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The Peterborough Singers is an auditioned 100-voice community choir of adults and youth. We generally perform four concerts per year: a Yuletide concert, Handel’s Messiah, an oratorio, and one concert dedicated to music outside the box of regular classical programming. Past oratorios have included music by Bach, Verdi, Fauré, Haydn, Mozart, Mendelssohn and many others. The popular music concert has been soul, folk, Celtic, Broadway, popular music, music by the Beatles, or music highlighting the work of a particular modern composer. Fortunately we are not limited by the lack of availability of sheet music because of local associates who are able to create original arrangements for this repertoire. Concerts this season are “Yuletide Cheer”, Handel’s Messiah, Verdi’s Requiem, and “Canadian Legends”.

Rehearsals are held Wednesday evenings from September to the beginning of May at Murray Street Baptist Church in Peterborough. Prior to most rehearsals, we provide ongoing educational initiatives which allow interested members to greatly improve their sight-reading or musical skill levels at no additional cost above the yearly membership fee. Auditions take place in May and September.

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Hailed by critics and audiences alike as one of Canada’s finest oratorio choirs, Pax Christi Chorale delivers stirring performances with great polish and total conviction. Under the artistic direction of David Bowser, the award-winning choir has established its reputation as an ensemble of high calibre and a cultural beacon in our city. The organization operates the 100-voice chorale, a chamber choir, and a choral scholars program which provides professional development training to emerging artists. Pax Christi Chorale’s collaborations with outstanding guest artists and artistic partners inspire, in audiences and performers alike, a deep appreciation for choral masterworks and new Canadian music. 

The organization has recently committed to the commission and premiere performance of three new works by Canadian women composers over three seasons. Pax Christi Chorale champions great choral music among a diverse community. We have an inclusive philosophy and welcome audience members, choristers, and volunteers from all backgrounds and walks of life.

Rehearsals are on Monday nights in North York. Auditions are at the beginning of September, and can be arranged by contacting associate conductor Daniel Norman at dnorms9@gmail.com.

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Orpheus Choir’s vision is to celebrate the power of choral music as an agent of social change and a passionate medium of artistic expression. The 65-voice choir, under artistic director Robert Cooper, champions the new and unusual in choral performance, commissioning and introducing new works and performing overlooked masterpieces. Regularly working with living composers, and singing a wide range of repertoire in concerts with high production values, Orpheus has introduced audiences to many accessible works from the current generation of leading composers. Orpheus also supports young emerging vocal talent through its highly respected Sidgwick Scholars Program and its newer Vocal Apprentice Program for high school singers. Winners of the 2018 Choral Canada Award for Outstanding Innovation, Orpheus continues to present an “expect something different” experience!

The 2019/20 season features a celebration of the 1969 moon landing; a performance of Canadian music and readings for Christmas with “Stratford and Shaw” actor Benedict Campbell; Will Todd’s Passion Music, featuring jazz pianist John Sherwood and gospel singer Melissa Davis; and an exploration of music and mental health in Allan Bevan’s Ancient of Days.

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Oriana Women’s Choir is an auditioned ensemble of 30 amateur female singers with a long history of performance at a high artistic standard. Led by artistic director Mitchell Pady since 2011, Oriana explores the possibilities in choral music for the female voice, collaborating with a diverse range of artists to push the boundaries of typical expectations for women’s choir performances. We foster the creation of Canadian choral music, regularly commissioning works from Canadian composers for women’s voices. 

Oriana presents a three-concert series, in November, February and May. Our first concert of the 2019/20 season will feature Mitchell Pady’s four-part treble arrangement of Vivaldi’s Gloria, in collaboration with the Earl Haig SS Senior Strings Ensemble and Chamber Choir, with Jonathan Elliotson on trumpet. In February, we join forces with Simcoe-area women’s choirs Double Treble and Vox Femina, and in our spring concert we will perform all-Canadian repertoire including premiere performances of works by Matthew Emery and Ben Keast, alongside selections written by the composition students they are mentoring in the Claude Watson Senior Arts program. We look forward to welcoming you to the concerts in our 48th season!

