2024 SUMMER MUSIC GUIDE

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Ashkenaz is one of the largest and most prestigious showcases of Jewish music and culture in the world. Originally founded as a showcase for Klezmer/Yiddish music and culture, the Festival has evolved over the years into an eclectic showcase of global Jewish culture, encompassing not merely the traditions of Eastern Europe, but also Sephardic, Mizrachi, and other underrepresented Jewish identities, and all manner of cross-cultural fusion. The Festival is offered 90% free to the public and attracts a multicultural audience of over 60,000 people. Nowhere else in the world does so large and diverse an audience come together to experience Jewish cultural arts. Ashkenaz usually features over 75 performances and 200+ individual artists, hailing from across Canada and around the world.

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Just an hour north of Toronto, Brookside Music’s 2024 ‘Festival of the Bay‘ in Midland will keep the music in summer with these internationally acclaimed performances.

Join us at the Midland Cultural Centre at 7pm for: (Thurs, July 18) - “Bach’s Long Walk in the Snow - Tom Allen”; (Wed, July 24) - “Fiesta - Music of Spain and South America”; (Sun, July 28) - New Zealand String Quartet with James Campbell; and (Fri, August 2) - The Swiss Trio.

The concerts are offered for an unbelievable $35, or any 4 for $100 plus HST/SC, and children and students may attend for free!

Join us for the sweet sounds of summer!

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Join us at the Multicultural One World Music Festival – Local talent will start things off on Friday night at Little Lake Park in Midland followed by Saturday’s collection of musicians and musical styles from around the world including African, Steel Drums, Moroccan, French Canadian and more! Includes a beer garden and international food vendors and market!

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Brott Music Festival is Ontario's only and Canada's largest orchestral music festival. Founded by late Boris Brott in 1988, it enters its 37th season under the baton of Tania Miller. "Unique in its sheer variety" is how BMF's mix of classical, opera, rock, pop and Broadway has been described. 2024 highlights include a Beethoven Immersive, Rossini's Barber of Seville, Ian Parker playing Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto, Firebird Suite, Dvorak 8 and Mahler 5, dedicated to Brott's memory. There are free concerts on Hamilton's Waterfront, one night only staged performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita, film music of James Bond, and an East Coast Kitchen party with Celtic band. The BMF features the National Academy Orchestra of Canada and BrottOpera Emerging Artists. Both are nationally recognized training programs.

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Since 2010, the CCCTIMF has established a solid name as one of the most reputable and high-profile music festivals in Canada. The festival is held in recognition of the artistic achievements of young musicians, providing them with the opportunity to learn, grow, and showcase their potential in performance. It also provides performance opportunities for young musicians to help bring the scope of their talents to new heights. The annual festival is conducted at the 626-seat, state-of-the-art P.C. Ho concert hall in Toronto. Trophies, medals, and scholarships are awarded to the winners based on the class criteria. Selected winners will receive the opportunity to perform in the Gala Concert and the "Rising Star" concert series. For more information, please visit our website.

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The Collingwood Music Festival is an annual, family-friendly music festival that brings high-calibre, live music performances to Collingwood, Ontario. Between July 5 to 12, over 100 performing artists across classical, world, jazz and Indigenous music genres will present intimate chamber music recitals to full orchestral concerts.

Highlights of the 2024 Festival will be: Toronto Concert Orchestra, Welsh Male Voice Choir, the duo Stick&Bow; performances by Tomson Highway, Gino Quilico and Julie Nasrallah, Joe Sealy with Jackie Richardson, James Campbell and Daniel Vnukowski. There will also be opportunities for talented youth to shine. The Collingwood Music Festival’s initiatives continue to create a platform where diverse voices converge, promoting unity and cultural understanding.

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Now in its 45th season, the Elora Festival has established a reputation as Canada’s international choral festival, presenting world-class choirs and vocal ensembles over three weeks in July in the artists' village of Elora, “Ontario’s most beautiful village”.

The Festival's ensemble-in-residence is The Elora Singers, one of Canada's finest professional chamber choirs.

This year's festival features The King’s Singers, Laila Biali, the Gryphon Trio, Elmer Isler Singers, Constantinople, our Barn Dance, family concerts, Bach Day at the Festival, and more!

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The Festival of the Sound is celebrating big this summer with an incredible line-up of classical, jazz and choral music, and much more. This year is extra special with two important anniversaries - James Campbell’s 40th as artistic director and the Festival’s 45th in beautiful Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada.

