A fixture in the Toronto music scene for half a century, Lawrence Cherney is the Artistic Director of Soundstreams. Often referred to as Canada’s “Ambassador of New Music”, he founded Soundstreams back in 1982, and has continually worked with the company to produce an eclectic annual series, featuring new music in ground-breaking concerts, music theatre and opera.

The start of a New Year can represent a turn of the page, a change in direction, and the anticipation of new challenges. There’s a fresh resolve to hit the ground running, sometimes with an eagerness to leave the past year behind entirely. However, one must keep the value of reflection in mind – looking back and learning from doing so.

The International Congress of Voice Teachers (ICVT) is a grand event that occurs every four years, much like the Olympics. This past summer it was Toronto’s turn, with “Voices Uplifted” as the 2025 congress theme. Co-hosted by the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), The Royal Conservatory, and the University of Toronto Faculty of Music, voice professionals from around the globe gathered here to share knowledge that would advance the field of voice performance and education.

Exemplary Art

Because Art makes a profound impact, artists have an equivalent responsibility in all the various roles they play during their careers: as performers, producers, creators, leaders, educators, and public figures. A strong work ethic, a commitment to the art form in all its intricate details, a deep sense of empathy, and the desire to communicate and sincerely connect with others – all these are characteristics of exemplary art. And the two artists featured here, conductor David Fallis and mezzo-soprano Krisztina Szabó, are among the most highly respected practitioners of classical music in Canada.