Film Screenings
May 04 7:30: St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Islington. Saturday Night at the Movies. Accompanied by featured organist Thomas Gonder. St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Islington. 3962 Bloor St. W., Etobicoke. Free parking at rear. Refreshments. Contact 416-231-4014 or saintmatts.ca. Admission $10 at the door.
May 27 12:45pm: Jewish Music Week in Toronto. Fiddler on the Roof Singalong. You know the story, you love the songs! Now’s your chance to sing along with Tevye, Tzeitel, Lazar Wolf and the rest of the villagers in Anatevke. Based on the Broadway musical, this award-winning classic film features songs by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick. With words projected on the screen, it’s easy to sing out with the rest of the audience to Matchmaker, To Life, Sunrise Sunset and, of course, Tradition! Introduction and behind-the-scenes trivia by Aliza Spiro. Jacob Family Theatre in the Posluns Auditorium, Baycrest Centre, 3560 Bathurst St. 2nd floor. 416-638-4492. Free admission.
Galas and Fundraisers
May 04 2:30: Music4Life Ensemble. Music for a Cure. Forest Brook Community Church, 60 Kearney Dr., Ajax. $15; $10(sr); $10(st); free(child 12 and under); $50(Music4Life Supporter); $25(Music4Life Supporter). Benefit concert for Cystic Fibrosis Canada. Free post-concert reception.
May 05 3:00: Klaritas Vocal Ensemble. A Concert for Charity. Works by Latvian and Canadian composers, including Ēriks Ešenvalds, Tālivaldis Ķeniņš, Erika Yost, Rita Strautiņš and others. Klaritas Vocal Ensemble; The Hamilton Men’s Ensemble. Christ Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church, 18 Victoria Ave. S., Hamilton. For information: 416-346-1955. Admission by donation (suggested minimum of $20). All proceeds will provide aid to needy seniors in Latvia and contribute to the Hamilton church’s renovation fund.
May 05 2:00: Corey Gemmell, Tom Mueller & Friends. Bach, Beethoven and Die Bande: A Fund-Raising Recital for Orchestra Toronto. Bach: Suite for Solo Cello No.1 in G BWV1007; Solo Violin No.1 in g BWV1001; Beethoven: Septet in E-Flat Op.20 for violin, viola, cello, bass, clarinet, horn and bassoon. Tom Mueller, cello; Corey Gemmell, violin; special guests from Orchestra Toronto. Gallery 345, 345 Sorauren Ave. 416-467-7142. $50; $90(for 2). Concert to benefit Orchestra Toronto. Cash bar; cash raffle.
May 11 1:00: Recollectiv. Sing It Again!: A Fundraising Concert. An afternoon of song with Recollectiv, Heather Bambrick (host), and other musical guests. Raffle and cash bar. Tranzac Club, 292 Brunswick Ave. Information and tickets at recollectiv.ca
May 16 9:00: Canadian Opera Company. Operanation. Open bar, hors d’oeuvres, and entertainment. VIP dinner currently sold out with a wait list. Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. (at University Ave.). Tickets at operanation.ca or 416-363-8231. $150.
May 23 6:00: People for Education. Telling Tales Out of School. A gala benefit to support People for Education. Includes beverages, hors d’oeuvres, admission to gala performance, live and silent auctions. Elvira Kurt, host; Sofia Kay, singer/songwriter; Sharon and Bram; and other performers. Streetcar Crowsnest Theatre, 345 Carlaw Ave. 416-534-0100 or peopleforeducation.ca/events/telling-tales/. $125; $100 (per ticket, two or more).
Jun 02 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. Parish Hall, Grace Church on-the-Hill, 300 Lonsdale Rd. For information call 416-779-5750. Admission PWYC. Suggested donation $10.
Lectures, Salons and Symposia
May 06 7:00: Canadian Opera Company/Woodbridge Library. Opera Talks: La Bohème. A 60-minute lecture with musicologist Margaret Cormier providing an insider’s look at the music. You’ll learn about what makes La Bohème one of the world’s most loved operas. Woodbridge Library, 150 Woodbridge Ave., Woodbridge. Advanced registration is recommended by calling the Woodbridge Library branch of the Vaughan Public Library at 905-653-7323. Free.
May 07 7:30: The Heliconian Club. The Joy of Singing. Presented by Stephanie Bogle. In this interactive lecture Stephanie will talk about her career in Europe, and then get people to participate in some vocal exercises and talk about vocal technique, style and health. Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazleton Ave. 416-922-3618. heliconianclub.org. Tickets $25, children under 12 free when accompanied by an adult.
May 12 7:00: Canadian Opera Company. Staging Othello and Otello with the Stratford Festival. Explore the story of Othello as told through Shakespeare’s Othello and Verdi’s Otello in partnership with the Stratford Festival. Shakespeare scholar Jane Freeman investigates how Shakespeare, Verdi, and the artists performing each work employ the tools of their respective crafts to convey the human character. Learn how each genre’s unique qualities lend themselves to telling the world’s grandest narratives. Education Centre, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. (at University Ave.). Reserve tickets in advance at coc.ca/OperaInsights or at 416-363-8231. Free.
May 19 2:00: Classical Music Club Toronto. Verdi’s Otello. In conjunction with the Canadian Opera Company’s current production, our program will survey a number of audio and video recordings. For further information, visit classicalmusicclubtoronto.org or contact John Sharpe at 416-898-2549 or torontoshi@sympatico.ca. Annual membership: $25(regular); $10(sr/st). Free for first-time visitors. Donations accepted for refreshments.
