical director, Angelik Jones, the Barrie Concert Band is excited to begin their 2019/20 season this fall, starting with the “Salute to the Veterans” concert on Tuesday, October 15.

Founded in 1869, the Barrie Concert band is the longest running musical organization north of the Golden Horseshoe and has over 50 members. This year’s concert subscription series will be an exciting mixture of music genres. The series kicks off on December 7 with “A Christmas Chocolate Box” filled with tasty Christmas tunes, followed by a rocking good time on March 7 as the band performs a “Barrie Concert Rock Band”. The series wraps up on June 6 with an afternoon of musical favourites as the “Band Goes Broadway”. Don’t miss a single concert when you buy a subscription! 

As always, the Barrie Concert Band looks forward to supporting their local community by performing throughout Barrie & Simcoe County as they share their passion for music with enthusiasm and excellence.

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Bel Canto Singers is an auditioned, community four-part choir with singers of various ages. Under the guidance of our accomplished music director Leanne Piller, members enjoy the rewards and challenges of a varied repertoire including popular music, Broadway show tunes, folk songs, opera choruses and classics. Rehearsals are Tuesdays, 7pm to 9:30pm, from early September through May at Scarborough Bluffs United Church, 3739 Kingston Rd. at Scarborough Golf Club Road. We perform concerts in December and May, as well as at seniors’ residences throughout the year. While experienced and committed choristers are always welcomed, the choir is actively seeking members to add to its tenor and bass sections.

Bel Canto Singers is a non-profit organization financed by ticket sales and annual memberships. Friendships and fun are woven through all of our activities, including the semi-annual workshops that help improve our musical skills. We support several worthy charities. Please join us! Contact us by email or visit our website.

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The Borealis Big Band idea was created in the summer of 2017 with our first rehearsals in September 2017 alternating between the Chartwell Park Place Retirement Residence and the Chartwell Hollandview Trail Retirement Residence, both located in Aurora. Thanks to our friends at both these Chartwell locations for your ongoing hospitality.

As the Borealis name suggests, the new band has a very close association with the Town of Aurora, as the five original founders live in or close to Aurora. However, we are especially proud that we have participation from musicians from throughout the Greater Toronto Area. The Borealis Big Band was set up to provide an opportunity for band members to play challenging music in a wide variety of big band jazz styles including: swing, funk, smooth, and Latin/Cuban, and play it to the highest quality possible, with lots of room for improvisation for all those members interested. In our opinion, the best bands are entertaining because the musicians in the band work hard to be the best they can and everyone in the band loves to perform every time they pick up their instrument. The promise we make is that our performance will always be fun for everyone involved and for everyone watching and listening.

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Bravo Niagara! is a not-for-profit registered charity dedicated to producing extraordinary concert experiences featuring the world’s leading artists, as well as rising young stars, in Niagara wine country. Concerts take place at the historic St. Mark’s Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake and the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in St. Catharines. The 2019/20 season is brimming with Canadian and international treasures and opens with the return of superstar soprano Measha Brueggergosman (October 19). The annual “Voices of Freedom Festival” features a double bill performance: jazz piano legend Monty Alexander and his Harlem-Kingston Express blend the sounds of his native Kingston, Jamaica, with the classic jazz tradition of New York’s Harlem, plus the Larnell Lewis Band (Nov 8). Canadian treasure Ofra Harnoy takes the stage for a rare recital (Nov 30). 2020 programming features legendary jazz vocalist Kurt Elling (February 14), classical guitar sensation MILOŠ (March 15), the Brubeck Brothers Quartet’s “Dave Brubeck Centennial Celebration” (April 5), and “From Broadway, With Love” (May 2). The season finale features two virtuoso musicians, iconic violinist Cho-Liang Lin and pianist Jon Kimura Parker in recital (May 3).

