Critic’s Picks (Mar. 25 – 31)
Ludwig van Toronto’s weekly Critic’s Picks are a curated list of some of the best concerts happening now through the end of the week. For a look at the full breadth of what’s available in and around Toronto, check out our curated concert listings here.
Wednesday 27
Toronto Symphony Orchestra | Schubert’s Unfinished. 8 p.m. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. Repeats Mar. 28, 8 p.m. $40.75-$107
Günther Herbig, former music director of the TSO (1989-1994), makes a welcome return to the Orchestra, for an evening of Schubert (Unfinished Symphony) and Bruckner (Symphony No. 9), the kind of repertoire that shows the esteemed Maestro at his best. If you are fond of the Germanic standard repertoire, don’t miss this show. | Details
Thursday 28
University of Toronto Faculty of Music | Jim and Charlotte Norcop Prize Winners’ Recital. 12:10 p.m. Walter Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. Free.
Winners this year of the Jim and Charlotte Norcop Prize in Song & Gwendolyn Williams Koldofsky Prize in Accompanying are baritone Korin Thomas-Smith and pianist Joy Lee. Program details not available. | Details
Toronto City Opera | La Traviata. 7:30 p.m. Al Green Theatre, Miles Nadal Community Centre, 750 Spadina Ave. Repeats Mar. 29, 31 (2 p.m.) $40/$30(st)
Toronto City Opera presents staged performances of Verdi’s La Traviata, with sets, costumes, and piano accompaniment. Soprano Beth Hagerman sings Violetta, tenor Kijong Wi is Alfredo, and Handaya Rusli is Germont. | Details
Friday 29
University of Toronto Faculty of Music | U of T Opera: Glancing Back, Looking Ahead. 5 p.m. Walter Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. $20/$10(st)
U of T Opera presents a program of costumed and staged operatic scenes. | Details
Trio Arkel | Into the Fire. 7:30 p.m. Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor St. W. $35/$20(sr)/$10(st)
Trio Arkel plays Into the Fire, a new piece by Jake Heggie, plus the Dvořák String Quartet No. 12 in F. Guest artists are soprano Monica Whicher, violinist Sheila Jaffé, and violist Jethro Marks. | Details
Tapestry Opera | Songbook IX. 8 p.m. Ernest Balmer Studio, Distillery District, 9 Trinity St. Repeats Mar. 30 (4 and 8 pm) $25
Young Canadian artists perform alongside soprano Jacqueline Woodley and pianist Andrea Grant, featuring highlights from Tapestry’s repertoire. | Details
Saturday 30
Met Live in HD/Cineplex Cinemas | Die Walküre 12 p.m. Select Cineplex Cinemas. $28 Check website for locations.
American dramatic soprano Christine Goerke sings her first Met Brünnhilde, the start of three cycles of the Robert Lepage Ring. Greer Grimsley (Wotan), Eva-Maria Westbroek (Sieglinde), Stuart Skelton (Siegmund). Philippe Jordan conducts. | Details
VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert | The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. 8 p.m. Jane Mallett Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, 27 Front St. E. Repeats Mar. 31 2:30 p.m. $32-$75
Kurt Weill’s “American” opera, a satirical and potent social-political commentary, receives a concert performance by OIC. Elizabeth DeGrazia, soprano; Beste Kalender, mezzo; Michael Barrett, tenor; Joshua Clemenger, tenor; Danlie Rae Acebuque, baritone. Narmina Afandiyeva (piano), Robert Cooper (music director). | Details
Canadian Sinfonietta | Rivka Golani. 8 p.m. Glenn Gould Studio, 250 Front St. W. $40/$35(sr)/$20(st)
A rare Toronto appearance by veteran violist Rivka Golani, in an evening of Britten, Elgar, Copland, and others, including a world premiere piece by David Jaeger, The Raven Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra. | Details
Sunday 31
Pax Christi Chorale | Miziwe…(Everywhere…) 3 p.m. Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. $20-$60.
The world premiere of a newly commissioned oratorio by Barbara Croall. Krisztina Szabó, mezzo-soprano; Justin Welsh, baritone; Rod Nettagog, singer, dancer; Barbara Croall, voice, cedar flute; Toronto Mozart Players; David Bowser, conductor. Krisztina Szabó, mezzo-soprano. | Details
Amici Chamber Ensemble | Mystical and the Macabre. 3 p.m. Mazzoleni Hall, Royal Conservatory of Music, 273 Bloor St. W. $50/$45(sr)/$30(under 30)/$15(st).
According to Amici’s website: “A unique program featuring the mystical juxtaposed with the macabre and an exploration of the overwhelming opposite feelings that come to all of us on a daily basis, expressed in a musical way.” Works by Malcolm Forsyth, George Gurdjieff, Olivier Messiaen, Sarah Hopkins, and Liszt. Mark Fewer, violin; Aiyun Huang, percussion; Joaquin Valdepeñas, clarinet; David Hetherington, cello; and Serouj Kradjian. | Details
LUDWIG VAN TORONTO
Want more updates on Toronto-centric classical music news and reviews? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter for all the latest.
