NOTE: All times are Eastern Time unless otherwise noted, and street addresses for venues are Toronto locations unless otherwise specified. If no city is shown in the listing, the event takes place in Toronto.

Listings are based on information sent to WholeNote in advance by event presenters. Contact presenters for concert updates. The deadline for the next Weekly Update #278 (covering Dec 25, 2025-Jan 4, 2026) is Thu Dec 18 at 6pm. 

This update includes detailed daily listings for the period Thur Dec 18 - Thu Dec 25 and, as a bonus,  brief advance listings for Fri Dec 26 - Sun Dec 28. For detailed advance listings on all events in our database, use our searchable online JustAsk feature. 

Presenters of previously submitted listings are also asked to advise us by that date of any changes or cancellations. Send all submissions to  John Sharpe at listings@thewholenote.com.

You can subscribe to this weekly update at www.thewholenote.com/newsletter.

DETAILED DAILY LISTINGS, Thur Dec 18 - Thu Dec 25

Dec 18 12:00_noon: Canadian Opera Company. Vocal Series: Northern Lights. Ola Gjeilo: Northern Lights; Andrew Balfour: Wyandot’s Realm; and works by Bev Lewis, Katharine Petkovski, and other celebrated Canadian women composers. Cantala Choir. Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. www.coc.ca/freeconcerts. Free. Please check website for any programming updates.

Dec 18 5:30: Canadian Opera Company/Union Station. Opera Express: Holiday Edition. Favourite holiday classics reimagined through movement, visual art, and song. Annemarie Cabri, Isabella Fassler, and Timothy Cheung (COC Teaching Artists); Ross Mortimer (COC Chorus Member); Alex Hetherington (past COC Ensemble Studio artist). Union Station - West Wing, 65 Front St. W. Free.

Dec 18 7:00: 918 Bathurst Centre for Culture, Arts, Media & Education. Windsor Johnson: Feeled Notes - A Nature-Themed Piano Recital. Solo piano music of Chopin, Debussy, Schubert/Liszt and Hania Rani as well as his own compositions & transcriptions. Windsor Johnson, piano. 918 Bathurst Centre for Culture, Arts, Media and Education, 918 Bathurst St. www.feelednotespianorecital.eventbrite.com. $40(at door); $35(adv); $25(st with valid ID) by cash(preferred) or e-transfer.

Dec 18 7:00: Caliban Arts Theatre. An Evening of Caribbean Jazz Fusion: Eddie Bullen, Etric Lyons & Guests. CONTXT by Trane, 254 Lansdowne Ave. Visit CONTXT by Trane. $25/$15(adv). Also Nov 20, 27, Dec 4, 11.

Dec 18 7:30: Array Productions. Playscape Emporium: Theatrics. Frederic Rzewski: Fall of the Empire; Domenic Clarke: Adore; Raymond Luedeke: Garbage Delight. Curated by Duo Cichorim with guests: Hee-Soo Yoon, Toronto Saxophone Collective, Trevor Flemings, and Domenic Clarke. Array Space, 155 Walnut Ave. www.tickettailor.com/events/arraymusic1/1883790. Live: $25 or Pay What You Want; Livestream: $12 or Pay What You Want.

Dec 18 7:30: Brott Music Festival. Handel's Messiah. Arcady Singers; National Academy Orchestra of Canada; Tania Miller, conductor. Burlington Performing Arts Centre, 440 Locust St., Burlington. 905-525-7664. From $25.

Dec 18 7:30: FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre. Jann Arden Christmas Tour. FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre - Cairns Recital Hall, 250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines. www.firstontariopac.ca. From $90.

Dec 18 7:30: Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra. Handel: Messiah. Stephanie True, soprano; Krisztina Szabó, mezzo; Nicholas Scott, tenor; Jonathan Woody, bass-baritone; Tafelmusik Chamber Choir; Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra; Ivars Taurins, director. Royal Conservatory of Music - TELUS Centre - Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208 or www.tafelmusik.org. $45. Also Dec 19 & 20.

Dec 18 8:00: Flato Markham Theatre. Leahy: Celtic Roots and Christmas Cheer. 171 Town Centre Blvd., Markham. 905-305-7469 or www.flatomarkhamtheatre.ca.

Dec 18 8:00: Hugh's Room. A Soulful Christmas Featuring Quisha Wint, Michael Dunston, and Sean Jones. Hugh's Room Live - Green Sanderson Hall, 296 Broadview Ave. Visit A Soulful Christmas. $40; $20(st/arts workers/underemployed).