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Burlington Symphony Orchestra and newly appointed music director Denis Mastromonaco offer a season of riches in 2019/20. On September 29, the orchestra performs with Sultans of String as part of Burlington’s “Culture Days”. “Russian Treasures” on Nov 3 features Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with Jianhan Wu, piano. “A Christmas Spectacular!” on December 8 features family favourites and a sing-along with the Burlington Civic Chorale. “Love at the Opera” on February 16 features favourite works sung by brilliant opera singers from southern Ontario. “In Nature’s Realm” on May 10 features Vivaldi’s Spring, Debussy’s Danses sacrée et profane and Dvorak’s joyous Symphony No. 6 – soloists Corey Gemmell, violin, and Kristan Toczko, harp.

Burlington Symphony Orchestra (formerly Symphony on the Bay) is a full-size community orchestra serving Burlington, Hamilton and the surrounding areas. Composed of talented amateurs, students and professionals, the Burlington Symphony performs in the magnificent Performing Arts Centre in downtown Burlington. Visit our website for tickets and details.

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The CAO is a registered charity dedicated to connecting people through music, celebrating the diversity of Canada’s cultural mosaic with classical Arabic music from all corners of the Arab world, spanning a time period that goes back to early Andalusia, and presented at times with a fusion of classical western and other world music. The CAO organizes a two-week annual celebration of Arabic music and arts in Canada, presenting music concerts, theatre, film and arts exhibitions. Over the last week of October and the first week of November, FAMA presents an array of Canadian and International artists with a wide variety of genres and disciplines.

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Now over 50 years old, the CCOC consists of six chorus divisions of children and youth from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12, and is the only permanent children’s opera company in Canada to regularly commission and produce operas for children. Opera is simply storytelling with music, and those are two things that kids and youth love!

A unique experience, the CCOC offers members unparalleled performance opportunities and life skills through age-appropriate vocal and dramatic training. Members regularly perform with the Canadian Opera Company and other major professional arts organizations. Rehearsals are weekdays after school in the downtown area. Auditions are held April to June and occasionally during the year. A non-auditioned in- and after-school workshop program was launched in 2008 as part of the OPERAtion KIDS outreach arm of the CCOC. Highlighting the current season is the May 2020 return of Errol Gay and Michael Patrick Albano’s masterful adaptation of Alice in Wonderland.

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The Canadian Men’s Chorus is on a mission to redefine low-voice choral music in Toronto. Under the leadership of Greg Rainville, the CMC brings to life the finest works from a wide range of material: contemporary choral, theatre, jazz, pop, barbershop, and new commissioned works.

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The Canadian Music Centre is the catalyst that connects you to the ever-evolving world of musical creation in Canada through performance, education and promotion. The CMC provides unique resources for exploring, discovering, and performing Canadian music. We are passionate about nurturing a musical community that honours our legacy and supports the professional development of Canadian musicians and composers.

The CMC has been supporting, preserving, and celebrating the works of Canadian composers since 1959. As proud and passionate advocates, we offer innovative resources for discovering, exploring, listening to and playing Canadian music online and in five regional hubs across Canada. These resources include library services, music services (sales and rentals of scores, books and recordings), distribution services (Centrediscs, Centrestreams and support to Indie labels), education and outreach, “CMC Presents” concert series and workshops, Associate Composer program, and communications tools to promote contemporary musical creation in Canada and abroad. Founded in 1983, CMC Ontario Region works province-wide in collaboration with artists, educators and organizations to present performances, workshops, and other activities.

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Based in Toronto, the Canadian Opera Company is the largest producer of opera in Canada and one of the largest in North America. The company enjoys an international reputation for artistic excellence and creative innovation. The company presents six fully-staged productions at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts annually. The COC’s repertoire spans the history of opera from the Baroque to the 21st-century and includes several commissioned works and Canadian premieres. Professional opera artists from all over the world are engaged for COC productions, including a significant number of Canadian singers, directors, conductors and designers. The company performs with its own professional chorus and orchestra. The company also fosters emerging Canadian talent through its Ensemble Studio, Orchestra Academy and company-in-residence programs.

