The Caledon Music Festival is returning to bring high calibre classical musicians to the green hills of the region from August 1 to 23. The theme for this year’s festival is transformation.
Transformation — music can tell stories, and take audiences out of the everyday and into fantastical and otherworldly places. This year’s programs include both beloved works of the classical canon, along with hidden gems, performed in scenic venues.
The Festival
Opera Fantasy (August 1, 2026) Davis Family Farm
A field full of golden sunflowers on a lovely summer evening at the Davis Family Farm, a picturesque outdoor venue in Caledon East, paired with some of the most delightful operatic melodies in the repertoire. Bring your lawnchair, and — you can enjoy a beverage at the same time. The program includes pieces from beloved operas:
- Floyd, Ain’t it a Pretty Night (from Susannah by Floyd)
- Dvorak, Song to the Moon (from Rusalka by Dvorak)
- Puccini (arr. Szczepanek), Nessun Dorma for piano (from Turnandot by Puccini)
- Delibes, Flower Duet for two flutes and piano (from Lakme by Delibes)
- Taffanel, Fantasie on themes from Der Freischutz, for flute and piano (from Der Freischutz by Weber)
- Saint-Saëns, Mon coeur s’ouevre a ta voix for flute and piano (from Samson et Dalila by Saint-Saëns)
- Doppler, Rigoletto Fantasy for two flutes and piano (from Rigoletto by Verdi)
- Puccini, Si. Mi Chiamano Mimi (from La boheme by Puccini)
- Leoncavallo, Stridono Lassu (from Pagliacci by Leoncavallo)
- Lehar, Meine Lippen, sie Kussen so heiss (from Giuditta by Lehar)
Festival Artists: Jonelle Sills, soprano; Terry Lim, flute; Sarah Yunji Moon, flute; Joonghun Cho, piano
Transformation (August 16, 2026) Alton Mill Arts Centre
Young artists and the experienced professional festival artists work together side by side in this program. Each year, the Caledon Festival selects a group of top young Canadian artists, and pairs them with festival artists. The young artists sit beside the festival artists to learn from their experience during rehearsals, and a dedicated concert.
Their collective efforts are showcased at the Side-by-Side concert, where they perform as a unified team. The program emphasizes mentorship, along with technical skills, for a comprehensive learning experience.
The award-winning Alton Arts Centre is located o the banks of Shaw’s Creek in Caledon. It’s a renovated piece of Canadian history — once the Beaver Knitting Mill, founded in 1881, it has been carefully renovated into an energy-efficient building that retains its historic charm.
The program features:
- Saint-Saëns, Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (featuring Christie Cheung, violin)
- Bacewicz, Quartet for four violins
- Selections of Operatic Arias (featuring Emily Vondrejsova, soprano)
- Simon, Between Worlds (featuring Julia Mirzoev, violin)
- Grieg, Holberg Suite
Festival Artists: Emily Vondrejsova, soprano; Luri Lee, violin; Julia Mirzoev, violin; Hez Leung, viola; Drew Comstock, cello
Festival Young Artists: Christie Cheung, violin; Salma Khakimov, violin; Tina Sievers, violin; Noah Jang, viola; Eunice Choe, cello; Kevin Chen, cello
The Grand Finale (August 23, 2026) Westminster United Church
The festival closes with a celebratory concert on a positive and uplifting note performed by three virtuosic musicians. The Westminster church building in Orangeville was opened in 1879. With a spire that has become a local landmark, it was built by local contractors and labourers, using locally sourced materials.
The program features:
- Milhaud, Suite op. 157b for violin, clarinet and piano
- Ravel, Sonata for violin and piano
- E. Chausson, Andante et Allegro for clarinet and piano
- Chopin, Polonaise in A-flat major op. 53 for piano
- A. Khachaturian, Trio for violin, clarinet and piano
- Stravinsky, Histoire du Soldat for violin, clarinet and piano
- Nichifor, Klezmer Dance for violin, clarinet and piano
Festival Artists: Luri Lee, violin; Eric Abramovitz, clarinet; Joonghun Cho, piano
The Details
Single tickets, family passes, and festival passes are available
- Find tickets and details [HERE].
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