This is a list of concerts we are attending, wishing we could attend, or thinking about attending between March 17 and 23, 2025. For more of what’s happening around Toronto, visit our calendar here.
Trinity College Chapel, University of Toronto: A Season of Choral Music
Monday, March 17, 7:30 p.m
6 Hoskin Ave., Open to the public, and donation is welcomed.
The Trinity College Chapel is such a serene, beautiful space in St. George Campus, and their regular musical activities, including Wednesday evensong at 5:15 p.m. during the academic year, are a lovely gift to the community. For this Monday, Thomas Bell, director of music has planned an evening concert, where the chapel choir, with Peter Bayer (organ), and guest Arthur Jones (trumpet) present music of Tchaikovsky, Holst, Lassus, Bergeon, and others. We are at the cusp of winter looking into the real possibility of spring — and within such a flux, making time to reflect, absorb beauty, and take a step back from the bustle of the everyday life scramble, is such a beautiful luxury. Come to unwind — and sink into timeless beauty in this high-ceiling, gleaming white intimate space. Event is open to the public, and your free-will donation will help maintain the Rare Books Collection at the John W. Graham Library: a true win-win. Info here.
Canadian Opera Company: Instrumental/Dance Series: Everything is Green
Tuesday, March 18, Noon
Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre, free
The Looking Glass Ensemble — a collective founded by Christine Carter (clarinet) and Shannon Litzenberger (dance), brings loads of kinetic energy to the stage this Tuesday. In contrast to some ho-hum interdisciplinary projects, LGE’s co-creation and collaboration goes far beyond mission statements and project sketches; ‘Everything is Green’ recently won Best Dance Short at both Berlin indie Film Festival and the Cine Paris Film Festival. Come and see Carter and Litzenberger, joined by local hotshot pianist Gregory Oh (piano), and Vernon Regehr (cello), weaving emotions through music of Beethoven, Arvo Pärt, and Vivian Fung. Seeing static information — black ink on white pages of musical score — coming alive in real time, is always exciting, especially when there’s physical gesture and movement spontaneously filling our time and space. Info here.
Music Toronto: Janina Fialkowska
Tuesday, March 18, 7:30 p.m.
Jane Mallett Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for Arts. $20+
A Canadian icon, Fialkowska, whose playing impressed the legendary Arthur Rubinstein as ‘the born Chopin interpreter,’ brings her maturity and flair to Toronto with an intimate solo piano program. Ranging from small miniature works to muscular and brilliant large scale works, including Ravel’s Valse Nobles et Sentimentales, it is lovely to hear a performer at the golden peak of one’s life. We live in a constant state of neophilia — newer, younger — all these qualities are often blindly supported as ‘positive’ things. However, age and experience do bring a different perspective, and as nothing can replace time, this is your chance to come and hear a pianist at her peak maturity. And the door is always open for students and minors for Music Toronto concerts — bring them along, and enjoy this beautiful program. Info here.
Royal Conservatory of Music: The Glenn Gould School Spring Opera: Die Zauberflöte
Wednesday, March 19, 7:30 p.m., Friday, March 21, 7:30 p.m.
Koerner Hall, $25+
GGS presents an all time favourite: Die Zauberflöte with Allison Grant (director) and Jennifer Tung (conductor). The concept of common brotherhood armed with reason against tyranny and obscurantism, dare I say, has been timed perfectly with today’s world. Mozart wove masonic idealism deeply into this fairy tale — it even used the common man’s language, German, instead of the highbrow Italian of the day. And the quest for justice, far-fetched as it may feel with fairy characters such as a birdman, a damsel in distress, a man on a quest, and the Queen of the Night, might strike through your heart this time, as inspiration often sprouts from one’s surroundings and circumstance. Though, if you’d rather leave politics at the door, this amazing music, including the pop-icon Queen of the Night aria, is full of beauty and evocation. Come and hear this familiar tale once again, and see what you hear this time through Mozart and Schikaneder’s masterpiece. Info here.
University of Toronto Faculty of Music: John R. Stratton Visitor in Music — Karen Slack: African Queen
Thursday, March 20, 7:30 p.m.
Walter Hall, 80 Queen’s Park, free.
2024 Grammy winner Karen Slack is a mighty, talented and incredibly inspiring woman. A Graduate of Curtis Institute, she’s been busy gracing the international stage with her amazing voice, with canonic operatic and orchestral works; additionally, Slack’s particular interest in living Black composers’ music is a great gift for the world audience. With her musical talent and commissioning, she is generating new works and giving them performance opportunities, creating genuine opportunities for young Black composers to be heard. Slack’s 2025 Grammy for the Best Classical Solo Vocal Album, Beyond the Years: Unpublished Songs of Florence Price, proves not only the power of her voice, but also of her intellect and scholarly interest. Come and see Slack’s fiery leadership in action, with Kevin Millar at the piano. And, as the event is open to the public, bring all your friends and family to experience a world-class voice singing fresh, new works. Read our Preview here. Info here.
Soundstreams: with you and without you
Saturday, March 22, 7:30 p.m.
Jane Mallett Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts. #32.75+
Known for excellent and provocative programming, Soundstreams have given full-rein to Brad Cherwin, winner of the 2024/25 Soundstreams New Voices Curator Mentorship Program, for an evening full of amazing music: Oliver Knussen, Matthew Ricketts, Tansy Davies, Shawn Jaeger, and a personal favorite, Ana Sokolović. Featuring a who’s-who of Toronto’s contemporary music scene, and the lovely Danika Lorèn, this concert promises so much — the freshness of the works, virtuosity of the ensemble members, and most importantly, the love and loss that we all experience — so personal yet also universal. There are many things happening in the city this week; however, what could be more beautiful and poignant than love, and the inevitable loss that comes from loving? Not to be missed. Read our Preview here. Info here.
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