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Founded in 1998, the Canadian Sinfonietta is a chamber orchestra led by conductor Tak-Ng Lai and concertmaster Joyce Lai. The orchestra is comprised of 25 professional musicians who perform at the Glenn Gould Studio (250 Front St. W), and the Markham People’s Theatre for the Performing Arts (22 Esna Park Dr.). Chamber concerts are held with a wine and finger food reception at the Heliconian Hall (35 Hazelton Ave.), the Tran-Baker Centre (225 Geary Ave.) and Infiniti Music Hall in Markham.

The mission of the Canadian Sinfonietta is to attract a new generation of concert-goers by presenting concerts that have a balance of traditional and newly composed or culturally interesting programs. Concerts are both accessible as well as new and fresh. Programs often feature interdisciplinary artistic presentations, multicultural music, non-western instruments and highlight diverse Canadian artists.

CS is a community conscious group and plays an active role through partnership with local community groups. A Youth Mentorship Program encompasses the 2 youth orchestras and the annual young artist competition and concert. CS is also a recipient of the New Horizons Grant, which enables them to outreach in the senior community.

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Cantemus Singers was established in 2008 by our conductor, Michael Erdman, to help expand Toronto’s exposure to and appreciation of Renaissance and early Baroque secular vocal music. Our 14-voice a cappella ensemble focuses mainly on the interesting and evocative madrigals, lieder, chansons and villancicos of the 16th century. We also perform religious works, often the five- to eight-part compositions less often heard by Toronto audiences.

Our 2019/20 season begins Nov 23 and 24, as we perform Christmas music from England, including Thomas Tallis’ magnificent Mass Puer natus est nobis for 7 voices. In mid-March, “Good Queen Bess” explores the music of the Elizabethan period, featuring works by Morley, Byrd, Weelkes and Wilbye. In late May, our program, “Not So Serious”, focuses on light-hearted, humorous madrigals and joyful motets that send our spirits soaring. Performances at Church of the Holy Trinity (10 Trinity Square - Eaton Centre) and St. Aidan’s Anglican Church (70 Silver Birch Ave. at Queen St. E.). Check out the website for times.

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Entering our 17th season, the Canzona Chamber Players series presents two performances of each of our programs, one on Sunday afternoon with optional brunch at Toronto Island’s St. Andrew by- the-Lake Church, and on Monday evenings at St. George the Martyr Anglican Church, 197 John St.

This year’s line up can be found on our website or on Facebook at Canzona Chamber Players.

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Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) is a volunteer community orchestra that has been based in Scarborough since 1986. The orchestra is presenting eight concerts this season, including a subscription series of six concerts.

Led by artistic director Norman Reintamm in his final season with Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra, we will bring to life some of the greatest musical masterpieces, including favourite works by Beethoven, Brahms, Gershwin, and Mahler, and we will introduce you to some of Canada’s rising stars, including pianist Lauren Esch and violinist Eva Lesage. We also look forward to new collaborations with Iranian-Canadian classical guitarist Bahar Ossareh and Odawa First Nations composer Barbara Croall. This season will also feature the finals of the biennial Clifford Poole Vocal Competition – showcasing talented young singers. Looking for an orchestra to play in? Send your inquiries to us via email.

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The Cellar Singers is a 40-voice mixed choir based in Orillia. For over 50 years, the choir has delighted audiences in Simcoe and Muskoka with choral masterpieces grand and intimate. Under the direction of gifted choral specialist Mitchell Pady, the choir presents four main concerts each season. Rehearsals are open to all and are held Wednesday evenings, 7:15pm, at St. James’ Anglican Church, Orillia.

During the 2019/20 season, The Cellar Singers will present Haydn’s The Creation, Britten’s Ceremony of Carols together with Susa’s Carols and Lullabies, Bach’s St. John Passion and Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore. Join us!

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Choral Mosaic 2020 is a new music festival that will give choral music lovers of all levels a chance to perform and learn together with choral musicians from around the world. From June 25 to 27, Choral Mosaic will feature performances from renowned choral musicians such as: Norwegian composer Kim André Arnesen; Finnish a capella sensation Rajaton; Canada’s own Mary Lou Fallis in Primadonna Choralis; and The Mississauga Symphony Orchestra.

