As the days grow longer, this week’s concert picks don’t disappoint. It makes me remember how lucky we are to live here. I hope everyone can come out and enjoy at least one show this week.
8 Tuesday
- Canadian Opera Company plus performers from Opera Atelier, with host Marshall Pynkoski at the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. Noon. Free
Co-artistic director Marshall Pynkoski, and Opera Atelier will present Lully’s unrestrained mythical musical tragedy Persée. The work features a heroic Perseus who battles the grisly Medusa to rescue princess Andromeda from her horrendous fate. What’s not to like? Info here.
9 Wednesday
- Tafelmusik with Isabel Bayrakdarian, soprano and Jeanne Lamon, conductor. Koerner Hall. 7 p.m. $35-105
Tonight marks the first of four concerts with the amazing Isabel Bayrakdarian joining forces with Toronto’s Tafelmusik, and will feature music written for the notorious divas Faustina Bordoni and Francesca Cuzzoni. The “rival queens” of 18th-century London spent much of their careers in a race to win over the adoration of English audiences. Their rivalry was the stuff of legends, and even stirred an opera house riot. Let’s hope calm heads prevail tonight. Bayrakdarian will sing arias by Handel, Hasse, and Bononcini. There will also be a Talkback after the show. Details here.
Show repeats April 9-10, 12, 15
- Art of Time Ensemble, Andrew Burashko, conductor, Daniel Brooks, director. Enwave Theatre, Harbourfront Centre. 8 p.m. $25-59
I’ve heard many good things about this event, and it should be on everyone’s radar. I Send You This Cadmium Red is an engaging stage exploration of the correspondence between artist John Berger and filmmaker John Christie. Scored by the fantastic British composer Gavin Bryars, and performed by the ever-innovative Art of Time Ensemble, it is part film, part painting, part essay, part concert, and part drama. Info here.
Show repeats April 9-12
10 Thursday
- Music Toronto: Parker Quartet with Kikuei Ikeda, violist Jane Mallett Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts 8 p.m. $10-55
Come celebrate the close of Music Toronto’s best season yet with an evening of chamber music with string quartet darlings Parker Quartet, and violinist/violist Kikuei Ikeda. Besides a long list of accolades, the Parker Quartet was awarded a Grammy in 2011 for best chamber music recording for Ligeti quartets. Kikuei Ikeda, who is best known for his work as violinist with the Tokyo Quartet, will be trying his hand at playing the viola, which makes this night a first for him.
On the bill is a mix of old and new with: Beethoven’s String Quartet in F Major, Op. 18, No. 1, Thomas Adès, Arcadiana, and Dvorak’s Quintet in E-flat major, Op. 97. More details here.
11 Friday
- FAWN Opera & New Music at Ernest Balmer Studio. 8:30 p.m. $10-15.
FAWN opera are one of Toronto’s the most exiting new comers to the indie opera scene. They’re a fearless company dedicated to bringing home-made opera repertoire to Toronto’s hippest opera scenesters. Tonight, headed by Director Amanda Smith and conductor/composer Patrick Murray, they present a workshop performance of excerpts from Toronto composer, Adam Scime, who brings us L’Homme et le Ciel with libretto by Ian Koiter. Not to be missed. Info here.
- Toronto Symphony orchestra, Richard Goode, piano; Jonathan Crow, violin; Peter Oundjian, conductor at Roy Thomson Hall. 7:30 p.m. $29+
This concert seems to have everything going for it: One of the best Mozart interpreters of our time, one of the greatest showpieces for orchestra ever written, and a premiere by one of Canada’s finest composers.
The concert will open with the premiere of Aqua, a piece by Canadian composer Vivian Fung, and then onto the ever popular Mozart Piano Concerto (No. 17), with piano virtuoso, Richard Goode. In honour of the 150th anniversary of Richard Strauss’ birth, the evening will close with his magnificent tone poem, Ein Heldenleben. Details here.
- Sinfonia Toronto with Kyoung-Joo Sung, violin; Johannes Rieger, conductor at the Glenn Gould Studio. 8 p.m. $12-39
Sinfonia Toronto will perform the world premiere of a major new composition by Toronto composer Ronald Royer this Friday night. ‘The Four Seasons of Canada’ depicts the beautiful contrasts in the Canadian landscape caused by the changing seasons. German guest conductor Johannes Rieger and young Korean violinist Kyoung-Joo Sung will make their Toronto debuts. Sung will be heard in Mendelssohn’s delightful D Minor Violin Concerto. Also on the program is Verdi’s Sinfonia for Strings. Looks like a very special show. (some) details here.
12 Saturday
- The Music Gallery co-presents Torontonians Noam Bierstone and Bryan Holt (percussion and cello). 8 p.m. $10-20.
Avant-garde Scandinavian works are the name of the game tonight with locals Noam Beirstone and Bryan Holt. The duo will perform works by Simon Steen-Andersen, Pierluigi Billone, Matthew Burtner, Teresa Carrasco, Esaias Järnegard, and Kaija Saariaho. Northern European composers are gaining a lot of attention these days, and judging by this impressive list, this will be a fascinating concert of rarely heard works. Details here.
13 Sunday
- Timothy Eaton Memorial Church Sanctuary Choir, conducted by Elaine Choi; Christopher Dawes, organ + special guests. Timothy Eaton Memorial Church. 2 p.m. pay-what-you-can
This afternoon features an intimately powerful and long admired choral favorite, Fauré Requiem. Other works include excerpts from Seven Last Words of Christ by Dubois, Ubi Caritas by Duruflé, Cantique de Jean Racine by Fauré, and the Sanctus from Messe Solennelle. (some) info here.
Michael Vincent