Remenyi House of Music, Toronto’s iconic music store located at 210 Bloor St. West, will be moving to a new location at 109 Vanderhoof Ave in January 2022. The music and piano store has purchased the site formally occupied by St. John’s Music, which has since closed its only Toronto location.
The Yorkville music store sold the building to Tribute Communities for a reported $25M in 2018. The plan includes a new condominium that will house over 40 residential units and a ground-floor retail space.
Don’t worry; it’s only temporary…
…As part of the agreement, Remenyi will vacate the space while the building takes place and return once it’s complete in 2023.
The music store plans to operate both locations after renovations at the Bloor St address are complete.
From folk music to classical and jazz
Remenyi House of Music first opened up shop in Toronto’s Yorkville area after Toronto’s hippie culture made its mark on the area, turning it into an arts and culture hub.
With its proximity to the Royal Conservatory and the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music, Remenyi has become a popular location where musicians can drop in to play a new Steinway, pick up a new clarinet reed, or try a new violin bow. It also includes accessories, repair shops, and the Music Bookstore specializing in sheet music and educational materials.
Remenyi’s customers not only include music students, but also many notable musicians performing across the street at Koerner Hall, and even members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
130 years and counting
The first Remenyi House of Music was opened by Mihály Reményi in Budapest, Hungary, in 1890. After surviving two world wars, the store stood proud. It wasn’t until the communist regime took over Hungary in 1951 that the store’s stock was confiscated. The Zoltan family lost everything, and fled to Canada in 1959 to start again.
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