Choral singers of all skill levels will have an opportunity to perform, with no audition required! Sing in the mass choir gala, performing a newly-commissioned work from Kim André Arnesen, attend keynote addresses, masterclasses and workshops from top choral clinicians, as well as choral concerts around the City of Mississauga, and more. Choral Mosaic 2020 will be hosted in the spectacular Living Arts Centre in Mississauga - and our artistic director is David Ambrose. Register now on our website, and contact us at our email for any questions.

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Worth the drive to Niagara! Chorus Niagara, The Power of 100 is Niagara’s premier 100-voice auditioned ensemble. Conducted by artistic director Robert Cooper (celebrating 30 years with Chorus Niagara), Chorus Niagara has been entertaining and enlightening audiences for 57 years. Chorus Niagara performs traditional choral masterpieces, modern and seldom-heard works and new commissions, and provides a showcase for emerging Canadian talent. Attracting singers of all ages with the Chorus Niagara Children’s Choir, Side-by-Side High School Chorale and Robert Cooper Choral Scholars program, and emerging talent with our new Apprentice Conductor program, Chorus Niagara provides opportunities for everyone to experience the joy of live choral performance. Our thrilling 57th season begins in November with Sir Michael Tippett’s A Child of Our Time; followed by “Welcome Christmas” with actor Benedict Campbell in December. In the new year, we present Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo’s moving Sunrise Mass in March, followed in May by “Topsy Turvy – The Best of Gilbert and Sullivan.” All concerts are performed at the stunning new FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in revitalized downtown St. Catharines. Join us as we bring great music to life!

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Continuing its long tradition of musical excellence, Christ Church Deer Park boasts an innovative music program. Our choir, consisting of professional members and skilled volunteers, performs a rich treasury of sacred choral music and hymnody at the 10am Sunday liturgy. The choir also performs at other special events, feast days, Evensongs and concerts throughout the year. Rehearsals take place on Thursday evenings from 6:45pm to 8:45pm and offer an opportunity to develop musicianship through vocal instruction, while being part of an open and welcoming community. In addition, we present “Jazz Vespers,” a popular, informal service held bi-monthly from September to June and featuring some of the city’s finest jazz musicians. For more information contact Matthew Otto, director of music.

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Steeped in musical heritage and assisted by a generous acoustic, St. Mary Magdalene offers a music program strongly rooted in the tradition established by Healey Willan. Every Sunday at 11am: Solemn Mass - the Gallery Choir sings a mass and motet from the west gallery, while the Ritual Choir sings the Gregorian propers from the east end. Both choirs rehearse on Thursdays. At the 9:30am Sung Mass, the SMM Singers sing a motet and lead congregational singing. Membership is informal: rehearsals are at 9am directly before the service; regular attendance is not mandatory.

One Sunday per month at 4:30pm, the meditative Solemn Evensong and Benediction is sung, preceded by an organ recital at 4pm. 

For information, please contact the director of music, Andrew Adair.

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Fine music is central to life at the Church of St. Peter and St. Simon-the-Apostle. Whether it is our own choir that sings services in the Anglican prayer book tradition – and whose calibre is such that it has twice been invited to sing services in cathedrals in Britain, most recently at Gloucester and Chichester in the summer of 2019 – or the many visiting ensembles and choirs choosing us for their concerts. The church seats 300 for a concert and has an adjacent hall, also with superb acoustics, seating 175 for a smaller concert.

Our 1883 Jacobean Arts and Crafts building (with exquisite windows, a beautiful sanctuary, and a cloister-style courtyard) sits in one of the most intensely interesting neighborhoods in the city. At 525 Bloor St. E. (close to subway), between Sherbourne and Parliament, it has old Rosedale to the north, multi-faceted St. Jamestown to the south, and a fever of new condo developments to the east and west. It exists as an oasis in the midst of this, providing space as well for local youth choral programs and music teachers. Please join us for services, or consider our space for your next musical event.

