This is a list of concerts we are attending, wishing we could attend, or thinking about attending between April 28 and May 4, 2025. For more of what’s happening around Toronto, visit our calendar here.
Canadian Opera Company: Eugene Onegin
Friday, May 2, 7:30 p.m., Sunday, May 4, 2 p.m., Wednesday, May 7, 7:30 p.m., Friday, May 9, 7:30 p.m., Thursday, May 15, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, May 17, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, May 24, 4:30 p.m.:
Four Seasons Centre, $45+
As spring returns to the city, the super-romantic, foolish young man, Eugene Onegin, returns to COC. Robert Carsen’s production, designed for the Metropolitan Opera in 1997, was a sensation in its first mounting at the COC in 2018, and it still takes the audience’s breath away, with its minimalistic sets with maximalist punch (especially with those neverending golden leaves), and beautifully crafted costumes. Amongst such rich colours, we see Pushkin’s Onegin exploring his young heart, with brashness and disdain for the world, before becoming a broken, hardened man through loss of innocence, as he rejects Tatyana, and duels his friend Lensky to death. The leadership from the podium by conductor Speranza Scappucci — one of the best operatic conductors of today — promises much freshness with the signature over-the-top emotions of Tchaikovsky — is there a composer who could better craft a simple descending scale into a heart-piercing dagger? Come to this stark contrast to Wozzeck, and be transported into a dreamscape; after all, if we cannot dip into another’s dream, what is the point of living? Info here.
New Music Concert: MAKEWAY 2025
Friday, May 2, 8 p.m.
St. George’s Grange Park, 30 Stephanie St., pay-what-you-can, $15 suggested
NMC’s second edition of MAKEWAY 2025 features four composers: Alex Matterson, Anju Singh, Steven Webb, and Tsz Long (Fish) Yu. Starting this Monday, these four composers and 15 musicians — ranging from standard strings and brass, to other fascinating things: Tar, Santoor, Erhu, Sho, kitchen-sink percussion, and lots of electronics, will be cooped in at the Arraymusic. They will emerge onto the stage this Friday with these brand-new works, which could be the best thing you’ve yet to hear this spring. Yes, there is a bizarre fear factor regarding ‘new music,’ however, perhaps this worry isn’t necessary or warranted — we do flock after new things naturally, and a few will become part of our standard experience — remember the rise of hard seltzer, tacos, and ramen restaurants? Come with an open mind, and the possibility that you might fall in love with these new creations and soundscapes. Read our Interview with the four composers here. Info here.
Tafelmusik: Concerti Virtuosi: Vivaldi & Telemann
Friday, May 2, 8 p.m., Saturday, May 3, 8 p.m., Sunday, May 4, 3 p.m.
Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, $20+
The amazing Rachel Podger returns to Tafelmusik, this time centring on feisty music of Vivaldi, along with Corelli, Brescianello’s Concerto grosso, and Telemann’s concerto for 3 violins. Remembering the recent visit from Les Arts Florissants and Théotime Langlois de Swarte’s The Four Seasons tour, it is astonishing how brilliant and fresh these old canonic composers really are, and with Podger-Tafelmusik synergy, this program promises brilliant vitality and strength — a much needed boost to what has been a quite a dull and depressing spring climate so far. Come out and be awakened, let’s reopen our eyes to the beauty that can sustain us now, and for later, as it has sustained many through the centuries. Read our Preview here. Info here.
Toronto Symphony: Young People’s Concert: Adizokan
Sunday, May 4, 1:30 p.m, and 4 p.m.
Roy Thomson Hall, $31+
In this performance of Adizokan, many talented people are brought together to present a grand, beautiful homage to the Canadian Indigenous culture experience — for youngsters, and their friends and families. Featuring the Red Sky Performance, and Nelson Tagoona, throat boxer, with composer Eliot Britton (on laptop), and the TSO, many magical sound colours from analog instruments — both purely acoustic and through sound processing — together with dance and visuals, make this Young People’s Concert a great way to introduce an extended sound palette to anyone, and everyone. Come on down with your crowd, and be mesmerized. Info here.
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