May 19 2:00: Toronto Opera Club. Johannes Debus, Music Director, Canadian Opera Company, guest speaker. Edward Johnson Bldg., Faculty of Music, 80 Queens Park, Room 330. 416-924-3940. $10.
May 25 3:30: Toronto Bach Festival. Bach and the French Style. Lecture featuring Dr. Ellen Exner. Discover more about how Bach’s exposure to the French Style as a young musician shaped his compositional approach across many genres. St. Barnabas-on-the-Danforth, 361 Danforth Ave. 416-466-8241 or info@torontobachfestival.org. Free.
May 27 10:00am: Jewish Music Week in Toronto. The Hallel Lecture. Cantor Benjamin Maissner shares everything you want to know about Hallel, the beautiful psalms recited on joyous festivals and Rosh Chodesh. He will explore the wide variety of Hallel music through the centuries –– from rich choral traditions and community singing, to authentic Chazzanut of the Golden Age of the Cantorate. Accompanied by Nadia Adler, piano. Jacob Family Theatre in the Posluns Auditorium, Baycrest Centre, 3560 Bathurst St. 2nd floor. 416-638-4492 Free admission.
May 29 10:00am: Jewish Music Week in Toronto. Current Trends in Israeli Music. Benjamin Rubin shows how popular music in Israel both reflects and affects changes in Israeli society. Arabic, Mediterranean, Spirituality and Rap: Israeli popular music today is vital, dynamic, diverse, colourful and beautiful –– demonstrated with a playlist of leading performing artists. Original English translations of lyrics provided. Columbus Centre, Carrier Room, 901 Lawrence Ave. W. 416-638-4492 Free admission.
May 30 10:00am: Jewish Music Week in Toronto. The Holocaust’s Impact on Music. In this compelling session, Eric Gertner examines the impact of the Nazis’ coming to power and the Holocaust on Jewish musicians and Jewish music. Beginning with 1933, Eric will take us through the changing musical decades to the present, when we witness for the first time in history a Grammy nomination for a Yiddish album. Columbus Centre, Carrier Room, 901 Lawrence Ave. W. 416-638-4492 Free admission.
Tours
May 05 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 12, 26. A tour is available in French on May 26.
Workshops
May 04 10:30am: Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Singsation Saturday Choral Workshop. Presented by. Dr. Rachel Rensink-Hoff of Avanti Singers and Brock University who will lead participants through some great Kyrie-Gloria pairings from early masses of Palestrina and Byrd through to contemporary settings. Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, Cameron Hall, 1585 Yonge St. Information at tmchoir.org/singsation-saturdays. $10 fee includes refreshments.
May 07 1:30: Toronto Early Music Players Organization. Workshop coached by recorder player Matthias Maute. Armour Heights Community Centre, 2140 Avenue Rd. Bring your early instruments and a music stand. 416-779-5750. tempotoronto.net. $20.
May 10 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. (entrance off Belsize). 416-480-1853. Guests: $15. Refreshments included. rpstoronto.ca.
May 17 4:30: Canadian Opera Company. Exploring Opera. Families with children of all ages are welcome to explore an opera in the company’s 2018/19 season through accessible music and drama activities. This one-hour workshop focuses on Otello by Verdi. No previous experience with opera or the performing arts is required. Education Centre, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. (at University Ave.). For information, visit coc.ca/EO. Advance registration is required at the website. Free.
May 31 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. (entrance off Belsize).416-480-1853. Guests: $15. Refreshments included. rpstoronto.ca.
Jun 02 2:00: CAMMAC Toronto Region. Reading for singers and instrumentalists of Dvořák’s Stabat Mater. Alexandra Bourque, conductor. Christ Church Deer Park, 1570 Yonge St. 416-386-0258. $10; $6(members).
Jun 03 10:00am: Labyrinth Ontario. Bulgarian Singing with Tzvetanka Varimezova. Tzvetanka brings her decades of experience as a choir director, vocal teacher, and highly respected performer to teach solo and group styles of Bulgarian singing. The workshop covers specific vocal techniques and several styles of Bulgarian repertoire. Vocalists of any background are welcome. Students at all levels are welcome. Easterminster United Church, 310 Danforth Ave. Further information at labyrinthontario.com. Also Jun 4-7. $450.
Jun 03 10:00am: Labyrinth Ontario. Lyra with Sympathetic Strings with Kelly Thoma. This individualized workshop covers technique and repertoire on a contemporary version of the traditional Cretan Lyra which Kelly has been involved in developing. It also serves as an introduction to Cretan music and to Kelly’s own compositional and performance practice. Players of any experience level are welcome. Those needing an instrument should contact Labyrinth Ontario at labyrinthontario@gmail.com. Students at all levels are welcome. Easterminster United Church, 310 Danforth Ave. Further information at labyrinthontario.com. Also Jun 4-7. $450.
Jun 03 10:00am: Labyrinth Ontario. Modal Music Composition with Ross Daly. Blending lecture, demonstration, performance, and hands-on composition, this workshop draws from Ross Daly’s decades of study of modal traditions. Suitable for performers and composers of all backgrounds. An instrument capable of playing quarter tones is recommended. Students at all levels are welcome. Easterminster United Church, 310 Danforth Ave. Further information at labyrinthontario.com. Also Jun 4-7. $450.
