Classical music and opera events happening in and around Toronto for the week of April 2 – 8.

Ludwig van 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.

Tuesday 3

University of Toronto Faculty of Music | From the 19^th Century. 5 p.m. Walter Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University of Toronto. $20/$10(st)

The U of T Opera’s season-ending show of operatic scenes, including works by Donizetti, Delibes, Verdi, Wagner and others, featuring students in the opera program. | Details

Canadian Stage/Tapestry Opera | The Overcoat: a musical tailoring. 8 p.m. Bluma Appel Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre, 27 Front St. E. Runs to April 14. $35-$99.

A new opera by composer James Rolfe and librettist Morris Panych, The Overcoat opened on March 29 to very positive reviews and this show continues until April 14. Based on a short story by Russian writer Nikolai Gogol. Co-produced by Tapestry Opera, Canadian Stage and Vancouver Opera, the cast includes Geoffrey Sirrett, Asitha Tennekoon, Peter McGillivray, Andrea Ludwig, Aaron Durand, Erica Iris, Keith Klassen, Giles Tomkins, Caitlin Wood and others. Leslie Dala conducts. | Listing

Thursday 5

Canadian Opera Company | Beethoven’s Celllists. 12 p.m. Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre. Free. Be sure to arrive early for a seat. Note: This show replaces the originally announced Rosebud String Quartet.

VC2 Cello Duo (Amahl Arulanandam and Bryan Holt) presents works by Beethoven’s cellist colleagues (Anton Kraft, Bernhard Romberg and Jean-Louis Dupont), plus new works by Canadian cellist-composers. | Details

Adam Sherkin | Liszt: Pilgrimage. 7:30 p.m. Glenn Gould Studio Lobby, CBC Building, 250 Front St. W. $46/$42(sr)/$35(35 and under). Use promo code “LISZT10” for 10% off any ticket purchase.

This recital evolves the theme of pilgrimage and the journey. In addition to Liszt’s Book I of the Années de pèlerinage, Adam Sherkin performs his own German Promises, Sunbent and Sonata No. 3 (“Ended in Ice”). Soprano Adanya Dunn is guest soloist. | Listing

Toronto Symphony Orchestra | Sibelius Symphony No. 5. 8 p.m. Roy Thomson Hall. Repeats Apr. 7 7:30 p.m. Apr. 8 3 p.m. performance at George Weston Recital Hall. $40.75-$113.

TSO Conductor Laureate Sir Andrew Davis leads the TS forces in Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with rising star Taiwanese-Australian violinist Ray Chen. The Bruch piece is joined by Sibelius Symphony No. 5, and The Fair Melusina Overture by Mendelssohn. | Listing

Tafelmusik | Bach B Minor Mass. 8 p.m. Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor St. W. $24-$109. Repeats Apr 6, 7, at 8 p.m., Apr. 8 at 3:30 p.m., and Apr. 10 8 p.m. at George Weston Recital Hall. Remaining seats $24-$93.

Even though Easter was last weekend, it’s not too late to catch Bach’s magnificent Mass in B Minor, this time with soprano Dorothee Mields, mezzo Laura Pudwell, tenor Charles Daniels, and baritone Tyler Duncan. Ivars Taurins leads the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir. | Listing

Friday 6

Royal Conservatory of Music | Bernstein @ 100. 8 p.m. Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. $35-$85.

This concert celebrates the 100^th anniversary of Leonard Bernstein, featuring Jamie Bernstein (daughter of Bernstein and narrator in this show), Wallis Giunta (mezzo), Sebastian Knauer (piano), and the ARC Ensemble. The program includes Bernstein’s Anniversaries, and Eight Songs arranged by Peter Tiefenbach. Also featured is Walter Kaufmann’s String Quartet No. 11. | Listing

Sinfonia Toronto | The Emperor. 8 p.m. Glenn Gould Studio, CBC Building, 240 Front St. W. $42/$35(sr)/$15(st).

Canadian pianist Stewart Goodyear plays Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 (chamber version), conducted by Nurhan Arman. The concert also features Britten Simple Symphony and Dvorak Serenade. | Listing

Saturday 7

University of Toronto Faculty of Music | U of T Symphony Orchestra. 7:30 p.m. MacMillan Theatre, Edward Johnson Building, 80 Queen’s Park. $30/$20(sr)/$10(st)

Uri Mayer conducts the U of T Symphony Orchestra in Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending, Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite (1919 version), and Freedman’s Suite from Oiseaux Exotiques. | Listing

Sunday 8

Royal Conservatory of Music | Beatrice Rana. 3 p.m. Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. $30-$65.

Italian pianist Beatrice Rana, winner of the 2011 Montreal International Musical Competition, last played in Toronto at Walter Hall. This time it’s in the much bigger venue of Koerner Hall, in a program of pieces by Schumann, Ravel and Stravinsky. 2 p.m. pre-concert talk with Rick Phillips. | Listing

Joseph So

Joseph So is Professor Emeritus at Trent University and Associate Editor of Opera Canada.He is also a long-time contributor to La Scena Musicale and Opera (London, UK). His interest in music journalism focuses on voice, opera as well as symphonic and piano repertoires. He appears regularly as a panel member of the Big COC Podcast.He has co-edited a book, Opera in a Multicultural World: Coloniality, Culture, Performance, published by Routledge (Taylor & Francis Group).

CRITIC'S PICKS | Ten Concerts You Should Absolutely See This Week (Apr. 2 – 8)