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Organix Concerts, a not-for-profit organization, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Glionna Mansell Corporation. Organix is the producer of musical events specific to organ performance and education. Included are bi-weekly free lunch-time concerts in collaboration with All Saints Kingsway Anglican Church. These bi-weekly free concerts offer the public an opportunity throughout the year to hear and experience rarely performed repertoire brilliantly executed by passionate Canadian and international artists. Organix Concerts also presents evening concerts under the Special Presentation Series banner. In 2020, these concerts include performances from American, Italian and Danish artists. Organix Concerts is a recipient of the Royal Canadian College of Organists National Award of Excellence for its part in contributing to the promotion and value of the organ and its music in Canada. Organix is a music festival series unlike any other!

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The “crown jewel of Canadian community orchestras,” Orchestra Toronto is comprised of passionate musicians from throughout the greater Toronto area, coming together to make music for the love of it. We perform five concerts each season in the stunning acoustics of the George Weston Recital Hall, at the Meridian Arts Centre. We offer the enjoyment of music, foster education and music appreciation, and support emerging Canadian talent. Our organization of volunteers is committed to making symphonic music accessible to a broad and diverse public beyond the concert hall.

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In our 23rd season, and continuing our residency as the professional opera company at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Arts, Opera York offers two exciting productions for our main stage with the Opera York Chorus and Orchestra. Our season opens with great Canadian singers in a traditional production of Verdi’s La Traviata, with Natalya Gennadi – Violetta; Kijong Wi – Alfredo; Diego Catala – Giorgio. Music director is Denis Mastromonaco and stage director is Penny Cookson.

Opera York’s second half of the season is led by music director Geoffrey Butler, in a full production of Lehar’s classic The Merry Widow: Sara Papini plays Hanna Glawari, and Douglas Tranquada plays Count Danilovits. Special this season: The Opera York Children’s Chorus presents “Aladdin” in May.

Opera York continues to provide affordable and accessible lectures, operatic concerts for seniors and educational programming. Nov 1 and 3: Verdi’s La Traviata, Richmond Hill Centre for the Arts. February 28 and March 1: Lehar’s The Merry Widow, Richmond Hill Centre for the Arts.

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Opera Atelier is a world leader in the rediscovery and revitalization of period opera and ballet, particularly works from the Baroque era. Through their historically-informed productions, founding co-artistic directors Marshall Pynkoski and Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg seek to provide a thrilling theatrical experience for modern audiences. 

Opera Atelier presents a two-opera season in Toronto, and tours internationally. The company is dedicated to the education of youth and young artists, and offers a robust slate of education, enrichment and outreach opportunities. 

Opera Atelier’s 2019/20 “Season of Saints and Sinners” features Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the Ed Mirvish Theatre (October 31 to Nov 9) and Handel’s The Resurrection at Koerner Hall (April 11 to 19). Visit our website for more information.

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Celebrating its 25th anniversary season, Off Centre Music Salon re-creates the magical, inclusive atmosphere of the Viennese and Parisian Salons of the 19th century. Music is intimately shared, with each concert telling a story and creating personal connections for the audience and performers alike. Dedicated to the discovery and development of young, professional musical talent, Off Centre concerts include voice and instrumental performances. Repertoire is rarely, if ever, repeated.

The theme of our 2019/20 season is “The World of Yesterday.” We will begin with our 25th annual “Schubertiad” in October and build on the theme of waltzes in our November concert. In April, we will present a Beethoven-themed concert. We will wrap up our 25th anniversary season in June with a concert entitled “Intersections,” enabling us to reflect and explore old times through new performances.

Please join us at our home in Toronto, Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre to take a slow meander through the world of yesterday.

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The Oakville Choir for Children & Youth (formerly known as The Oakville Children’s Choir) holds fast to its mission of providing world-class choral, musical and performance training to young people in Halton, where it has become a comprehensive music education program for over 260 auditioned choristers, ranging in age from four through 25 years. The OC presents three to four self-produced concerts annually for the community, each featuring all levels of choir plus a guest artist. In addition, the choir performs at workshops, provides guest appearances at community functions, collaborates with other choirs and arts groups in Ontario, and tours internationally.

Theory, musicianship, vocal coaching and workshops with professional artists are all components of the choral program. Competitions and touring also add to the choristers’ experience, as well as the choir’s wide range of repertoire, diverse concert programming and its high standard of performance.

The OC gives back to its community by developing youth, partnering with other groups, bringing music to seniors and hospitals, offering bursaries to families in need, supporting other charities, participating in community events, providing educational outreach initiatives, and encouraging volunteering.