MONDAY
- Violinist Michael Guttman at Gallery 345, 8 p.m.
This Belgian powerhouse presents a substantial recital with pianist Stéphan Sylvestre. On the programme are sonatas by Beethoven (No. 4), Gabriel Fauré (No. 1) and Sergei Prokofiev (No. 2), as well as Arvo Pärt’s Fratres. You’ll find all the details here.
Here’s a little clip of Guttman in encore mode at Bargemusic in Brooklyn earlier this year, with another Canadian pianist, Richard Raymond:
TUESDAY
- Organist Andrew Adair at St James Cathedral, 1 p.m. Free.
Now that star British organist David Briggs is installed at the cathedral, the very talented young interim music director Andrew Adair is taking off for the storied Church of St Mary Magdalene. His parting gift is a performance of Edward Elgar’s 1895 Organ Sonata.
Writes Adair:
The work consists of four movements, all of which clearly display orchestral writing by means of passages being indicated for various solo timbres, and careful placement of subtle dynamic and phrase markings. The work therefore shows a development in approach to writing for the organ over the many other English organ sonatas written in the day, few of which are regularly heard today. I’m sure this work inspired many of the twentieth century British composers, eg, Howells, Whitlock and Darke in their approach to writing for the organ, and in turn for the way the organ adapted to their needs of registration and management of expression.
WEDNESDAY
- Toronto Mendelssohn Choir sings Carmina Burana at Koerner Hall, 7:30 p.m.
The city’s biggest and oldest choral society gives a concert of very popular music that includes Carl Orff’s warhorse as well as Eric Whiteacre’s onomatopoeic Cloudburst and The Passing of the Year by British composer Jonathan Dove. Accompaniment includes two pianos and the TorQ Percussion Quartet. Noel Edison and Matthew Otto conduct. Ticket details here
WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY
- Toronto Symphony Orchestra at Roy Thomson Hall, 8 p.m.
Pianist André Laplante and cellist Shauna Rolston join concertmaster Jonathan Crow and music director Peter Oundjian in Beethoven’s “Triple” Concerto. The other significant work on this week’s programme is Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 12. Completed in 1961, a year after the Soviet president banged his shoe on his podium at the United Nations, the compact, dramatic work celebrates the Russian Revolution and a glorious future for the Soviet empire. For all the concert details, click here.
WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY & FRIDAY
- Soprano Adrianne Pieczonka at the Faculty of Music, Unviersity of Toronto. Free.
One of Toronto’s great resident international divas gives art song masterclasses at Walter Hall Wednesday (starting at 7 p.m.) and opera masterclasses on Thursday (starting at 12:10 p.m.) that are open — and free — to the general public.
On Friday, the best of the students return for a 7:30 p.m. group recital capped by two songs sung by Pieczonka (accompanied by Steven Philcox). You’ll find the details on the Faculty of Music calendar, here.
FRIDAY
- Cellist Brian Yoon at Gallery 345, 8 p.m.
The British Columbia-based winner of last spring’s 35th annual Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition brings his prize recital tour to Toronto. Yoon performs with Rice University’s resident collaborative pianist Eliza Ching. The programme features Francis Poulenc’s Sonata for Cello and Piano as well as five pieces by contemporary Canadian composers. Concert details here.
FRIDAY & SATURDAY
- Toronto Masque Theatre celebrates Henry Purcell at the Al Green Theatre, 8 p.m.
Artistic director Larry Beckwith has assembled actor Derek Boyes, dancer Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière and five excellent soloists to perform a programme that showcases the magnificient theatre and sacred music of Henry Purcell. You’ll find the details here.
SATURDAY & SUNDAY
- Capella Intima presents concerts of 17th century music for voice and guitar. Read all about it here.
SUNDAY
- Windermere String Quartet at St Olave’s Anglican Church, 3 p.m.
Violinists Rona Goldensher and Elizabeth Loewen Andrews, violist Anthony Rapoport and cellist Laura Jones present a programme of three string quartets written by very young composers: Mozart’s K173 in D minor, Franz Schubert’s B-flat Major D112 and the String Quartet No. 2 by Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga. You’ll find the details here.
- Esprit Orchestra at Koerner Hall, 8 p.m.
Flutist Robet Aitken joins the Esprit Orchestra and music director Alex Pauk in an adventurious programme that inlcudes photographer Edward Burtinsky’s visual response to Pauk’s Musiques immergées, a piece that blends acoustic and electronic sounds. Also on the programme is the Concerto for Flute and Orchestra by Marc-André Dalbavie and the premiere of a Concerto Grosso (for microtonal ensemble and orchestra) by Bruce Mather. You’ll find all the details here.
John Terauds
- Classical Music 101: What Does A Conductor Do? - June 17, 2019
- Classical Music 101 | What Does Period Instrument Mean? - May 6, 2019
- CLASSICAL MUSIC 101 | What Does It Mean To Be In Tune? - April 23, 2019