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Confluence – “an act or process of merging” – is a company of diverse creative artists dedicated to intimate, thought-provoking programs with a focus on: cabarets curated by a wide cross-section of Toronto’s leading musicians, the work of Indigenous artists and artists of colour, anniversary programs celebrating important figures in music, salons and lectures on a wide variety of musical topics, and commissions of new works by Canadian creative artists. Our 2019/20 season features “Celebrating Clara Schumann”; “An Evening with Marion Newman”; “Hugo and Willie: Songs of the Soul”; “Witch on Thin Ice (by Alice Ho)”; “Creativity and Aging”; “Baroque Music by Candlelight”; and “The Mandala.” Artistic producer Larry Beckwith has been ably assisted in planning this new mandate by a whole host of outstanding and diverse figures from Toronto’s amazing music scene, including Confluence associate artists Andrew Downing, Kathleen Kajioka, Marion Newman, Patricia O’Callaghan, Suba Sankaran and managing director Jennifer Collins.

“...this series has established itself as one of the most important and consistently interesting in the city.” - John Gilks, Opera Ramblings.

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Counterpoint Community Orchestra has been operating as a community orchestra in downtown Toronto for 34 years. Formed in 1984, it was the first lesbian/gay/gay-positive orchestra in Canada and in the world. Counterpoint is a full symphony orchestra, and the programming is drawn from Baroque through contemporary orchestral repertoire. Rehearsals are at the 519 Community Centre on Church Street. The other pages in the ‘About Us’ section of our website give a more detailed history and description of Counterpoint Community Orchestra.

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The 24-voice DaCapo Chamber Choir was founded in 1998 in Kitchener-Waterloo under the direction of Leonard Enns. The mission of the choir is to identify, study, rehearse and present outstanding choral chamber works of the past 100 years and to champion music of Canadian and local composers. In 2019/20, DaCapo will complete its three-season exploration of themes related to the global refugee crisis with a focus on “Renewal”. The season will feature the premiere of the 2019 NewWorks winning composition by Kevin Pirker, and appearances by guest artists Angela Schwarzkopf, harpist; mezzo-soprano Jennifer Enns Modolo; and pianist Catherine Robertson. This past year, DaCapo released its 3rd CD, containing selections received through NewWorks, its national choral composition competition. (Read the review of this CD in the April 2019 issue of The WholeNote.) Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @DaCapoChoir!

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The Don Wright Faculty of Music at Western University in London, Ontario is situated in a research-intensive university on a campus that is inviting and striking. It is an environment that enables students to grow artistically and academically, with a strong focus on community. Our students are among 650 of the brightest and most talented young artist scholars, who come to study in one of our many undergraduate and graduate programs. With the faculty and staff, they are committed to excellence in creative and scholarly work. In our 2019/20 season, we invite you to experience the incredible diversity of musical styles and genres our students, faculty and guest artists have to offer. Included within 350+ performances each year are student ensemble performances (from choirs and opera to orchestra, band, jazz, percussion, contemporary and early music), solo and chamber recitals, new works by student composers, faculty concerts, and our signature “Fridays @ 12:30” concert series.

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We are a newly formed, non-profit organization guided by internationally-acclaimed conductor Noel Edison to present choral music at its best. Our vision is to reach out to communities large and small with the world’s finest choral music. 

This inaugural season, The Edison Singers will present concerts in three communities: Toronto, Niagara-on-the-Lake, and Wellington County. We plan to make these three centres the hub of our annual choral calendar, and our aim is to become an integral part of the musical life of each community.

A resident in each town has agreed to oversee volunteer activities, such as postering, ushering, advertising, marketing, hospitality, patron services, and fundraising. And we hope to create more musical hubs over the next few years. We also plan to give back to each community. This season we will be helping Knox Church in Elora raise funds for repairs to its landmark steeple. At St. David’s Presbyterian Church, our rehearsal venue in Campbellville, Ontario, we will assist them in fundraising.

We welcome suggestions from all our friends and supporters regarding ways the choir can enhance the cultural environment in your community.

