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 #281 (covering Jan 15-Jan 25, 2026) is Thu Jan 8 at 6pm.
This update includes detailed daily listings for the period Thur Jan 8 - Thu Jan 15 and, as a bonus, brief advance listings for Fri Jan 16 - Sun Jan 18. 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 Jan 8 - Thu Jan 15
Jan 08 12:00_noon: Canadian Opera Company. Instrumental Series: Songs Without Words. Music inspired by and based on song exploring universal themes of nostalgia, home, and belonging. Patrick Goodwin, violin; Vivian Lang Chen, piano. 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.
Jan 08 7:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Vivaldi's The Four Seasons. Bach: Concerto for Violin & Oboe BWV 1060R; Telemann: Viola Concerto; Handel: Harp Concerto Op.4 No.5; Vivaldi: The Four Seasons. Jonathan Crow, leader & violin; Sarah Jeffrey, oboe; Heidi Elise Bearcroft, harp; Rémi Pelletier, viola. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. www.tso.ca or 416-598-3375. Also Jan 9(7:30pm), 10(7:30pm), 11(3pm at George Weston Recital Hall).
Jan 08 9:30: Tranzac Club. Greek Trio @ The Tranzac. An evening of Greek music from Northern Greece, Thrace, Asia Minor, and beyond, taverna-style, recreating the intimate vibe of the tavernas of Greece at Tranzac in the Annex. Dimitra Kahrimanidis, voice & laouto; Ariane Morin, saxophone; Naghmeh Farahmand, percussion. Tranzac Club - Southern Cross Lounge, 292 Brunswick Ave. 416-594-3388. PWYC (suggested $20).
Jan 09 7:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Vivaldi's The Four Seasons. See Jan 8. Also Jan 10(7:30pm), 11(3pm at George Weston Recital Hall).
Jan 09 8:00: Hugh's Room. The Hogtown Allstars. Hugh's Room Live - Green Sanderson Hall, 296 Broadview Ave. 647-347-4769 or www.showpass.com/the-hogtown-allstars. From $20.
Jan 10 3:00: 5 at the First Chamber Concerts. Strings in Conversation. Kye Marshall: Pure Joy; Shostakovich: Song of Ophelia (arr. for viola & cello);Andrzej Zubek: Break of Dawn for Viola & Cello; Glière: Three selections from Eight Pieces for Viola & Cello; Beethoven: String Trio in c Op.9 No.3. Adam Diderrich, violin; Caitlin Boyle, viola; Dobrochna Zubek, cello. First Unitarian Church of Hamilton, 170 Dundurn St. S., Hamilton. 647-339-3434. $20; Free(under 12).
Jan 10 7:00: Niagara Classics. Emma Rush - Classical Guitar. Small World Music Centre, Artscape Youngplace, 180 Shaw St. Visit Emma Rush - Classical Guitar. $40 or Pay What You Can.
Jan 10 7:00: Toronto Gilbert and Sullivan Society. SongFest. Gilbert and Sullivan operetta excerpts and other works. The G&S Society, North Toronto Players, St. Anne's Music and Drama Society, Centre for Singing Arts. St. Andrew's United Church (Bloor St., Toronto), 117 Bloor St E. 416-616-1462. $5.
Jan 10 7:30: JCC Chamber Music Series. Likht Ensemble: The Shoah Songbook. Likht Ensemble: Jaclyn Grossman, soprano; Nate Ben-Horin, piano; Daniel Temnik, violin. Prosserman Jewish Community Centre - Leah Posluns Theatre, 4588 Bathurst St., North York. Visit Likht Ensemble. $30. NOTE: RE-SCHEDULED FROM NOV 2025.
Jan 10 7:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Vivaldi's The Four Seasons. See Jan 8.
Jan 10 8:00: Hugh's Room. Melanie Doane. Hugh's Room Live - Green Sanderson Hall, 296 Broadview Ave. 647-347-4769 or www.showpass.com/melanie-doane-2. $35.
Jan 11 1:00: University of Toronto Faculty of Music. UTSO Concerto Competition Finals. Walter Hall (University of Toronto), 80 Queen's Park. www.music.utoronto.ca
Jan 11 3:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society. The Mighty Kreutzer: Final Concert of the Complete Beethoven Violin-Piano Sonata Series. Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.6 in A Op.30 No.1; Violin Sonata No.10 in G Op.96; Violin Sonata No.9 in A Op.47 "Kreutzer". Corey Gemmell, violin; Benjamin Smith, piano. First United Church, 16 William St. W., Waterloo. 905-320-4989 or www.k-wcms.com. $30; $10(st).
