This is a list of concerts we are attending, wishing we could attend, or thinking about attending between March 23 and 29, 2026. For more of what’s happening around Toronto, visit our calendar here.
Canadian Opera Company: Vocal Series: An Afternoon of Lieder
Thursday, March 26, Noon
Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, free
Join the COC Ensemble Studio artists for this hour-long exploration of German lieder. All songs are a magical mix of words, emotions, and melody, however, the German lieder is an exceptional genre, thanks to its strong amalgamation of music and words. With particular attention to detailed and varied piano writing, lieder exploded in richness from the great genius of Franz Schubert, followed by Schumann, Brahms, Wolf, and many others. Come this afternoon with open ears, and let the artists of COC Ensemble take you on journeys — each song a perfect vignette of emotions, scenes, and evocations. Info here.
University of Toronto Faculty of Music: Thursdays at Noon: Laureates — Norcop & Koldofsky Prize Winners’ Recital
Thursday, March 26, Noon
Walter Hall, Faculty of Music, 80 Queen’s Park, free
This Thursday seems to be marked as voice-piano celebrations day! Another year has flown by, and we gather to celebrate the Norcop and Koldofsky prizewinners’ noon concert for this 25/26 academic year at the Faculty of Music. Featuring Grace Ronan and Rebeca Lluveras, chosen as the most promising voice and accompanist partnership for the song repertoire, this noon hour will feature the two young musicians in sync, covering a variety of classical art song styles. Come and sink into the magic of voice and piano, and who knows, you might be listening to the very next opera star — previous winners include big voices, including Emily D’Angel, and Simona Genga. Info here.
New Music Concerts/Tapestry Opera: Ana Sokolović’s Love Songs
Thursday, March 26, 7 p.m.; Friday, March 27, 7 p.m.; Saturday, March 28, 4 p.m.; Sunday, March 29, 2 p.m.
Nancy and Ed Jackman Performance Centre, 877 Yonge St., $50+
One of the best Canadian composers, Ana Sokolović, has a knack for writing for the voice. Soprano Xin Wang is no stranger to this mesmerizing work — back in 2020, Wang presented the work with the addition of saxophone. This time, Wang and Michael Hidetoshi Mori are going back to the solo performer version. As Sokolović’s writing contains such a depth of expression, Wang’s embodiment of the music through singing, speaking, snapping, and other body percussion, will be the event. However, this time, the dancer Rumi Jeraj will embody the lost love, as Wang wanders from joy to despair. Lost love may not interfere, nor react. But it’s there, in its simultaneity, presenting the real world we live in, where reality exists in many different forms, often free of the tyranny of time. It may be hard to get one’s head around this unorthodox ‘opera,’ but let us be reminded that ‘opera’ simply meant ‘work, labour.’ Come and share as Wang and Jeraj explore love through their labour, in this ethereal, unfamiliar soundscape. Read our Interview with Ana Sokolović and Michael Hidetoshi Mori here. Info here.
Toronto Symphony Orchestra: Joshua Bell Plays Bruch + Beethoven
Thursday, March 26, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, March 28, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, March 29, 3 p.m.; Roy Thomson Hall, $67+
Joshua Bell, the famed violinist who busked at Washington D.C. subway with his $3.5 million Strad, earning just over 30 bucks from strangers in 45 minutes, is a true powerbrand. Over the decades, he’s been favoured by international audiences, and this time, he’s bringing the full-blooded, super romantic Bruch Violin Concerto 1. This time, the fun continues as Bell takes to the podium to conduct Florence Price, and Beethoven’s Egmont Overture and Symphony No. 7. There are many string players who dabble in conducting in their later careers. Some are great. Some are alright. Some, we probably continue to love them regardless of what they choose to do. To see someone so capable of playing the violin, now with a white baton, is an interesting proposition, as there is no doubt about his musicality — and he’s been carving since 2011. Come out and listen to a well-seasoned interpretation of Bruch, and stay for Bell’s Beethoven 7th. Info here.
Royal Conservatory of Music: Marc-André Hamelin with Charles Richard-Hamelin, Duo Piano
Sunday, March 29, 3 p.m.
Koerner Hall, $60+
The two Canadian piano giants, Hamelin and Richard-Hamelin, take over Koerner with a beautiful two-piano repertoire. Ranging from Mozart, Chopin and Chaminade, to Medtner and Gershwin, the program covers a good few generations of composers, and there’s something amazing about witnessing two people being in total sync live — something that a recording simply cannot duplicate. Take a seat, and see the magic unfold — after all, art is a human venture, and there’s nothing more beautiful than a hall full of audience, under a true enchantment. Info here.
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