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Batuki Music Society is proud to present the Habari Africa Festival at Harbourfront Centre from Friday, August 9 to Sunday, August 11, 2024. Habari Africa is a multi-disciplinary music and arts festival that displays the rich and diverse cultures of Africa. Join us for a weekend of exploration and engagement with the art, sounds and tastes of the continent. The festival will offer an authentic experience through presentations that celebrate the uniqueness, wealth and diversity of African music, dance, film and arts. The annual Habari Africa Festival is a focal point of Torontoʼs cultural calendar, bringing together musicians and performing artists from all over the world. The festival is an all-ages family event presented free to the public. Batuki Music is a non-profit African arts organization based in Toronto.

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Hear the best emerging professional voices from Canada and beyond in the beauty of the Haliburton Highlands, only 2.5 hours northeast of Toronto. Established in Haliburton, ON, in 2007 by internationally-acclaimed Canadian tenor Richard Margison and Canadian stage director/violist, and former Metropolitan Opera stage director, Valerie Kuinka, Highlands Opera Studio is an advanced intensive professional training and networking program for emerging operatic professionals. Chosen from close to 100 applicants from across Canada and internationally, the 17 successful 2024 participants attend the 5-week program free of charge and can be heard in public masterclasses, multiple concerts, community events, and two fully-staged operas: Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Andrew Balfour's Mishabooz’s Realm, commissioned in 2017.

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Jumblies is a Toronto-based organization that engages in collaborations between professional artists and diverse people and places, mentoring and supporting others to do so as well. Jumblies expands where art happens, who gets to be part of it, what forms it takes and whose stories it tells. As a culmination of our multi-year project, we present: border crossing odyssey a series of performances and presentations of selected works from our multi-year project blue skies, red earth & tall pines -- including a suite of new music from Suba Sankaran plus other selected works performed by the Gather Round Singers and guests and a multimedia exhibition of comics, sculpture and audio art. Events will take place in Brampton, Toronto and Scarborough from June 12th to June 27th. Contact us at info@jumbliestheatre.org!

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The Leith Summer Festival and Artistic Director Jeremy Bell present five concerts each summer in the Historic Leith Church, 12km from Owen Sound. The church is an intimate venue with excellent acoustics. The festival begins on Saturday, June 22 with a mix of Indo jazz and Classical with Autorickshaw and the Penderecki String Quartet. On Sunday, July 7, the New Zealand String Quartet performs Shostakovich and Debussy. The Swiss Piano Trio presents Dvorak's Dumsky on Saturday, July 27. Benedict Lauziere, violin and Angel Park, piano will play Saint-Saens and Chausson on Sunday, August 11. On Saturday, August 24, Stewart Goodyear concludes the festival with Beethoven and Gershwin.

Sunday afternoon concerts start at 2:30pm, and Saturday evening concerts start at 7:30pm. Tickets are $45 at www.roxytheatre.ca. For details, call 519-371-2833.

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The Markham Jazz Festival features more than 30 free jazz, blues, soul and related acts on three stages, as well as along Main St. and in area restaurants. The 2024 festival takes place Friday to Sunday, August 16 to 18. Experience award-winning music (Grammy and Juno winners) in Unionville's charming heritage village setting. Free continuous shuttle from Markham Pan Am Centre (15 Main St. Unionville, near Unionville GO). Free Parking. Accessible.

This year's headliners include New York-based Duchess, and Grammy winner Nicole Zuraitis (Best Jazz Vocal Album 2024) on Friday evening. Saturday evening includes Jackie Richardson, Juno winner Dominique Fils-Aimé, plus the amazing U.N. Jefferson. On Sunday, Hilario Duran's Big Band (2024 Juno winner for Jazz Album of the year) closes off the show.

Come and have a ball!

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York Region's largest outdoor music festival with five stages of multicultural entertainment (music and dance), More than 100 Craft and Food vendors, Farmers' Market. Headliners include Tom Wilson, Zaki Ibrahim, Exodus: Bob Marley tribute with Lazo Finn, Georgia Harmer, Pony Girl, Rikashay, Samba Squad, Dan the Music Man, Los Moralitos, Junestone, Blackboard Blues Band, and more. Back again - Barkham will be at the north end of the street for dogs and their pet parents with vendors, Luge course and contests. The Kidz Zone at the bottom of the street will have games, performances, crafts. This is a family event for all ages. Friday from 6pm to 11pm; Saturday from 11am to 10pm.

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Music at Port Milford Artist Chamber Music Series was established in 1987 and takes place on four consecutive Saturday evenings at St. Mary Magdalene Church, 335 Main St., Picton. Tickets: $50 (adult), $20 (youth 16 and under & students). Season Pass: $150 (adult), $60 youth & students).