Jan 11 3:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Vivaldi's The Four Seasons. Bach: Concerto for Violin & Oboe BWV 1060R; Telemann: Viola Concerto; Handel: Harp Concerto Op.4 No.5; Vivaldi: The Four Seasons. Jonathan Crow, leader & violin; Sarah Jeffrey, oboe; Heidi Elise Bearcroft, harp; Rémi Pelletier, viola. Meridian Arts Centre - George Weston Recital Hall, 5040 Yonge St. www.tso.ca or 416-598-3375.
Jan 11 4:00: Vesnivka Choir. Rejoice! - Ukrainian Christmas Concert. A program of traditional and contemporary Ukrainian Christmas and New Year’s music celebrating Vesnivka Choir's 60th season. Vesnivka Choir; Toronto Ukrainian Male Chamber Choir; Lana Pastuszak and Anna Tanczak, guest soloists; Chamber Orchestra. Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, 3055 Bloor St. W. www.VesnivkaChristmas2026.eventbrite.ca or 416-617-2736. $40; Free(under 16).
Jan 11 5:00: St. Thomas’s Anglican Church (Toronto). Evensong & Epiphany Carols in Procession. Choral music by Richard Lloyd, Kenneth Leighton, and Ralph Vaughan Williams. St. Thomas's Choir; Elizabeth Anderson, conductor; Manuel Piazza, organ. St. Thomas's Anglican Church, 383 Huron St. www.stthomas.on.ca or 416-979-2323. Donations gratefully accepted.
Jan 11 8:00: Rex Hotel Jazz and The Blues Bar. In the Wonder of the Night. Angela Verbrugge, vocals; Ray Gallon, piano; Duncan Hopkins, bass; Morgan Childs, drums. 194 Queen St. W. www.therex.ca. Also Jan 12.
Jan 13 12:00_noon: Canadian Opera Company. Vocal/Jazz Series: Uplifted Voices. York University Gospel 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.
Jan 13 12:10: Nine Sparrows Arts Foundation. Lunchtime Chamber Music: Sumi Kim, Piano. Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St. 416-922-1167 or www.yorkminsterpark.com. Free. Donations welcome.
Jan 13 1:00: St. James Cathedral. Tuesday Organ Recital. Music by Gibbons, Stanford, Murrill, Purcell, and T. Bell. Thomas Bell, organ. Cathedral Church of St. James, 106 King St. E. 416-364-7865 or www.stjamescathedral.ca/recitals. Free. Donations encouraged.
Jan 14 12:00_noon: Yorkminster Park Baptist Church. Noonday Organ Recital. Jean-Paul Feo, organ. Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St. www.yorkminsterpark.com. Free. Donations welcome.
Jan 14 5:30: Canadian Opera Company. Instrumental Series: Master and Pupil. Celebrating the rich musical lineage between Joseph Haydn and his famed student, Ludwig van Beethoven. COC String Quartet (formed from the string leaders of the COC Orchestra): Marie Bérard & Aaron Schwebel, Sheila Jaffé, viola; Guillaume Artus, cello. 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.
Jan 14 8:00: St. Lawrence Centre. Singing Through the Darkness. Fern Lindzon, Aviva Chernick, Judith Lander, Lenka Lichtenberg, and Theresa Tova; Ori Dagan, host. St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts - Jane Mallett Theatre, 27 Front St. E. www.ticketmaster.ca. From $36.
Jan 15 12:00_noon: Canadian Opera Company. Dance Series: Preview of DanceWeekend 2026. Dance Ontario’s signature celebration DanceWeekend 2026 brings together a dynamic mix of genres, artists, and communities from across the province performing classical, contemporary, street styles, and global traditions encompassing ballet, flamenco, hip hop, Indian classical, Egyptian, Chinese, and more. 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.
Jan 15 7:30: Flato Markham Theatre. No Sugar Tonight. 171 Town Centre Blvd., Markham. 905-305-7469 or www.flatomarkhamtheatre.ca. From $35.
Jan 15 7:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. The Firebird. Brahms: Piano Concerto No.1; Arvo Pärt: Symphony No.1 "Polyphonic"; Stravinsky: Suite from The Firebird (1919 revision). Mao Fujita, piano; Eva Ollikainen, conductor. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. www.tso.ca or 416-598-3375. Also Jan 17(7:30pm).
Jan 15 8:00: Alliance Française de Toronto. Luna Llena. Bruno Allary, Sylvie Paz, Fouad Didi, Carine Lotta, Rossegna Company. Alliance Français de Toronto - Spadina Theatre, 24 Spadina Rd. www.alliance-francaise.ca. $18; $16/sr/st); $15(AFT loyalty card); $12(ages 5-12); Free (ages under 5).
ADVANCE LISTINGS, Fri Jan 16 - Sun Jan 18
Jan 16 7:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society. Coriolis Trio. Jung Tsai, violin; Rebecca Morton, cello; Tomoko Inui, piano. Venue to be confirmed, Address to be confirmed. www.ticketscene.ca/kwcms. $35; $10(st).
