Galas and Fundraisers
May 05 7:30: Kenneth G. Mills Foundation. Poetry and Singer-Songwriter Gala. Featuring the winners of the Kenneth G. Mills Prizes for students. Special guest singer: Adanya Dunn. Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. $15; $10(under 18).
May 09 6:00: VIVA! Youth Singers of Toronto. Ensemble ...Together: Gala Dinner & Concert Fundraising Event. Featuring VIVA!’s Chamber Choir and guest artists Emma Hannan, soprano; Laura McAlpine, mezzo; and Cory Knight, tenor, singing in ensembles with soloists from the VIVA! choirs. Tickets online at vivayouthsingers.com. 416-788-8482. $135.
May 17 9:00: Canadian Opera Conpany. Operanation. Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-363-8231. $150.
May 27 3:00: Toronto Early Music Players Organization. Annual Fundraising Tea and Silent Auction. Live music, free food and beverages. CDs, books, and sheet music for sale. Grace Church on-the-Hill, 300 Lonsdale Rd. 416-779-5750. Admission PWYC. Suggested donation $10.
Lectures, Salons and Symposia
May 02 7:00: Tafelmusik. The Listening Club: Blurring the Boundaries. Baroque composers who “sit outside the box”. Dr. Hannah French, moderator; Patrick G. Jordan, piano. Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor St. W. 416-964-6337. $25.
May 02 7:30: TD Niagara Jazz Festival. Discover Jazz. Presented by Mark Micklethwaite. Niagara-on-the-Lake Public Library, 10 Anderson Lane, Niagara-on-the-Lake. 905-468-2023. Free.
May 06 2:00: Toronto Opera Club. Guest speaker: David Fallis. The First Great Opera: Monteverdi’s Orfeo. Room 330, Faculty of Music, Edward Johnson Bldg. 80 Queen’s Park Cr. W. 416-914-3940. $10.
May 06 5:00: Nocturnes in the City. 100 Years of Famous Czech Operas. Audiovisual presentation. Iain Scott, opera educator. Restaurant Praha, Masaryktown, 450 Scarborough Golf Club Rd. 416-481-7294. $25; $15(st).
May 08 7:30: The Toronto Chapter of the Duke Ellington Society. Montgomery’s Inn, corner of Dundas St. W. and Islington Ave. Anyone interested in Ellington’s music and his contributions to the art of jazz is welcome. Information at torontodukeellingtonsociety.com or 416-239-2683. Membership fee is $35 per person or $50 per couple, with one free initial visit.
May 12 11:00am: Toronto Bach Festival. Bach and Schütz as Musical Religious Thinkers. Public lecture. Michael Marissen, Swathmore College, Bach scholar. Holy Family Roman Catholic Church, 1372 King St. W. 416-466-8241. Free.
May 16 7:00: Alliance Française. What Was So Scandalous about The Rite Of Spring?. Premiered in 1913 at the posh Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, The Rite of Spring sparked the most famous scandal in the history of dance. This talk will examine what happened on the night of May 29th and why it happened at all. Sarah Gutsche-Miller, Assistant Professor of Musicology at the University of Toronto. Organized in parallel with a concert featuring The Rite of Spring performed by Katia and Marielle Labèque (a piano duet) on Sunday, May 27, 2018, at 3 pm at the Royal Conservatory of Music. Lecture at Spadina Theatre, 24 Spadina Rd. Information at www.alliance-francaise.ca/en/calendar/05/2018.
May 20 2:00: Classical Music Club Toronto. Kent Nagano: Beethoven Symphony Cycle. This May there is a rare opportunity to hear a number of Beethoven’s symphonies performed over a short period of time by the same orchestra. L’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal under its Music Director Kent Nagano will perform Symphonies Nos. 2-8 between May 27 and 31. We will listen to a selection of recordings by this orchestra and conductor. For information and location contact John Sharpe: 416-898-2549. Annual membership: $25(regular); $10(sr/st). Free for first-time visitors. Donations accepted for refreshments.
May 25 12:00_noon: Estonian Music Week. EE Meets CA: Building Bridges in Music. The seminar will offer opportunities for Estonian and Canadian professional musicians, music promoters, and others in the music industry to exchange information about the creative industry economy and make new contacts with top industry professionals. The seminar will also feature the music stories and industry insights of singer songwriter Kerli, a well-known Estonian artist and public figure whose music has had great success worldwide. Tartu College, 310 Bloor St. W. estononianmusicweek.ca. Advance registration required.