Dec 18 8:00: Massey Hall. Classic Albums Live: Pink Floyd - Animals. 178 Victoria St. www.tickets.mhrth.com/6887/6891. From $59.

Dec 19 11:00am: Roy Thomson Hall. Free Noon Choir & Organ Concert Series: Orpheus Choir of Toronto - Merry & Bright. 60 Simcoe St. www.tickets.mhrth.com or 416-598-3375. Free.

Dec 19 7:30: Cuckoo's Nest Folk Club. Pub Caroling with Paul Grambo & Steve Holowitz. Chaucer's Pub, 122 Carling St., London. 519-319-5847 or folk@iandavies.com. Tickets available at Marienbad Restaurant, Chaucer's Pub, Grooves (Wortley Village), Long & McQuade North. Suggested donation: $10.

Dec 19 7:30: Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra. Handel: Messiah. See Dec 18. Also Dec 20.

Dec 19 7:30: Toronto Bandura Festival. Bandura on Bloor 2025 Concert Series - Christmas Special. Banduralicious, Bandura Trio, and Solomia Shevchuk. Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. 416-845-2691 or www.torontobandurafestival.ca. $25(Early Bird); $35(Regular); $30(sr/under 30); Free(under 12). Partial net proceeds will sponsor scholarships to the Litnia Zustrich Bandura Camp for Ukrainian children who have moved to Canada due to the war in Ukraine.

Dec 19 7:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Messiah. See Dec 17. Also Dec 20(7:30pm), 21(3pm).

Dec 19 8:00: Collective Concerts. Christmas Hour with Noah Reid. Massey Hall, 178 Victoria St. www.tickets.mhrth.com/7108/7109. From $68.

Dec 19 8:00: Hugh's Room. Global Holiday. Hugh's Room Live - Green Sanderson Hall, 296 Broadview Ave. www.showpass.com/global-holiday. $40.

Dec 20 11:00am: Hugh's Room. A Charlie Brown Christmas. Hugh's Room Live - Green Sanderson Hall, 296 Broadview Ave. www.showpass.com/charlie-brown-christmas-1100am. $35; $100(Family). Also 5pm & 8pm.

Dec 20 2:00: Massey Hall. CHOIR! CHOIR! CHOIR! Un-Silent Night: An Epic Holiday Singalong. 178 Victoria St. www.tickets.mhrth.com. From $53. Also 8pm.

Dec 20 2:00: Music Around the Corner. A Cozy Concert @ Glad Day Lit. Works by Ravel, Reena Esmail, and Francis Malka. Emma Meinrenken & Diane Kim, violin; Lynn Sue-A-Quan, viola; Joanne Yesol Choi, cello. Glad Day Lit, 32 Lisgar St. www.musicaroundthecorner.com/event-list. $30; $18(st).

Dec 20 3:00: Chorus Niagara. Children's Messiah. Caitlin Wood, soprano; Daniel Cabena, counter-tenor; Asitha Tennekoon, tenor; Korin Thomas-Smith, bass; Chorus Niagara Children's Choir; Monica Dufault, narrator; Krista Rhodes, organ; Vlad Soloviev, harpsichord; Concordo Orchestra. FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre - Partridge Hall, 250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines. www.firstontariopac.ca. $68(Diamond); $52(adult); $48(sr); $35(under 35) $15(university/college st/child under 15); $5(highschool st with valid ID). Also 7:30pm.

Dec 20 3:00: The Edison Singers. The Wonder of Christmas. Christmas carols. St. Andrew's United Church, 95 Darling St., Brantford. 226-384-9300 or www.theedisonsingers.com/performances. $40; $40(sr); $20(st); $10(child). Also Dec 22(5pm) - Knox Presbyterian Church, Elora.

Dec 20 5:00: Hugh's Room. A Charlie Brown Christmas. See 11am. Also 8pm.

Dec 20 7:30: Chorus Niagara. Handel's Messiah. See 3pm.

Dec 20 7:30: Flato Markham Theatre. The Wonderful World of Christmas - Graceland Edition. Celebrating the music of Elvis Presley. Steve Michaels, vocalist. 171 Town Centre Blvd., Markham. 905-305-7469 or www.flatomarkhamtheatre.ca. From $78.