Jan 16 7:30: University of Toronto - Hart House - Great Hall. Hart House U of T Festival of Music - Concert 1. 7 Hart House Circle. Visit Hart House Festival of Music. $15; $12(sr); $10(st). Also Jan 17.
Jan 16 8:00: Massey Hall. Classic Albums Live: The Beatles 1967-1970 (The Blue Album). 178 Victoria St. www.tickets.mhrth.com/6887/6892. From $59.
Jan 16 8:00: Roy Thomson Hall. Drum Tao: The Best. 60 Simcoe St. www.tickets.mhrth.com/6958/6959 or 416-598-3375. From $65.
Jan 16 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. The Happenstancers: Always Darkest … Dawn Always. Royal Conservatory of Music - TELUS Centre - Temerty Theatre, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208 or www.rcmusic.com/performance. From $21.
Jan 17 3:00: Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. Monomyth: The Hero's Journey. Thomas Enhco, piano; Alondra de la Parra, conductor. FirstOntario Concert Hall, 1 Summers Ln., Hamilton. www.hpo.org/event/monomyth-the-heros-journey. From $20. 2pm: Pre-concert talk.
Jan 17 5:00: Canadian Sinfonietta. Canadian Sinfonietta-Unionville Music Competition Winners. Agricola Finnish Lutheran Church, 25 Old York Mills Rd. www.canadiansinfonietta.com. $50; $45(ages 45 and up); $40(ages 6-17).
Jan 17 7:30: Toronto Consort. A Spotless Rose – 1200 Years of Carols for New Year’s. Trinity St. Paul's United Church and Centre for Faith, Justice and the Arts, 427 Bloor St. W. www.torontoconsort.org. $34.
Jan 17 7:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. The Firebird. See Jan 15. TSO Chamber Soloists performance on Jan 17(6:15pm).
Jan 17 7:30: University of Toronto - Hart House - Great Hall. Hart House U of T Festival of Music - Concert 2. See Jan 16.
Jan 17 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of Music. Musical Performance: Essential Music for the Spirit - A Spotless Rose - A Choral Pilgrimage. Schola Cantorum in collaboration with the Toronto Consort. Trinity St. Paul's United Church and Centre for Faith, Justice and the Arts, 427 Bloor St. W. www.music.utoronto.ca. $40; $35(sr); $10(st); UofT students with a valid T-Card are admitted free at the door (space permitting, some exceptions apply). No ticket reservation necessary.
Jan 17 8:00: Hugh's Room. The Arrogant Worms. Hugh's Room Live - Green Sanderson Hall, 296 Broadview Ave. 647-347-4769 or www.showpass.com. Call or visit website for ticket information.
Jan 17 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Echoes of an Era featuring Lisa Fischer, Javon Jackson, Orrin Evans, John Patitucci, Michael Rodriguez, and Lenny White. Royal Conservatory of Music - TELUS Centre - Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208 or www.rcmusic.com/performance. From $65.
Jan 17 8:00: Small World Music. Fränder. Gabbi Dluzewski, Swedish mandola & vocals; Daniel Dluzewski, double bass & vocals; Säde Tatar, flute & vocals; Andreas Berglund, percussion; Gabriella Josefsson, fiddler. Revival Bar, 783 College St. www.smallworldmusic.com. $45.
Jan 18 2:00: Avenue Road Music & Performance Academy. Tristan Savella, Piano. Works by Haydn, Schumann, Chopin, and Alexina Louie. Avenue Road Music and Performance Academy - Gordon Lightfoot Concert Hall, 460 Avenue Rd. Visit Tristan Savella Piano Recital. Free. Donations encouraged.
Jan 18 2:30: University of Toronto Faculty of Music. U of T Opera Student Composer Collective: With the Telling Comes the Magic - Five Tales from Antiquity to the Present. Libretto by Michael Patrick Albano. Narratives which date back to the very creation of theatre. Sandra Horst, conductor; Michael Patrick Albano, stage director. Marilyn and Charles Baillie Theatre, Canadian Stage, 26 Berkeley St. www.music.utoronto.ca. Link to purchase tickets will be available soon. Also 5pm.
Jan 18 3:00: Les AMIS Concerts. Chamber Music Concert. Penderecki Quartet: Jeremy Bell, violin; Jerzy Kaplanek, violin; Christine Vlaik, viola; Katie Schlaikjer, Cello. Trinity United Church, 284 Division St., Cobourg. www.tickets.cobourg.ca/TheatreManager. $40.
Jan 18 3:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Gabriela Montero, Piano. Featuring Charlie Chaplin: The Immigrant, screened in full with improvised piano score by Montero. Royal Conservatory of Music - TELUS Centre - Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208 or www.rcmusic.com/performance. From $45.
