Tafelmusik is welcoming the warm weather of not-quite-summer with a Handel Celebration to end the regular season — their 45th — and then a series of six concerts through June, including four free events at the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Festival.
The string of performances will take them from Koerner Hall to the McMichael Gallery north of the city to the Toronto Botanical Garden, and a variety of venues across the downtown area.
It’s a welcome start to the summer for lovers of Baroque music. Here’s a look at what’s on offer at a glance.
Tafelmusik June 2024
A Handel Celebration (May 31, June 1 & 2) Koerner Hall
First, to end Tafelmusik’s 45th anniversary season, A Handel Celebration pays homage to the composer who is still considered one of the great musical dramatists of all time. Soprano Amanda Forsythe and tenor Thomas Hobbs join the choir and orchestra in a program of arias, duets, and choruses from Handel oratorios, including Solomon, Esther, L’Allegro, Judas Maccabeus, Deborah, Alexander Balus, Joseph & His Brethren, Semele, Hercules, Athalia.
- Find more information and tickets to the season finale performances May 31, June 1 & 2 [HERE].
Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Festival (June 10–22)
Four concerts open to the public are presented as part of the annual Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Festival. The Festival draws musicians from all over he world for advanced level training in Baroque practice. Performers will include Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir, along with Festival participants, and faculty members.
Opening Night (Monday, June 10 at 8 p.m.) Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre
A concert to open the Festival featuring Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir with British baritone Peter Harvey. Admission is free but a ticket is required (see below).
Baroque Portraits (Saturday, June 15 at 12:30 p.m.) Walter Hall, University of Toronto
An informal chamber recital featuring members of the TBSI faculty. Admission is free and on a first-come, first-served basis, with no registration or tickets required.
TBSI Orchestras and Choirs (Wednesday, June 19 at 1 p.m.) Walter Hall, University of Toronto
The participants of the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute performing an array of orchestral and choral music. Admission is free and on a first-come, first-served basis, with no registration or tickets are required.
The Grand Finale (Saturday, June 22 at 7:30 p.m.) Grace Church on-the-Hill
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir are joined by TBSI participants for a big orchestra of 110 musicians to close the festival. Admission is free, but tickets are required (see below).
- Reserve tickets for free tickets to reserve your spot to the June 10 & 22 concerts [HERE].
Community Concerts: Midsummer Follies
Tafelmusik lets its collective hair down for Midsummer Follies, which goes beyond the music we typically associate with the Baroque period, namely that composed for kings and courts, to the popular music that could have been heard in cafés, taverns, and country fairs of the era. With performers John Abberger, oboe; Geneviève Gilardeau, violin; Michael Unterman, cello; and Jonathan Stuchbery, lute/guitar, the program includes music that traveled from the British Isles to northern Europe, and from France to New France, including Québecois folk traditions.
There are two opportunities to experience the music.
Midsummer Follies at The McMichael Canadian Art Collection (Sunday June 23 at 2:00 p.m.)
- Tickets are available through the McMichael Canadian Art Collection [HERE].
Midsummer Follies at Toronto Botanical Garden (Sunday June 30 at 2:00 p.m.)
- Tickets are available through the Toronto Botanical Garden [HERE].
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