Dec 20 7:30: Forte - Toronto Gay Men's Chorus. Warm for December: Warm Songs for a Cold World. Conrad Susa: Carols & Lullabies - Christmas in the Southwest; Britten: "There Is No Rose" & "This Little Babe" from A Ceremony of Carols Op.28. Jeff MacLean, piano; Heidi Bearcroft, harp; Don MacDonald, guitar; Bryan La, marimba; Ed Connell, artistic director & conductor. Trinity St. Paul's United Church and Centre for Faith, Justice and the Arts, 427 Bloor St. W. 647-483-6199 or www.fortechorus.com. $40; $30(Early Bird).

Dec 20 7:30: Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra. Handel: Messiah. See Dec 18.

Dec 20 7:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Messiah. See Dec 19. Also Dec 21(3pm).

Dec 20 7:30: VOCA Chorus of Toronto. Winter's Light. Seasonal songs including world premieres by Canadian composers Sarah Quartel & Mark Sirett. Jenny Crober, director; Dakota Scott-Digout, collaborative pianist; Sybil Shanahan, cello; Jamie Drake, percussion; Shawn Grenke, organ. Eglinton St. George's United Church, 35 Lytton Blvd. www.vocachorus.ca. $35; $20(st).

Dec 20 8:00: Batuki Music Society. The Rhythm Section Band Concert - Ghanaian Highlife Music. The Rhythm Section: Dally Dominic, bass guitar; Kofi Ackah, drums; Quandoe Harrison, keyboards; George Kobby, vocals, Gabriel Amankwah, keyboards; Daniel Boateng, lead guitar. It's OK Studios, 468 Queen St. W. www.Rhythm20DEC25.eventbrite.ca. $25(door); $20(adv).

Dec 20 8:00: Brampton On Stage. High Priest Reggae Fest Featuring Exco Levi. A night of reggae rhythm, culture, and conscious music. Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre Ln., Brampton. 905-874-2800 or www.tickets.brampton.ca. From $20.

Dec 20 8:00: Caliban Arts Theatre. Black Underground 30th Anniversary Soul Vocals Series: Double Tribute to Teddy Pendergrass and Barry White. Carlos Morgan, lead vocals; Coco LaRaine, guest vocalist; Omar Martin, guitar; Kirk Grange, keyboards; Anthony Wisdom, bass; Taijon Williams, drums. 918 Bathurst Centre for Culture, Arts, Media and Education, 918 Bathurst St. www.tickets.contxtbytrane.com/events/contxtbytrane/1808178. $30(adv); $45(door).

Dec 20 8:00: Hugh's Room. A Charlie Brown Christmas. See 11am.

Dec 20 8:00: Massey Hall. CHOIR! CHOIR! CHOIR! Un-Silent Night: An Epic Holiday Singalong. 178 Victoria St. www.tickets.mhrth.com. From $53. Also 2pm.

Dec 21 2:00: Bernard Betel Centre. Edith Piaf & French Love Songs. Janette & Friends from One of a Kind Concerts. 1003 Steeles Ave W. 416-225-2112 X103. $15(member); $25(non member).

Dec 21 2:00: Mississauga Big Band Jazz Ensemble. Jazz at the Legion. Denise Leslie, vocalist. Royal Canadian Legion Branch 82, 35 Front St. N., Port Credit. friends@mbbje.com or 905-270-4757. PWYC.

Dec 21 2:00: Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra. Singalong Messiah. Stephanie True, soprano; Krisztina Szabó, mezzo; Nicholas Scott, tenor; Jonathan Woody, bass-baritone; Tafelmusik Chamber Choir; Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra; Mr. Handel, director. Massey Hall, 178 Victoria St. 416-408-0208 or www.tafelmusik.org. $45.

Dec 21 3:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. VOCES8. Royal Conservatory of Music - TELUS Centre - Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208 or www.rcmusic.com/performance. From $65 - SOLD OUT!. Also 7pm.

Dec 21 3:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Messiah. See Dec 19.

Dec 21 4:00: Aurora United Church. Carols by Candlelight. Aurora United Church Chancel Choir; Handbell Ensembles; The Aldbury Gardens Brass Quintet; Wesley Bells, violin. 79 Victoria St., Aurora. 905-727-1935. Freewill offering. Also 7:30pm.

Dec 21 4:30: Yorkminster Park Baptist Church. Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. In the tradition of King’s College, Cambridge. Yorkminster Park Choir; William Maddox, organ & director; Sharon Beckstead, associate musician. Yorkminster Park Baptist Church 1585 Yonge St. www.yorkminsterpark.com. Free.