May 28 10:00am: Jewish Music Week. Salome: Between Scandal and Song. Lecture by Samantha Madison Cooper on the Jewish reaction to Richard Strauss’s opera, Salome, which premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 1907. An audiovisual journey through archival findings, shedding light on Americanization, anti-Semitism, self-hatred, Jewish humour and authentic immigrant experience. Jacob Family Theatre, Posluns Auditorium at Baycrest, 3560 Bathurst St. 416-638-4492. Free.
May 30 10:00am: Jewish Music Week. The Lady Gaga of Hasidic Music (Lipa Schmeltzer). Dr. Jessica Roda explores the politics of pop stars in religious settings. Markham Street Synagogue (Shaarei Tzedec), 397 Markham St. 416-638-4492. Free.
May 30 10:00am: Jewish Music Week. The Adon Olam Lecture. Cantor Benjamin Maissner shares and explores the famous Jewish hymn Adon Olam from antiquity through the Renaissance, Classical and Romantic periods, and opens our eyes (and ears) to a new world of Adon Olam. Featuring Nadia Adler, piano. Barbara Frum Library Auditorium, 20 Covington Rd., 3rd Floor. 416-638-4492. Free.
May 31 10:00am: Jewish Music Week. Bach, Anti-Semitism, and the Novel And after the Fire. Presented in partnership with the Association for Jewish Libraries in Ontario. Some of Bach’s cantatas contain anti-Semitic elements. Explored in And after the Fire, a novel by Lauren Belfer, she fictionalizes a Bach cantata and its history to the present day. Cynthia Good discusses the novel, the role of women musicians in the 1800s, and the separating of artist from the art. Bernard Betel Centre, 1003 Steeles Ave. W. 416-638-4492. Free.
Jun 01 10:00am: Jewish Music Week. The Record Men. Alan Edelstein introduces the Jewish businessmen who played prominent roles creating early rhythm and blues and rock ‘n’ roll. Featuring three of the most important – The Chess Brothers of Chess Records in Chicago, Art Rupe of Specialty Records in Los Angeles, and Syd Nathan of King/Federal in Cincinnati. Jazz FM91 Studioo, 4 Pardee Ave, Suite 100, Liberty Village (south of King). 416-638-4492. Free (ticket required).
June 03 2:00: Toronto Opera Club. Is The Internet Destroying Opera? Guest speaker: Robert Harris. Room 330, Faculty of Music, Edward Johnson Building. 80 Queen’s Park Cr. W. 416-914-3940. $10.
Masterclasses
Labyrinth Musical Workshop Ontario presents a series of Mon-Fri masterclass workshops at 232 Playter Cr. Each workshop is $600. For more information or to register, visit labyrinthontario.com or call 647-702-8680. Each week-long workshop is $600.
May 7-11 10am: Arabic Music Theory Workshop with George Sawa.
May 7-11 10am: Cretan Lyra Workshop with Kelly Thoma.
May 7-11 10am: Modal Music Composition with Ross Daly.
May 14-18 10am: Azeri Kamancha Workshop with Imamyar Hasanov.
May 14-18 10am: Kurdish Tanbur Workshop with Ali Akbar Moradi.
May 14-18 10am: Tombak and Rhythm Workshop with Pedram Khavarzamini.
May 21-25 10am: Afghan Rabab Workshop with Qureishi.
May 21-25 10am: Iranian Tar and Radif (Theory) Workshop with Araz Salek.
May 21-25 10am: Turkish Bağlama Workshop with Ahmet Ihvani.
May 28-June 1 10am: Arabic ‘Oud Workshop with Bassam Bishara.
May 28-June 1 10am: Bulgarian Singing Workshop with Tzvetanka Varimezova.
For concerts in which these workshop leaders are performing, please see Section A – Concerts in the GTA.
May 19 10:00am: Christian Howes and Victoria Yeh. Creative Strings Two-Day Workshop. Intensive two-day conference with masterclasses, group lessons and ensemble coaching for bowed string performers and teachers. Hosts: Christian Howes, violin; Victoria Yeh, violin. 401 Richmond, 401 Richmond Street West. 416-799-0737. $500. Workshop runs May 19 and 20.
Screenings
May 5 6:15pm Hot Docs Festival/Small World Music. Gurrumul. Blind from birth, Indigenous singer/songwriter Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu is regarded as one of the most important artists ever to come out of Australia. He captivated audiences across the globe, playing for such luminaries as the Queen and Barack Obama. Using concert footage and home videos, director Paul Damien Williams delivers a poignant portrait of a complex artist who left us just as the rest of the world was about to embrace him. ScotiaBank Theatre, Cinema 13, 295 Richmond St. W. 416-368-5600. $15.