Saturday, July 13, 7:30pm: “Beginnings”
George Enescu; Trevor Wilson; Beethoven; Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson; Kevin Lau; Joseph Suk

Saturday, July 20, 7:30pm: “Tenacity & Wit”
Haydn; Margaret Brouwer; Ann Southam; Brahms

Saturday, July 27, 7:30pm: “In Wonder”
Ravel; Ian Cusson; Schumann; Ellington; Schubert; Dvorak

Saturday, August 3, 7:30pm: “Romanceros”:
Schubert; Schumann; Gabriella Lena Frank; Borodin: String Quartet No. 2

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Music Mondays has served as a launching pad for emerging talent, and a celebration of established local talent since its inception in 1992. Our pay-what-you-can lunchtime concerts take place in the warm acoustics of Holy Trinity Church, just steps away from the Eaton Centre, in busy Downtown Toronto. Our goal is to provide the highest possible musical experience to a pay-what-you-can downtown Toronto audience.

Our audience includes office workers, tourists, retired folks, young children, the homeless, students, and the musically curious. The acoustics of Holy Trinity are very special - warm and inviting. Please join us for this, our 33rd Season. Bring your lunch – and a friend – every Monday at 12:15pm from June 3 to Labour Day, September 2. Admission: Pay-what-you-can, $10 to $20 suggested.

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Join us at the Open Ears Festival 2024 (#OE24). Once again, this year’s festival brings some of the world’s highest calibre musicians to our region, featuring local, national, and international award-winning soloists and ensembles.

We will present numerous performances and workshops to appease your curiosity and highlight the many cultural activities in our area, including the Canadian premiere of SIERRA performed by the one and only Vicki Chow, and the iconic experimental DJ Hieroglyphic Being. We also have more premiere performances, including sound installations, multi-media, foley workshops and a drag show.

We look forward to seeing you there!

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Port Hope Jazz strives to be Canada's premier national jazz festival for the celebration of the diversity of Canadian Jazz arts excellence and to promote youth program development within a vibrant musical, economic and cultural atmosphere.

We have a spectacular festival planned for August, 22 to 25, 2024.

This year's event will feature performances by Allison Au, Mike Downes with Robi Botos and Ted Quinlan, Kellylee Evans, Ewen Farncombe and Alex Bird, Steve Holt with Kevin Turcotte, Kirk MacDonald, Duncan Hopkins and Terry Clark, Duncan Hopkins, George Koller, Joy Lapps-Lewis, Fern Lindzon, Charlotte McAfee-Bruner, Alex Pangman, Reg Schwager, Michael Shand and The Shuffle Demons.

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The Aga Khan Museum’s Rhythms of Canada Festival is returning for another weekend filled with live music, art, and family activities. Join us this summer from June 29 to July 1 and enjoy entrancing musical performances by a diverse range of local artists, special programming for all ages, delicious food, and our world-class collection of art from across the Muslim world.

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Zula Music & Arts Collective Hamilton presents the annual Something Else! Festival along with a year-round music series mostly focusing on jazz, creative, free, improvised, experimental music and various folk traditions.

Ticketed, multi-bill events at St. Cuthbert's:

Thursday, June 20 at 7pm:
Earth, Wind & Choir; Ugly Beauties; Gayle Young; Sofia Jernberg & Mats Gustafsson.

Friday, June 21 at 8pm:
Beingfive; Amrita; The End.

Saturday, June 22 at 4pm:
Tashi Dorji; Cluttertones; Emmeluth’s Amoeba; and at 8pm: Sakina Abdou; Doug Tielli’s Imaginary Brass; Dave Rempis & Tashi Dorji.

Ticketed events are $25-$30 advance tickets; $30-$40 at the door; $85 pass.

Free events include:

Saturday, June 22 at 12pm (HPL):
Sakina Abdou & Dave Rempis; Aline’s Étoile Magique; Caroline Davis & Wendy Eisenberg

Sunday, June 23 at 12pm (Open Streets):
Shuffle Demons

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Welcome to the 11th annual South Coast Jazz Festival in Norfolk County and Brantford and worldwide online. For tickets, schedule and all information, please visit our website.

Enjoy an accessible and wonderfully diverse selection of concerts at Lynnwood Arts Centre Simcoe and Glenhyrst Gardens Brantford. Take in the Gallery Exhibits too. Headliners include Johannes Linstead, Shannon Butcher and Michael Shand, Sammy Jackson, Avery Raquel, Branson Palanio Organ Trio, and James Wilson. VIP guaranteed seat tickets are limited, download from the website now.