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Our 45-voice choir meets Thursday evenings for two hours and Sunday mornings for worship, preparing music ranging from Renaissance to jazz and from chant to oratorio. Prior experience in choral singing is a requirement. Outreach and benefit concerts are regular fare with support from our wonderful and talented eight section leads. This year, we offer our 2019/20 concert series with: “ESG Remembers,” featuring our ESG Concert Choir and Chamber Orchestra paying tribute to the 100th anniversary of the Peace Treaty with oral masterworks to the fallen, including the Rutter Requiem and other works by Mark Sirett, Ruth Watson Henderson and Eleanor Daley; our annual ESG Christmas concert “Gloria!”, with ESG Concert Choir, Chamber Orchestra and organ; and special guests, the Elmer Iseler Singers and Elora Singers, with stunning choral classics from Canada and beyond.

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Elmer Iseler Singers (EIS) is a 20-voice professional chamber choir based in Toronto and founded by the late Dr. Elmer Iseler in 1979. Directed by the acclaimed Lydia Adams, the Singers are known for tonal beauty and interpretive range, and valued for their contributions to masterclasses and workshops with schools and community choirs.

EIS present a five-concert series in Toronto each season, and are featured at concerts, workshops, and festivals throughout Canada, touring Ontario annually and Eastern and Western Canada bi-annually. Their unique “Get Music! Educational Outreach Initiative” mentors conductors, music educators and students. 

The Elmer Iseler Singers have 15 recorded CDs featuring Canadian music. EIS with Toronto Symphony Orchestra were 2019 Grammy-nominated and 2019 JUNO-awarded for the brilliant Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Chandos CD recording, with Peter Oundjian conducting. EIS are 2014 National Choral Award recipients and JUNO nominees for “Classical Album of the Year: Vocal or Choral Performance” for Dark Star Requiem with Tapestry Opera and Gryphon Trio in 2017, and for David Braid’s Corona Divinae Misericordiae with Patricia O’Callaghan in 2019.

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The Elora Singers are a fully professional choir that has spent 40 years establishing a reputation for musical excellence that continues to set them apart. The choir is renowned for delivering inspiring live performances in their fall/winter season and during their summer festival, the Elora Festival. The Singers have been nominated for a JUNO and a Grammy award and have a dozen CDs recorded. Under artistic director, Mark Vuorinen, The Elora Singers have a busy performance schedule within Elora and on tours, but also offer vital community outreach and education programs. 

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Ensemble Vivant is unique in the piano chamber music world. Having pioneered a genre-diverse repertoire from classical to the syncopated rhythms of Ragtime, the Great American SongBook, Latin, and other jazz styles, EV’s unique instrumentation features world class artists who have been steeped in these genres for over three decades; passionate, virtuosic music-making, and warm and engaging rapport with audiences of all ages. “No matter the genre, there is magic in Ensemble Vivant’s music-making.” (Rick Wilkins, C.M.) 

EV has 14 recordings (www.openingday.com). Core quintet: Catherine Wilson, piano/artistic director; Corey Gemmell, violin; Norman Hathaway, viola; Sybil Shanahan, cello; Jim Vivian, bass. Regular collaborators: Kevin Turcotte, trumpet; Mike Murley, sax; Nick Fraser, drums and others. “…Beautiful, poised performances...capture the passion and verve…Wilson’s piano gives this music unerring drive and plenty of sparkle.” - Toronto Star.

Through Euterpe (www.musicisthekey.org), Ensemble Vivant is known for fostering a love of great music among our youth. Euterpe enhances your community outreach, engaging EV to perform for the students at local public schools, and more. Euterpe’s initiatives have been endorsed by the scientific community.

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Founded in 1983 by music director and conductor Alex Pauk, Esprit’s commitment to commissioning and advancing contemporary music has set it apart as one of the few organizations of its kind on a global scale. Esprit consistently collaborates with outstanding composers, and performs with first-class soloists and ensembles from Canada and abroad. Each concert season, Esprit Orchestra commissions, promotes and performs the work of Canadian composers, and features Canadian premieres of music by leading international composers. With a dynamic annual subscription concert series, this skilled orchestra presents music that is otherwise unavailable in Canada, always performed to the highest standards in the acoustically acclaimed Koerner Hall at the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning.

