We have detected that you are using an adblocking plugin in your browser.

The revenue we earn by the advertisements is used to manage this website. Please whitelist our website in your adblocking plugin.

Toronto classical concert and opera picks for June 9 to June 15, 2014

By Michael Vincent on June 9, 2014

Summer mode kicks off in Toronto with a very busy week of concerts to chose from. Top picks include Musicworks’ fund-raising party, The TSO with Stewart Goodyear, Tapestry Opera’s production of Shelter, the Thin Edge New Music Collective, pianist Alejandro Vela, the TSO’s 4th annual tailgate party and late night concert with Mason Bates, and the closing night of Luminato Festival. See you out there!

9 Monday

Beth Silver, cello; Jenna Richards, piano at the Church of the Holy Trinity. 12:15 p.m. $5 (suggested donation)

Come out and recover from your busy weekend with a lunch-time chamber music concert, at Holy Trinity.  In particular, cellist Beth Silver, a recent graduate from McGill University under Matt Haimowitz, will join Jenna Richards for a poetic program of music by Fauré, Poulenc and Debussy. Info here.

10 Tuesday

score from Yoko Ono's book, Grapefruit. (1964)
score from Yoko Ono’s book, Grapefruit. (1964)
  • Musicworks fund-raising party, celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of Yoko Ono’s book Grapefruit, and CD launch of: Gayle Young Plays Yoko Ono’s Secret Piece. Gallery 345. 8 p.m. $30-100

Join our friends at Musicworks for a unique evening of “event scores” from Yoko Ono’s pioneering conceptual art book, Grapefruit. These rarely presented works, which include Wood PieceLine PieceOvertone Piece and Beat Piece,  will be performed by a throng of dancers, musicians, and performance artists. Composer Gayle Young will also tie in with a CD launch of her new recording of Yoko Ono’s Secret Piece, a work acknowledged as one of the earliest examples of conceptual art.

The event will also include food and a special Grapefruit IPA—created specially for  ONO by Toronto’s Junction Craft Brewery. Details here.

11 Wednesday

pianist, Stewart Goodyear
pianist, Stewart Goodyear
  • Toronto Symphony Orchestra (Peter Oundjian, conductor) with pianist Stewart Goodyear. Roy Thomson Hall. 8 p.m. $38.75-169.

This concert initially featured the dazzling Chinese virtuoso Yuja Wang, who unfortunately had to cancel due to injury. Stepping in for Wang, is Stewart Goodyear, no slouch of his own, performing Weber’s Overture to Oberon, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3, and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 which also appears on TSO Late Night Saturday June 14th at 10 pm, in conjunction with the Luminato Festival 2014. Details here.

Concert repeats June 12th, at 8 p.m.

12 Thursday

shelter

  • Tapestry/Edmonton Opera presents Shelter, an opera by Juliet Palmer with Libretto by Julie Salverson, featuring soprano Teiya Kasahara, and tenor Keith Klassen.  Berkeley Street Theatre. 7:30 p.m. $55-75.

Shelter, which originally premiered at the Edmonton Opera in 2012, is described as an “intriguing, darkly comic fable” by the Wall Street journal. It tells the story of a picturesque family, and the unintended consequences of their choices. The music plaits a diversity of influences from Brahms, to post-apocalyptic Japanese punk. Not to be missed. Details here.

The opera runs June 12-15.

13 Friday

  • Thin Edge New Music Collective at Array Space. 8 p.m. $18-20

Lots of contemporary music this Friday, beginning with Thin Edge, one of Toronto’s newest and most promising contemporary music ensembles. Premieres III includes new works by Pearce, Tsurumoto, Scime, Kerekes, Pope and Reiche. Looks like a great line-up of Toronto’s young composition talent. Do check it out. (some) details here.

  • Alejandro Vela, piano at Gallery 345. 8 p.m. $10-20

Mexican pianist Alejandro Vela will be in Toronto this evening to play Rach Meets Rock, a unique program with Rachmaninov’s Etude-tableau and tunes by Radiohead transcribed by US pianist, Christopher O’Reilly. O’Reilly first started performing Radiohead songs as a time-filler during a breaks in concerts programs, and they have since become very popular with classical and rock fans alike. More info here.

14 Saturday

composer, Mason Bates
composer, Mason Bates
  • Toronto Symphony Orchestra with Peter Oundjian, conductor at Roy Thomson Hall. 10 p.m. $33-45.

For the night owls out there, the TSO presents Shostakovich’s Symphony No.5 and the Canadian premiere of US-based composer Mason Bates’ Garages of the Valley in a special post tailgate party concert (see below) . If you haven’t heard of Mason Bates yet, drop what you are doing and come out and see for yourself. His music is that good. Details here.

The TSO’s 4th annual tailgate party starts before the concert, at 7:30 . There will be lots of beer, music and street food. This event is a great way to kick-off summer. Details here.

15 Sunday

600x400-EVENT-TSO Free Outdoor 2013

  • Luminato Festival, Toronto Symphony Orchestra with Simone Osborne, soprano,  Peter Oundjian and Shalom Bard, conductors at David Pecaut Square. 7 p.m. Free (!)

To mark the closing night of Luminato, the TSO will give a free concert at David Pecaut Square (next door to Roy Thomson Hall). They will perform works by Lavallée  (O Canada), Copland, John Williams, Bernstein, and John Estacio’s bustling Frenergy (a work sure to get things moving!). Looks like a lot of fun. Details here.

Listen to John Estacio’s Frenergy here:

Michael Vincent

Michael Vincent
Follow me
Share this article
lv_toronto_banner_high_590x300
comments powered by Disqus

FREE ARTS NEWS STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX, EVERY MONDAY BY 6 AM

company logo

Part of

Terms of Service & Privacy Policy
© 2024 | Executive Producer Moses Znaimer