Jan 18 5:00: University of Toronto Faculty of Music. U of T Opera Student Composer Collective: With the Telling Comes the Magic - Five Tales from Antiquity to the Present. See Jan 18(2:30pm).
Jan 18 6:00: One-of-a-Kind Home Concerts. Peer Gynt’s Adventures. Step into a world of trolls, magic, dancing princesses, and breathtaking Nordic landscapes through the unforgettable music of Edvard Grieg. Featuring piano trio, guitar duo, flute and piano magic, soaring voices, and dazzling solos. Lawrence Park Community Church, 2180 Bayview Ave. www.eventbrite.ca/e/peer-gynts-adventures-tickets. $40.
Jan 18 8:00: Hugh's Room. Debt Dreams and Miranda Mulholland. Debt Dreams: Tyler Emond, bass; Kevin Breit, acoustic guitar; Jessica Deutsch, violin & voice; Chendy Leon, percussion. Also: Miranda Mulholland, voice & violin solo set. Hugh's Room Live - Green Sanderson Hall, 296 Broadview Ave. 647-347-4769 or www.showpass.com/miranda-mulholland-and-debt-dreams. $42/$25(adv).
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.
Jan 11 1:30: Toronto Early Music Players Organization (TEMPO). Music That Repeats Itself. Music frequently employs repetition as an organizational principle, seen in forms like the canon, fugue, and chaconne, where a musical idea is reiterated and transformed. In this workshop, we will be exploring these “repetitive” forms through the compositions of Gabrieli, Telemann, Bach, Johannes Mattheson, Caspar Jager, and their contemporaries. Bill McMillan, workshop presenter. Grace Church on-the-Hill, 300 Lonsdale Rd. www.tempotoronto.net or info@tempotoronto.net. $20.
Jan 16 11:00am: Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. Talk & Tea: The Classics. Explore the life and music of Mozart and Beethoven. Abigail Richardson-Schulte, host. FirstOntario Concert Hall, 1 Summers Ln., Hamilton. www.hpo.org/event/talk-tea-the-classics. $17.
Jan 16 5:15: University of Toronto Faculty of Music. Masterclass: Xin Wang, Soprano. Edward Johnson Building, University of Toronto, 80 Queen's Park. www.music.utoronto.ca. Free.
Jan 17 1:30: Royal Canadian College of Organists Toronto Centre. Deep River: A Workshop on Afrocentric Sacred Repertoire. For choral conductors and singers of all skill levels. Including works by R. Nathaniel Dett, Undine Smith Moore, Moses Hogan, Rosephayne Powell, Adolphus Hailstork, and Betty Jackson King. Dr. Brainerd Blyden-Taylor, presenter. Christ Church Deer Park, 1570 Yonge St. www.rcco.ca/toronto or toronto@rcco.ca. Registration required at RCCO Registration Form. Cash at door: $15(non-RCCO members); Free(RCCO members).
MUSICAL THEATRE
Hamilton Festival Theatre Company/Theatre Aquarius/The Staircase. Frost Bites. Programming to be announced in Jan 2026. Theatre Aquarius, 190 King William St., Hamilton; Bernie Morelli Recreation Centre, 876 Cannon St. E., Hamilton; The Staircase Theatre + Lounge, 27 Dundurn St. N., Hamilton. www.hftco..ca/frost-bites. Feb 27-Mar 8.
Mirvish (& the Segal Centre in Montreal) Kimberley Akimbo. CAA THeatre (651 Yonge Street) as outlined in current issue. Starring Louise Pitre and Tess Benger. Directed by Robert McQueen. January 15 - February 8, 2026
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. 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. With an all-Canadian cast. CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre, 244 Victoria St. www.mirvish.com. To Jan 18.
Tarragon Theatre. Greenhouse Festival. GREENHOUSE FESTIVAL
Jan. 27-31, 2026.A program that includes experimental work in shadow puppetry, dance, concerts.www.tarragontheatre.com
Talk Is Free Theatre. Company. Music by Stephen Sondheim. Book by George Furth. Aidan deSalaiz (Bobby) with Noah Beemer, Shane Carty, Sydney Cochrane, Gabi Epstein, Sierra Holder, and other performers; Dylan Trowbridge, stage director. Theatre Centre, 1115 Queen St. W. www.tift.ca/shows/company. From $40. From Jan 15 to Feb 1.
Theatre Aquarius. National Centre for New Musicals. Inaugural Summit. Jan 25-27.https://theatreaquarius.org/2026-summit/ AS FEATURED IN MY COLUMN THIS MONTH!
PLEASE ADD: The Terminal Theatre. Five Lost Years by Jason Robert Brown. Jan. 20-25, 2026.
At the Terminal Theatre (207 Queens Quay West)
