L-R: Pianist Bertrand Chamayou and soprano Barbara Hannigan (Photo courtesy of the artists); Tania Miller conducts the Royal Conservatory Orchestra (Photo courtesy of the RCO); Tanya Tagaq (Photo courtesy of the artist); Conductor Semyon Bynchkov (Photo: Nicoletti)

Alexander Brose, Michael and Sonja Koerner President & CEO Designate of The Royal Conservatory of Music, Executive Director of Performing Arts Mervon Mehta, and Dean of The Glenn Gould School James Anagnoson have revealed the lineup details for the 2024-25 season of concerts at Koerner Hall. It will be the 16th season of music programming at acoustically friendly venue.

“As I embark upon my first year as the new Michael and Sonja Koerner President & CEO of The Royal Conservatory, it is an absolute joy to present our newest calendar of thrilling concerts,” said Alexander Brose in a statement. “From established artists to rising stars representing Canada and the world, the year ahead will surely see memorable performances in all three of our spectacular venues. I hope you will join us at the RCM, one of the world’s great music institutions, for an unforgettable artistic journey this year.”

Highlights of the 2024-25 Season

Mervon Mehta comments on the season.

“Welcome to a new season of concerts in our glorious concert hall which is renowned as one of the finest in the world. This year we celebrate artists from Cuba, the Year of Czech Music, and solo Partitas for both violin and harpsichord. The season kicks of with our annual Commemoration of the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation starring the spectacular Tanya Tagaq. Five of Canada’s great classical singers join us in nights ranging from Handel arias to Messiaen to new 21st century work. Our piano and string recital series overflow with talent led by old friends like Emanuel Ax and exciting new artists like Kevin Chen.

“Artists from 10 First Nations and 23 foreign countries come to Koerner Hall, including Cape Verde, South Africa, and Iran. Rufus Wainwright, Eliades Ochoa, and Michael Feinstein make their long-awaited debuts with us. We are also thrilled to do bring you another Sondheim musical in concert when we present his beloved Into the Woods in our first ever winter holiday run. It stars a plethora of Canadian theatre and TV talent and is, once again, brought to life by director Richard Ouzounian and music director Paul Sportelli.”

Special Events

A series of Special Events mark the season — including one that is already sold out.

The season kicks off with the Commemoration of the National Day of Truth & Reconciliation on October 1, an evening to reflect, pay respect, and to give hope to survivors of residential schools headlined by Tanya Tagaq, with storytelling, testimony, traditional music and more. Also appearing is Indigenous soprano Emma Pennell, Mi’kmaq from Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland), a two-spirit activist, advocate and artist. Tanya Tagaq will premiere a new work.
Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods in concert, an all-star event starring Tess Benger, Gabi Epstein, Sara Farb, Mike Nadajewski, Eric Peterson, and Fiona Reid, directed by Richard Ouzounian and conducted by Paul Sportelli.
Yuja Wang and Víkingur Ólafsson, piano duo, uniting two of the world’s piano superstars on February 18 is already sold-out. For anyone who did get a ticket, they’ll be performing Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances (for two pianos), Schubert’s Fantasia in F Minor (for piano four hands), along with other works.

There will be two film screenings:

Our Planet Live, a Netflix Original Documentary Series with Keith Scholey;
Beethoven’s Nine: Ode to Humanity, a film by Larry Weinstein

Classical Music

International Orchestras Series

Two concerts by the Czech Philharmonic conducted by Semyon Bychkov with Daniil Trifonov and Jan Mráček

21C MUSIC FESTIVAL

Measha Brueggergosman-Lee: Zombie Blizzard
Bruce Hornsby & yMusic present: BrhyM (a premiere)
The Journal of Hélène Berr with Rihab Chaieb
Michelle Cann and the Imani Winds
Continuum Contemporary Music: Spanning

Piano Recitals

Emanuel Ax, Bruce Liu, Louis Lortie, Pierre-Laurent Aimard
Koerner Hall debuts by Kevin Chen, Benjamin Grosvenor, and Schaghajegh Nosrati

Vocal Concerts

Barbara Hannigan with Bertrand Chamayou
VOCES8
Les Violons du Roy with Karina Gauvin and Marie-Nicole Lemieux

String Concerts

Leonidas Kavakos performs the complete Bach Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin
Sheku Kanneh-Mason with Isata Kanneh-Mason
Randall Goosby with Zhu Wang
James Ehnes with Orion Weiss

Chamber Music Concerts

Viano Quartet with MILOŠ
Takács Quartet with Sir Stephen Hough, including a premiere
Martin Fröst, Antoine Tamestit, and Shai Wosner
Les Arts Florissants with Théotime Langlois de Swarte: Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” at 300

James Anagnoson remarks, “The Glenn Gould School will once again present an array of talent in performances of the Royal Conservatory Orchestra (fresh from their stunning Carnegie Hall debut!), the Glenn Gould School Opera, the Mazzoleni Masters Series, the Discovery Series, The Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists, and the Rebanks Family Fellowship Concert series – which feature the students, faculty, and friends of The Glenn Gould School.”

The Royal Conservatory Orchestra concerts will be conducted by Tania Miller, Naomi Woo, William Eddins, and Earl Lee.

Other Concert Series

Quiet Please, There’s A Lady On Stage

Mariza
Pilar with The Royal Conservatory Strings and Bria Skonberg Quintet Piaf! The Show
Jane Bunnett & Maqueque with Maraca and the Santiago Sax Quartet

Music Mix

Rufus Wainwright
Michael Feinstein in Because of You
Los Lobos
Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain
Toronto Sings the Breithaupt Brothers’ Songbook

Global Music

Thandiswa Mazwai from South Africa
Cesária Évora Orchestra from Cape Verde
¡VIVA LA MÚSICA CUBANA! – a celebration of Cuban music with:
Harold López-Nussa with Grégoire Maret and Hilario Durán with his Latin Jazz Big Band
Jane Bunnett & Maqueque with Maraca and the Santiago Sax Quartet (including a premiere)
Eliades Ochoa

Jazz Concerts

Monty Alexander 80th Birthday and the Jay Douglas All-Stars – a Jamaican jazz jam Emilie-Claire Barlow: Winter Wonderland
An Evening with Branford Marsalis
Yellowjackets with Toronto All-Star Big Band
Sullivan Fortner Trio and Barbra Lica Quintet celebrate International Jazz Day

Find more information and tickets to performances [HERE].

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Anya Wassenberg

Anya Wassenberg is the Toronto City Editor at Ludwig Van. Previously, she was a freelance writer with a specialty in culture and travel for three decades, and a creative writing instructor for Ontariolearn.