Classical music and opera events for the week of Aug. 30–Sept. 5

With Labour Day long weekend approaching (hallelujah) and festival season winding down, most musicians are taking a break before concerts pick up again this fall. Despite the quiet week, we found a few shows we are attending, wishing we could attend, or thinking about attending between August 30 – September 5, 2021. For more details on what’s happening from our friends, visit our calendar here.

Music Mondays | Phenomenal Women

📅 Monday — August 30, 2021, 12:15 p.m.
📍 LINK
💸 PWYC ($10 suggested)

It’s the second last week of Music Mondays — an online series we’ve been following all summer on Ludwig Van. This week you’ll hear Laurel Swinden and Stephanie Mara showcase some strong works for flute and piano by four composers Florence B. Price, Amanda Harberg, Valerie Coleman and Cecile Chaminade. There is a famous quote about Chaminade after she was awarded the Légion d’Honneur in 1913 — a first for a female composer. Ambroise Thomas said, “This is not a woman who composes, but a composer who is a woman.” | Details

BBC Proms | Chineke! Orchestra

📅 Tuesday — August 31, 2021
📍 LINK
💸 Free!

Founded in 2015, the Chineke! Orchestra is billed as Britain’s only majority Black and ethnically diverse orchestra. What makes this concert special is Panamanian-American conductor Kalena Bovell and pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason performing Florence Price’s Piano Concerto and Coleridge-Taylor’s Symphony. Recorded last Tuesday, this stream is running all month. Also, if you haven’t heard the 19-year-old Jeneba Kanneh-Mason yet, this is your chance. | Details

Toronto Concert Orchestra | Beauty

📅 Tuesday — August 31, 2021, 7 p.m.
📍 LINK
💸 Free!

The Toronto Concert Orchestra end their summer season with a touching ode to their late founder, Maestro Kerry Stratton, and his special relationship with Prague. Besides being married there, Prague was his favourite city to visit. So sit back and take a journey to Prague, and hear music from Beethoven, Dvorak, and a new commission from Composer in Residence Samuel Bisson Divergimento for string orchestra. | Details

Mississauga Summer Chorale | Choose Something Like a Star

📅 Tuesday — August 31, 2021, (two shows: 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.)
📍 LINK
💸 $25-35

Bring a lawn chair to hear some excellent choral music at Toronto’s Grace Church-On-the-Hill. The show features Mississauga Summer Chorale choirs Sehnsucht, Rocambolesco, and Duende, performing works by Randall Thompson, Undine Smith Moore, Edward Elgar, Jake Runestad, and more. Tickets must be bought in advance, and audience members must provide proof of vaccination upon entry. | Details

Banff Centre International String Quartet Festival | Callisto Quartet + Desmond Hoebig

📅 Thursday— September 2, 2021, 8:30 p.m. ET
📍 LINK
💸 Free!

Banff Centre International String Quartet Festival are doing an online steam edition. Kicking off the festival is an appearance by second place laureates the Callisto Quartet and Canadian cellist Desmond Hoebig for Schubert’s String Quintet in C Major, D. 956. The festival runs online all week. Be sure to check out the full festival line up that includes the Dalí Quartet, the Kelemen Quartet, the Viano String Quartet with Marc-André Hamelin. | Details

Opera Sustenida | Date with the Divas, Vol. 2

📅 Saturday — September 4, 2021, 7:30 p.m.
📍 LINK
💸 $30

Opera Sustenida is back with the follow-up to Divas for Hire, its inaugural interactive concert where audience members could vote to select the concert repertoire ahead of time. Tonight you’ll hear a livestream of music from the Romantic period, including, “Una voce poco fa” from Rossini’s Barber of Seville sung by a trio of Rosinas at a coffee shop. There also a surreal take on Prince Orlovsky’s chronic boredom in Strauss, Jr’s Die Fledermaus (apparently, there’s a shark is involved). You’ll also get a cameo from Marilyn Monroe performing Musetta’s seductive “Quando m’en vo'” from Puccini’s La bohème. Tune in and support some local opera. The stream is available through October 4. | Details

Banff Centre International String Quartet Festival | Banff Festival Chamber Orchestra

📅 Sunday— September 5, 2021, 8:30 p.m. ET
📍 LINK
💸 Free!

Banff Festival Chamber Orchestra close the Banff Centre International String Quartet tonight, The Orchestra is a who’s who of Canadaian string players, including Jonathan Crow, Andrew Wan, Arnold Choi, Barry Shiffman and more. The program includes Elgar’s Serenade for Strings in E minor, Dinuk Wijeratne’s Two Pop Songs on Antique Poems, Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony in C minor, and Marjan Mozetich’s Postcards from the Sky. Not-to-be-missed. Details

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Michael Vincent

Michael Vincent is the Editor-in-chief Ludwig Van and CEO of Museland Media. He publishes regularly and writes occasionally. A specialist in digital media for over 15 years, he has worked as a senior editor and is a former freelance classical music critic for the Toronto Star. Michael holds a Doctorate in Music from the University of Toronto.