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A vibrant convergence of folk, jazz, classical and world music, Stratford Summer Music is a renowned Southwestern Ontario music festival held annually in July and August in Stratford, Ontario. The 2024 festival features acclaimed artists like Angela Hewitt, Allison Au, and Measha Brueggergosman-Lee. From symphony orchestras to jazz legends, the festival showcases diverse genres, offering both intimate recitals and grand productions. Alongside performances, it hosts educational programs, fostering musical appreciation and talent growth. With venues spanning churches, theaters, and outdoor spaces, the festival promises unique and unforgettable experiences. Stratford Summer Music ensures a summer filled with enchanting melodies and cultural enrichment for all, making it a highlight of the Canadian cultural calendar.

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Celebrating four decades of opera presentations by Canada's emerging artists, Summer Opera Lyric Theatre features Handel's Xerxes, Mozart's Idomeneo and Puccini's La Boheme, under the leadership of experts in the field - Jo Greenaway, Suzy Smith and Helen Becqué in fully staged operas by Guillermo Silva-Marin. 33 vocalists from across Canada will thrill and entertain you with their fresh and insightful dramatic interpretations at the intimacy and acoustic excellence of the Alumnae Theatre in Toronto. 12 performances culminate eight weeks of intensive training in the performing arts, movement, deportment and acting technique. SOLT is generously supported by the Jackman Foundation and the Estate of the Sandra Marlene Painter. For further information please visit our website.

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No Strings Theatre presents its ‘SummerStage' 2024! NST will present in Toronto in July, a table read of Levels The Play, a new musical by Clarence (CJ) Jura and Abby Grass, and in August, Mozart's The Magic Flute, in collaboration with Opera by Request at an outdoor farm near Orangeville. Levels The Play navigates relationships, familial pressures, intersectionality, and coming of age. The play, which was wonderfully acclaimed at the 2023 Fringe Festival, will be further developed by dramaturgs Mark Cassius (script) and Darryl Joseph Dennie (music). Director, Gregory Finney, brings The Magic Flute to a magic fantasy at the farm, along with other opera excerpts. Levels is suitable for 13+ and The Magic Flute is suitable for all ages. Also, check out our opera pub night at Toronto's Granite Brewery on August 13!

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The 31st Annual Music Festival headliners include JUNO Award winner Laila Biali (vocals/piano) on Friday night; JUNO winner and Grammy Nominee Hilario Duran (piano) and his 19-piece Latin Jazz Big Band on Saturday night; and a "hall of fame" lineup of musicians in the Canadian Jazz Collective on Sunday afternoon. We will also feature local artists Tim Louis (vocals/piano); the Natu Trio, Ralf Buschmeyer, Adam Bowman, Patti Payne, along with many others. There will be family activities on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, along with plenty of food vendors and your favourite beverages. Best of all, admission to the Festival is FREE! What could be better than a great summer weekend enjoying live music with family and friends? Everyone is welcome. We cannot wait to see you there!

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The TD Toronto Jazz Fest is an annual event produced by the Toronto Downtown Jazz Society. Celebrating its 37th edition in 2024, the festival has grown from an eight-day showcase that began in 1987 to a major event attracting over 500,000 patrons annually over ten days. The festival features a mix of free and ticketed performances across various venues in Toronto, including outdoor stages in the Bloor-Yorkville area and indoor concerts throughout the city. It showcases a diverse range of jazz music and artists, from legendary performers to emerging talent, and includes more than 100 performances.

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Toronto Summer Music’s 2024 Festival welcomes artists from around the world to share their artistry. From the strong voices of masters resonating with wisdom and experience to the bright voices of emerging artists ringing with hope and innovation, the multitude of voices within our community will be celebrated. Starring an exceptional array of musicians, including Orchestre des Arts Florissants, and laureates of Le Jardin des Voix, Les Arts Florissants' academy for young singers, Canadian Brass, violin superstar Kerson Leong, Gold Medallist of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition Vadym Kholodenko, Dame Sarah Connolly, among others. The Voices Within Festival runs from July 11 to August 3.

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Westben is an immersive music in nature experience on 50-acre farm, two hours east of Toronto.

Westben’s 25th anniversary summer season features 32 performances and experiences including concerts, nature walks, forest bathing, garden tours, a film night, comedy evening with outstanding performers in four outdoor venues.

Angela Hewitt, Gerald Finley, Jeremy Dutcher, Holly Cole, New Zealand String Quartet, Colin Ainsworth, Steve Page, Sarah Slean, Colin Mochrie & Deb McGrath, Big Smoke Brass, Andy Forgie, Kevin Drew, Jackie Richardson and Joe Sealy, Dave Mowat, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson and and participants from the Performer-Composer Residency.

Tickets from Pay-What-You-Can to $110 + HST. $5 for anyone under 18; $30 for 19-30 years.

Ask about the pre-concert chats, Dare to Pair culinary events, BBQs and Opera Tea Party.