This is a list of concerts we are attending, wishing we could attend, or thinking about attending between May 22 and May 28, 2023. For more details on what’s happening around Toronto, visit our calendar here.

Canadian Opera Company/Tosca

Tuesday May 23 at 7:30 p.m. (repeats Saturday May 27 at 4:30 p.m.). Four Seasons Centre. $65+

The COC revives the Puccini standard with the Irish soprano Sinéad Campbell-Wallace in the title role. Limited availability on May 27. Read our interview with Scottish opera director Paul Curran here, and Joseph So’s review here. Ticket info here.

Toronto Symphony Orchestra/James Ehnes/Jader Bignamini

Wednesday May 24 at 8 p.m. (repeats Thursday May 25 at 8 p.m. and Saturday May 27 at 8 p.m.). Roy Thomson Hall. $95+

The dependably excellent James Ehnes plays Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto; Jader Bignamini, the Italian music director of the Detroit Symphony, leads Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition in the familiar Ravel orchestration. Also on offer: Alison Yun-Fei Jiang’s Hwa (Flowering), an eight-minute TSO commission. Info here.

U of T/McGill/L’anima del filosofo (Orfeo)

Friday May 26 at 7:30 p.m. (repeats Saturday May 27 at 7:30 p.m.). MacMillan Theatre. Free (registration required).

If you haven’t seen Haydn’s 1791 take on the Orpheus myth, don’t blush: neither did the composer. U of T and Opera McGill join forces to present what is billed as the North American premiere. A symposium on the opera, Haydn’s last, will be held Saturday May 27 at 10 a.m. in Walter Hall. Read our Preview here. Info here.

Toronto Bach Festival/Leipzig Cantatas

Sunday May 28 at 4 p.m. Eastminster United Church (310 Danforth Ave.).

The weekend Bach fest concludes with the substantial Cantatas BWV 75 and BWV 76. Tafelmusik oboist John Abberger leads a compact choir and orchestra. Note also a talk at 1:30 by musicologist Daniel Melamed on Bach’s move from Köthen to Leipzig. Read our Preview here. More info here.

#LUDWIGVAN

Get the daily arts news straight to your inbox.

Sign up for the Ludwig van Daily — classical music and opera in five minutes or less HERE.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Arthur Kaptainis

Arthur Kaptainis was classical music critic of the Montreal Gazette from 1986 to 2022 and wrote for the National Post from 2010 to 2016. His articles appear in Classical Voice North America and Gramophone as well as Ludwig Van. Arthur holds an MA in musicology from the University of Toronto. He is president of the Music Critics Association of North America.

Latest posts by Arthur Kaptainis (see all)

• SCRUTINY | Moussa Concerto Sounds Strong In Toronto Symphony Orchestra Premiere, Paired With Playful Don Quixote - April 4, 2024
• SCRUTINY | Esprit Orchestra At Koerner Hall: Ligeti 2, Richter No Score - April 1, 2024
• SCRUTINY | Sibelius & New Cello Concerto By Detlev Glanert Offers A Mixed Bag From The TSO - March 28, 2024