For the week of Nov. 7 – 13
Musical Toronto’s weekly Critic’s Picks are a fully curated list of some of the best concerts happening now through the end of the week. This is not to say we are the provocateurs of taste, but simply seek to provide a good weekly summary. For a look at the full breadth of what’s available in and around Toronto, check out our curated concert listings here: Musical Toronto Datebook.
Quite an interesting mix of concerts this week. Now that the opera season is over, the Four Seasons Centre has turned over to the National Ballet of Canada for their dazzling production of Cinderella (Nov. 12-20). The Toronto Symphony Orchestra shines the spotlight on its own talented musicians, Concertmaster Jonathan Crow and Principal Viola Teng Li, as soloists in a program of Vaughan Williams, Sibelius, Walton, and Ravel (Nov. 9, 11). Speaking of Canadian talent, don’t miss Generation Next, starring five fast-rising musicians — pianists Charles Richard-Hamelin, Tony Yike Yang, and Alexander Seredenko, cellist Stephane Tetreault, and mezzo Emily D’Angelo (Nov. 10). American soprano Deborah Voigt gives a recital (Nov. 11). The inimitable piano duo, Anagnoson & Kinton, is having their 40th-anniversary bash (Nov. 13). Russian violinist Viktoria Mullova is in town for an all-Bach program (Nov. 13). There are plenty more, so do check the full listings on MT.
Tuesday 8
COC | Free Concert Series: Soprano Magali Simard-Galdes at the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre. Noon. Free!
Soprano Magali Simard-Galdes sings works by female composers including Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn, and Alma Mahler. The pianist is Olivier Hebert-Bouchard. Be sure to show up an hour early for a seat. Program details, here.
Wednesday 9
TSO | The Best Of The 20’s at Roy Thomson Hall. 8 p.m. $39.75–154 (Repeats Nov. 11)
The Toronto Symphony presents a mixed program of Sibelius Symphony No. 7 and Ravel’s Bolero, plus Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending with Concertmaster Jonathan Crow, Walton’s Viola Concerto with Teng Li. Repeats Nov. 11. Full details, here.
COC | Free Concert Series: Adi Braun at the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre. 5:30 p.m. Free!
Vocalist Adi Braun, who happens to be the sister of Canadian baritone Russell Braun and the daughter of the late Canadian baritone Victor Braun, is a classically trained singer. But she transitioned into a jazz/pop/blues singer many years ago. She sings Frank Sinatra songs in this recital, accompanied by a quartet. Be sure to show up an hour ahead for a seat. Info, here.
Thursday 10
RCM | Generation Next at Koerner Hall. 8 p.m. $25–65
Generation Next — A recital of fast-rising Canadian musicians, pianists Charles Richard-Hamelin, Tony Yike Yang, and Alexander Seredenko, cellist Stephane Tetreault, and mezzo-soprano Emily D’Angelo. Details, here.
Music Toronto | Quatuor Arthur-Leblanc at the Jane Mallett Theatre. 8 p.m. $55
Music Toronto presents Quatuor Arthur-Leblanc (violinists Hibiki Kobayashi and Brett Molzan, violist Jean-Luc Plourde and cellist Ryan Molzan in a program of Haydn, Bartok, and Beethoven. This chamber group is the quartet-in-residence at the Université Laval. Info, here.
Sinfonia Toronto | Serenade at the Glenn Gould Studio. 8 p.m. $42
Sinfonia Toronto presents Serenade, a program of works by Haydn, Dvorak, and Alice Ho. Maciej Zoltowski conducts, with soloists Xiaohan Guo (violin) and Zhengyu Chen (piano). Details found, here.
Against the Grain Theatre | Ayre at the Ismaili Centre. 8 p.m. $40–70 (Repeats Nov. 11, 12)
Against the Grain Theatre presents Ayre, a song cycle of Arabic, Ladino, Sardinian and Spanish texts by Argentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov. Directed by Joel Ivany and features soprano Miriam Khalil and eleven instrumentalists. Info, here.
Friday 11
RCM | Deborah Voigt at Koerner Hall. 8 p.m. $40–110
American soprano Deborah Voigt in a recital of songs by Amy Beach, Tchaikovsky, Strauss, Ben Moore, William Bolcom, and Leonard Bernstein, with pianist Brian Zeger. Details, here.
National Ballet of Canada | Cinderella at the Four Seasons Centre. 2 p.m. & 7:40 p.m. $39 –265 (Repeats through Nov. 20)
The National Ballet of Canada presents Cinderella, set to music by Prokofiev, with choreography by James Kudelka. Details, here.
The Toronto Consort | The Italian Queen of France at Trinity St. Paul’s Centre. 8 p.m. $24–60 (Repeats Nov.12)
Toronto Consort presents The Italian Queen of France, the musical legacy of Catherine de Medici, with music by Adrian LeRoy, Claude Lejeune, and Guillaume Costelay. Also featured are dances performed by students of the School of Atelier Ballet, choreographed by Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg. More info, here.
Sunday 13
RCM | Viktoria Mullova at Koerner Hall. 3 p.m. $40–90
Russian violinist Viktoria Mullova and the Accademia Bizantina conducted by Ottavio Dantone, in an all-Bach program. Details, here.
Off Centre Music Salon | Russian Salon: Four Seasons of Mother Russia at Trinity St. Paul’s Centre. 3 p.m. $5–50
Off Centre Music Salon presents Russian Salon: Four Seasons of Mother Russia, featuring cellist Igor Gefter, soprano Joni Henson, violinist Mark Skazinetzky, and pianists Inna Perkis and Boris Zarankin. Info, here.
Amici Chamber Ensemble | Mother Russia: Rebels and Exiles at Mazzoleni Hall. 3 p.m. $50
Amici Chamber Ensemble presents Mother Russia: Rebels and Exiles, featuring Russian chamber music in the last hundred years, among them works by Rachmaninoff and Stravinsky. Details found, here.
RCM | Anagnoson & Kinton at Mazzoleni Hall. 7:30 p.m. $25
The inimitable piano duo, Anagnoson & Kinton, is celebrating their 40th anniversary with this birthday bash. The program includes works by Brahms, Pierre Gallant, Poulenc, Dvorak, and Bartok. This event is announced as sold out, but do check with the box office. Info, here.
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