May 28 1:00: Jewish Music Week. Stan Getz in Israel: A Musical Odyssey. Jazz saxophone virtuoso Stan Getz on his historical 1977 three-week tour of Israel. Jacob Family Theatre, Posluns Auditorium at Baycrest, 3560 Bathurst St. 416-638-4492. Free.
May 28 1:00: Jewish Music Week. Orchestra of Exiles. The fascinating story of the creation of the Israel Philharmonic. Jacob Family Theatre, Posluns Auditorium at Baycrest, 3560 Bathurst St. 416-638-4492. Free.
Sing-alongs, Jams, Circles
May 26 7:00: Toronto Gilbert and Sullivan Society. Singalong of The Pirates of Penzance. All welcome. Bring a score if you have one. Refreshments provided. St. Andrew’s Church, 117 Bloor St. E. Free parking below church off Hayden Street. For further info, call Sheryl at 416-763-0832. $5 for non-members.
Tours
May 6 10:30am: Canadian Opera Company. 90-Minute Tour of the Four Seasons Centre. Led by a trained docent. Includes information and access to the Isadore and Rosalie Sharp City Room, the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre and R. Fraser Elliott Hall, as well as backstage areas such as the wig rooms and dressing rooms, the orchestra pit, and other spaces that only a stage door pass could unlock. Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-363-8231. coc.ca. $20(adults); $15(sr/st). Also May 13 & 20.
Workshops
May 04 7:30: Toronto Recorder Players Society. Renaissance and Baroque workshop for recorders and other early instruments. Mount Pleasant Road Baptist Church, 527 Mount. Pleasant Rd. at Belsize Dr. Bring your recorders and music stand. 416-480-1853. Guests $15.
May 06 1:30: Toronto Early Music Players Organization. Workshop Coached by Recorder Player Francis Colpron. Armour Heights Community Centre, 2140 Avenue Rd. Bring your early instruments and a music stand. 416-779-5750. www.tempotoronto.net. $20
May 12 10:30am: Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Singsation Saturday. Join other enthusiastic singers for a fun choral workshop. Sing through some great Romantic repertoire, including works by Bruckner, Mendelssohn and Vaughan Williams under the direction of acclaimed conductor David Fallis. Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, Cameron Hall, 1585 Yonge St. (1 block north of Yonge and St. Clair). $10, includes refreshments. Register at the door. www.tmchoir.org/singsation-saturdays
May 25 9:30am: SING! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival. School Day Workshop Program. Music students from grades 7-12 will experience an unforgettable day of musical education led by international vocal group Rockapella. Little Trinity Church, 425 King St. E. $30.
May 25 7:30: Toronto Recorder Players Society. Renaissance and Baroque workshop for recorders and other early instruments. Coach: Janos Ungvary. Mount Pleasant Road Baptist Church, 527 Mount. Pleasant Rd. at Belsize Dr. Bring your recorders and music stand. 416-480-1853. Guests $15.
May 26 12:00_noon: SING! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival. SING! and Learn: Public Workshops. Interactive workshops facilitated by expert performers and coaches guide professional and amateur singers alike in the art of vocal technique, performance, and group leadership and collaboration. Led by Rockapella, the House Jacks, and a barbershop session! St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, Jane Mallett Theatre, 27 Front St. E. 416-366-1656. $40; $15(workshop day pass).
May 26 3:00: The Music Gallery. Deep Listening Intensive. Featuring Anne Bourne. This session opens up the airy, light-filled environs of 918 Bathurst’s Sun Room to the public for a springtime celebration and/or contemplation. Bourne will lead participants in experiential listening meditations and sounding pieces composed by Pauline Oliveros. 918 Bathurst, The Sun Room, 918 Bathurst St. 416-204-1080. Free.
May 28 12:30: Estonian Music Week. Kadri Voorand Jazz Singing Workshop. Focusing on creating original ideas, the voice as a physical movement, and lyrics used as a tool to work with original sound. Tartu College, 310 Bloor St. W. For information and registration please contact Piret Noorhani at piret.noorhani@vemu.ca.
Jun 03 2:00: CAMMAC Toronto Region. Reading for Singers and Instrumentalists. Mozart: Opera choruses from La Clemenza di Tito, The Abduction from the Seraglio, Idomeneo, and The Magic Flute. Erna Van Daele, conductor. Christ Church Deer Park, 1570 Yonge St. 416-482-6562. $10; $6(members).