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In its 53rd season, Etobicoke Centennial Choir (ECC) enriches the cultural life of the community with high-calibre vocal music performances. ECC offers singers a rewarding choral music experience in a welcoming, inclusive community. We perform diverse repertoire, ranging from classical masterpieces to contemporary compositions, folk and popular music. 

Our season begins on December 7 with “Sweet Rejoicing”, featuring Antonio Vivaldi’s uplifting Gloria, Robert Pearsall’s lovely arrangement of the ancient carol In Dulci Jubilo and joyful seasonal music. “Offering” on April 4 presents a gift of gorgeous classical music, including Luigi Cherubini’s stunningly beautiful Requiem Mass in C Minor and an exquisite selection of art songs by Brahms, Vaughan Williams and others. “Musica Borealis” on June 6 features glowing music from northern lands, including Scandinavia, Estonia and Canada. The Canadian Croatian Choral Society will join ECC in performing a selection of authentic Croatian folk songs. 

Rehearsals are on Tuesday evenings from 7:30pm to 10pm at Humber Valley United Church in Etobicoke. Etobicoke Centennial Choir always welcomes new choristers. Interested singers are invited to attend a rehearsal.

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Usually a love affair is something you want to keep secret – but not this time. The Etobicoke Community Concert Band is celebrating a 25-year love affair with music.

Their repertoire ranges from current hits and old favourites, to swing and jazz, and from military brass to Broadway hits – usually something that will be stuck in your head on your way home after a concert. The band is grateful for so much support over the years from so many volunteers, from so many people from the community, including other community groups that helped to make the first 25 years possible. They hope you’ll join them celebrating the 25th and for, hopefully, many years to come.

“Radio Days” will be Friday Nov 1. The Christmas Show “It’s a Wonderful Life in Etobicoke” will be Friday December 20. The 25th Gala Anniversary Concert is Friday, March 27. The final season concert “Party for the Planet” is Friday, May 29. The shows are at Etobicoke Collegiate, 86 Montgomery Rd.. Tickets: $15.00

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For over 59 years the award-winning Etobicoke Philharmonic Orchestra has been presenting great classical concerts and is delighted to announce the 2019/20 season starting October. Music director Matthew Jones once more engages audiences with his energy and enthusiasm and presents a great-composer lineup of works by Elgar, Brahms, Liszt, Grieg, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich and more. The new Sunday matinee Discovery Series was a great success last year and will be an ongoing seasonal feature. Once again, the orchestra welcomes great artists: Joseph Johnson, principal cellist with the TSO performing Tchaikovsky’s “Rococo Variations” at the opening concert, and renowned pianist Arthur Ozolins presenting Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2 at the final concert of the season.

Concerts are at Martingrove Collegiate Institute, 50 Winterton Dr., Etobicoke with the Christmas concert “The Gift of Christmas” and the Discovery Series matinee concert at Humber Valley Church, 76 Anglesey Blvd.  Advanced orchestral musicians of all ages interested in joining the orchestra should contact Judy Gargaro, EPO president. Student scholarships are by audition in the Spring. Rehearsals are every Wednesday at Martingrove Collegiate 7:30pm to 10pm. and continue until mid-May.

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Exultate Chamber Singers has been celebrated for its continuing tradition of choral excellence for almost 40 years. The choir is enriched not only by the excellent musicianship of its members but also by their varied academic and professional backgrounds. Together they form a passionate, committed ensemble with a wide-ranging repertoire. Founded and led for 30 years by conductor and organist John Tuttle, the choir has since been under the direction of Dr. Karen Grylls (2011 to 2012), Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt (2013 to 2018), and its newest artistic director, Dr. Mark Ramsay. Exultate is a three-time winner of the Canada Council Healey Willan Grand Prize and recently won first place in the adult mixed-voice chamber choir category of the 2019 Choral Canada National Competition for Canadian Amateur Choirs. The choir has appeared in performance with Alice Parker, Morten Lauridsen, and Ola Gjeilo, and has released five full-length albums to date.