Dec 21 5:00: Nocturnes in the City. Czecho-Slovak Dixieland and Pre-Christmas Jazz. St. Wenceslaus Church, 496 Gladstone Ave. 416-481-7294. $25.

Dec 21 6:30: Jazz Bistro. A Jewish Boy's Christmas. Sam Broverman & Whitney Ross-Barris, JBC Philharmonic Orchestra (Peter Mill, piano; Jordan O'Connor, bass; Tony Quarrington; guitar). 251 Victoria St. 416-363-5299. $20 cover charge.

Dec 21 7:00: Brampton On Stage. Re-Imagined: A Holiday Affair Featuring Divine Brown. Celebrate the holiday season with host Darryn de Souza and the sensational Divine Brown. Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre Ln., Brampton. 905-874-2800 or www.tickets.brampton.ca. From $25.

Dec 21 7:30: Aurora United Church. Carols by Candlelight. See 4pm.

Dec 21 7:30: Royal Conservatory of Music. VOCES8. See 3pm. Tickets available.

Dec 21 7:39: FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre. A Next Generation Leahy Christmas. FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre - Partridge Hall, 250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines. www.firstontariopac.ca. From $36.

Dec 21 8:00: Victoria Scholars Men's Choral Ensemble. O Night Divine. Ring in the Yuletide with the Victoria Scholars as they present a concert of carols from Christmas past and present by composers from Canada and around the world. St. Leo's Catholic Church, 277 Royal York Rd., Etobicoke. 416-476-4078. $30; $25(sr/st).

Dec 22 5:00: The Edison Singers. The Wonder of Christmas. Christmas carols. Knox Presbyterian Church, 51 Church St., Elora. 226-384-9300 or www.theedisonsingers.com/performances/. $45; $40(sr); $20(st); $10(child).

Dec 22 8:00: Roy Thomson Hall. Canadian Brass: Home for the Holidays. 60 Simcoe St. www.tickets.mhrth.com or 416-598-3375. From $53.

Dec 24 4:30: Christ Church Deer Park. A Jazzy Christmas. 1570 Yonge St. 416-920-5211 or www.christchurchdeerpark.org. Free. Everyone welcome. Donations to support Christ Church Deer Park are appreciated.

Dec 24 9:30: Christ Church Deer Park. Carols with Choir. 1570 Yonge St. 416-920-5211 or www.christchurchdeerpark.org. Free. Everyone welcome. Donations to support Christ Church Deer Park are appreciated.

Dec 24 10:00: Christ Church Deer Park. Traditional Christmas Eve Service. 1570 Yonge St. 416-920-5211 or www.christchurchdeerpark.org. Free. Everyone welcome. Donations to support Christ Church Deer Park are appreciated.

Dec 25 10:00am: Christ Church Deer Park. Christmas Morning Service. 1570 Yonge St. 416-920-5211 or www.christchurchdeerpark.org. Free. Everyone welcome. Donations to support Christ Church Deer Park are appreciated.

ADVANCE LISTINGS,  Fri Dec 26 - Sun Dec 28

Dec 27 7:30: Music Around the Corner. A Cozy Concert @ Youthful Vengeance. Emma Meinrenken & Diane Kim, violin; Lynn Sue-A-Quan, viola; Joanne Yesol Choi, cello. Youthful Vengeance, 1110 Dundas St. W. www.musicaroundthecorner.com/event-list. $30; $18(st).

Dec 27 8:00: Hugh's Room. Suzie Vinnick. Hugh's Room Live - Green Sanderson Hall, 296 Broadview Ave. www.showpass.com/suzie-vinnick-3. $35; $17(st/arts workers/underemployed).

Dec 28 8:00am: Christ Church Deer Park. Sunday Morning Worship. 1570 Yonge St. 416-920-5211 or www.christchurchdeerpark.org. Free. Everyone welcome. Donations to support Christ Church Deer Park are appreciated. Also 9:15am & 10:30am.

Dec 28 2:30: Attila Glatz Concert Productions. Salute to Vienna New Year's Concert 2026. FirstOntario Concert Hall, 1 Summers Ln., Hamilton. 905-546-3100 or Salute to Vienna New Year's Concert 2026 - Hamilton. From $49.

Dec 28 8:00: Hugh's Room. Dr. Draw & The Strange Parade. Hugh's Room Live - Green Sanderson Hall, 296 Broadview Ave. www.hughsroomlive.com. From $20. 

