MONDAY
- Violinist Andréa Tyniec at Musideum (133-401 Richmond St W.), 8 p.m.
One of our country’s many great violin players, Andréa Tyniec, presents a solo recital anchored in Eugène Ysaÿe’s fiercely challenging sextet of Sonatas for Solo Violin (a programme she repeats for the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Society on Wednesday). You’ll find details about Musideum here.
TUESDAY
- Pianist Stefan Chaplikov at the Richard Bradsahw Amphitheatre, noon. Free.
This 25-year-old Bulgarian graduate of the Paris Conservatoire (and more recently of the Glenn Gould School at the RCM) offers up Beethoven’s “Hammerklavier” Sonata. He plays in a distinctive, highly-articulated, light-fingered style that reminds me a bit of Angela Hewitt.
- Tenor Richard Margison with the Ontario Philharmonic at Koerner Hall, 8 p.m.
Opera arias and Neapolitan songs are mixed with 19th century orchestral pieces in a gala-style programme with one of Canada’s favourite tenors. You’ll find the details here.
WEDNESDAY
- Toronto Mendelssohn Choir Christmas carol concert at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 7:30 p.m.
Ben Heppner is the nominal star in this annual seasonal spectacular, but to fully guarantee a great night out, go because of this magnificent choir, the growling organ and a rousing chorus of brass players. Details here.
THURSDAY
- Organist Thomas Gonder at Metropolitan United Church, 12:15 p.m.
This organist is a bit of an adrenaline junkie, so expect some musical sparks from the magnificent pipe organ at the corner of Church and King Sts.
FRIDAY, SATURDAY & SUNDAY
- Toronto Consort at Jeanne Lamon Hall, 8 p.m.
The city’s premier Early Music consort has reached into its box of Christmas favourites to resurrect Navidad, which features a wide range of seasonal music from Spain and its former colonies — from sacred to folk-secular. You’ll find the details here.
SUNDAY
- Natalie Dessay and Michel Legrand with Les Violons du Roy at Koerner Hall, 7 p.m. (Repeats Monday, Dec. 16)
This great, recently-retired French soprano has traded the opera stage for the pop-ish jazz-esque concert, in the company of French tune-spinner Michel Legrand. And, while you would normally expect Les Violons du Roy to be playing a Messiah or Christmas Oratorio somewhere at this time of year, you’ll find them merrily helping out with this light-secular confection. Just don’t go expecting to hear any opera arias. Details here.
MESSIAH WATCH
- Tuesday: Boris Brott conducts a full-choir-and-orchestra Messiah at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre at 7:30 p.m. The great quartet of soloists includes Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio barihunk Gordon Bintner. Details here.
- Saturday: Pax Christi Chorale’s Children’s Messiah at the Church of St Mary Magdalene (477 Manning Ave.), 4 p.m. An excellent quartet of soloists helps in this young-family-friendly, bite-sized Messiah. Check out the details here. Admission is pay-what-you-can.
- Saturday & Sunday: Against the Grain Theatre’s choreographed Messiah at the Opera House (735 Queen St E.), 8 p.m. Besides great musicians, the magnetic attraction here is seeing how this inventive company has managed to add movement to this concert work. Details here.
- Sunday: Classical Social closes its year with The Pub Messiah, including a foamy draught and-would-you-like-fries-with-that? at Fionn MacCoull’s (181 University Ave.), 8 p.m. What better way to sing “Now We Like Sheep” (have gone astray) than while wondering if the harpsichord player has gone to order another beer or to the washroom? This should be a lot of fun. Don’t forget to bring your own score. Details here.
SEASONAL CONCERTS
Church and community choirs as well as every orchestra — amateur as well as professional — have worthy concerts to offer at this time of year. For a quasi-comprehensive listing of what’s on, visit WholeNote here.
John Terauds