This is a list of concerts we are attending, wishing we could attend, or thinking about attending between July 14 and 20, 2025. For more of what’s happening around Toronto, visit our calendar here.
Royal Canadian College of Organists Toronto Centre: All-Star Organ Concert
Monday, July 14, 7:30 p.m.
Rosedale United Church, 159 Roxborough Dr., $25 general/$20 virtual stream
Royal Canadian College of Organists’ 2025 Summer Organ Academy opens with a great program on the Casavant Opus 591 pipe organ. Just steps away from Rosedale station, this Casavant was built in 1914, and its most recent revision was in 2005. With 35 stops, 44 ranks, and a total of 2,637 pipes, it’s capable of going anywhere from the faintest whisper to a thundering resonance. Featuring a variety of selections from classical literature to contemporary organ literature, the seven organists — faculty and guest lecturers of 2025 SOA and the hosting organist, Sarah Svendsen — will bring the scores to life, creating enough reverberation to move our bodies and minds. Read our Preview of the concert here. Info here.
Toronto Summer Music: Calidore String Quartet
Tuesday, July 15, 7:30 p.m.
Walter Hall, Faculty of Music, University of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park, $20+
TSM’s calendar is full of open masterclasses and performances, and it’s quite hard to pick which one to attend. However, this particular concert, featuring the Calidore String Quartet, stands out in its programming, promising much beauty, finesse, and possibly new experiences for many. Featuring two canonic works by Barber and Korngold, and two works by Wynton Marsalis (selections from String Quartet 1) and John Williams (“With Malice Toward None”), there’s much to observe and experience; if you have not heard John Williams’ ‘serious’ compositions, you are in for a big treat — as he so masterfully demonstrates in his movie soundtracks, WIlliams is a true master of idiomatic writing. Come, and experience that special timbre of the well-matched string quartet — there’s nothing quite like it. Info here.
Toronto Summer Music: Kids Concerts: Schmaltz & Pepper
Wednesday, July 16, 11 a.m.
Walter Hall, Faculty of Music, University of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park, free
Bring youngsters out to this lovely children’s program! A particular Toronto favourite, Schmaltz & Pepper — Eric Abramovitz, Drew Jurecka, Rebekah Wolkstein, Jeremy Ledbetter, and Michael Herring — will bring Klezmer to the families, to listen, enjoy, and possibly dance (if the music moves you, who could ever stop you?) This short and sweet concert, open to the public, is a great way to introduce youngsters to live music, and if you want to hear a bit more, come back later in the day for the 7:30 p.m. evening show with a full-length program: tickets for this start at $20. Info here.
Beck with Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Friday, July 18, Saturday, July 19, both at 8 p.m.
Roy Thomson Hall, $151.63+
Beck, whose quirky and insightful lyrics and music made him a household name since the 1990s, with an instantly recognisable laid-back low-fi style dipping into every genre of music possible (roots, funk, soul, country, hip hop seriously, you name it and he’s touched it) — is coming to Toronto for these two nights. Multi-platinum, multi-GRAMMY — Beck’s award listings are long, and the iconic videos that graced MTV are still vivid in many Gen-Xers memories, and onward. Looking back on Sea Change (2022) and Morning Phase (2014) in particular, it’s quite exciting to imagine how Beck will explore the colours and timbres of a full-scale orchestra. But act fast — the cavernous Roy Thomson Hall has rather limited availability despite two performance dates. Info here.
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