ETCETERAS

The ETCETERAS are listings for date-related events - live and virtual - that are of musical interest but which are not performances. This includes, for example, conferences and symposia, masterclasses, workshops, and film screenings. Just like our daily concert listings, the ETCETERAS are updated weekly online, and are free of charge. Please contact our listings team for more information at etc@thewholenote.com.

Please note that the ETCETERAS do not include audition and recruitment notices or job postings.To promote these opportunities, please contact advertising@thewholenote.com.

Dec 21 1:30: Toronto Early Music Players Organization (TEMPO). Merry Meters! - Renaissance Christmas Tunes in Two and Three. Step into the festive spirit with a playful workshop exploration of Renaissance carol settings. Discover how familiar seasonal melodies like “Puer nobis nascitur” and “Vom Himmel hoch” are cleverly reimagined through shifting meters, moving gracefully between duple and triple time. Avery Maclean, session leader. Grace Church on-the-Hill, 300 Lonsdale Rd. www.tempotoronto.net or info@tempotoronto.net. $20 for non-members.

MUSICAL THEATRE

Bad Hats Theatre. Narnia. Adapted & directed by Fiona Sauder. Music and lyrics by Landon Doak. Young Centre for the Performing Arts, Baillie Theatre, 50 Tankhouse Lane. www.tickets.youngcentre.ca. To Dec 28.

Drayton Entertainment. Shrek The Musical. Hamilton Family Theatre, Cambridge, 46 Grand Ave S, Cambridge. Visit Drayton - Shrek the Musical. To Dec 28.

Drayton Entertainment. Cinderella: The Panto. St. Jacobs Country Playhouse, 40 Benjamin Rd., Waterloo. www.draytonentertainment.com. To Jan 4.

Elgin Wintergarden Theatre Centre/Canadian Stage. Robin Hood: A Very Merry Family Musical. Recommended for ages 3 and up. Winter Garden Theatre, 189 Yonge St. www.my.canadianstage.com. To Jan 4.

Factory Theatre. Holiday! An Improvised Musical. Directed by Jan Caruana. Factory Theatre, 125 Bathurst St. Visit Holiday! An Improved Musical. Dec 10-20.

Grand Theatre. Disney’s Frozen: The Broadway Musical. Grand Theatre, 471 Richmond St., London. www.grandtheatre.com/event/frozen. To Dec 28.

Mirvish. & Juliet. Created by Canadian David West Read and starring an all-Canadian cast featuring Vanessa Sears and George Krissa with songs from the catalogue of Max Martin. Royal Alexandra Theatre, 260 King St. W. www.mirvish.com. To Mar 3.Extended to May 17

Mirvish. Some Like It Hot. CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre, 244 Victoria St. www.mirvish.com. Feb 10-Mar 15.

Mirvish. We Will Rock You The Musical. By Queen and Ben Elton. CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre, 244 Victoria St. www.mirvish.com. To Jan 18.

Royal Theatre. The Unauthorized Hallmark(ish) Parody Musical. Written by Tim Drucker & Bonnie Milligan. Music by Joel Waggoner. Lyrics by Tim Drucker, Bonnie Milligan & Joel Waggoner. 608 College St. www.hallmarkish.com. To Jan 4.

Shaw Festival. A Christmas Carol. By Charles Dickens. Adapted for the stage by Tim Carroll. Royal George Theatre,  85 Queen St., Niagara-on-the-Lake. To Dec 21.

Shaw Festival. Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin. Book by David Ives and Paul Blake. Festival Theatre, 10 Queen's Parade, Niagara-on-the-Lake. To Dec 21. 

Soulpepper Theatre. ’Twas on a Night Like This. Created by Beau Dixon. Michael Young Theatre, Young Centre for the Performing Arts, Baillie Theatre, 50 Tankhouse Lane. www.soulpepper.ca/performances/on-a-night-like-this. To Dec 28.

Theatre Aquarius. Disney’s Frozen: The Broadway Musical. 190 King William St., Hamilton. www.theatreaquarius.org/events/disneys-frozen-the-broadway-musical. To Dec 21.

Yes Theatre, Sudbury. Annie. www.yestheatre.com/main-stage-2025/annie. To Dec 22.

Young People’s Theatre. Shrek The Musical. Ada Slaight Stage, 165 Front St. E. www.youngpeoplestheatre.org/shows-tickets/shrek-the-musical. To Dec 30.