{"id":120108,"date":"2025-12-08T10:05:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T15:05:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=120108"},"modified":"2025-12-08T13:00:02","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T18:00:02","slug":"critics-picks-classical-music-events-absolutely-need-see-week-december-8-december-14","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/12\/08\/critics-picks-classical-music-events-absolutely-need-see-week-december-8-december-14\/","title":{"rendered":"CRITIC\u2019S PICKS | Classical Music Events You Absolutely Need To See This Week: December 8 \u2013 December 14"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"L-R
L-R (clockwise): Cellist Peter Eom; Lydia Adams, Conductor & Artistic Director of the Elmer Iseler Singers (Photo: Bo Huang); The St. Michael\u2019s School Choir (Photo courtesy of St. Michael\u2019s School Choir)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This is a list of concerts we are attending, wishing we could attend, or thinking about attending between December 8 and 14, 2025. For more of what\u2019s happening around Toronto, visit our calendar here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

St. Michael’s Schola Cantorum and Consort: Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day: Advent Carols<\/h3>\n

Monday, Dec 8, 7:30 p.m.
\nSt. Basil\u2019s Church, 50 St. Joseph St. Donations accepted<\/p>\n

This lovely group draws from the community of University of Toronto and beyond \u2014 including parishioners, friends and family \u2014 and this is their second performance of the year celebrating Advent. Drawing from great Baroque repertoire, St. Mike\u2019s SC and C always present interesting programs, and the dedication and high calibre of musicians is always a joy. Get yourself centred in this lovely oasis of calm, St. Basil\u2019s, in the midst of downtown, and let your mind be at ease; find peace with gentle, joyful music-making on this Monday evening. With open access and free-will donation, it is open to anyone and everyone. Who knows, perhaps this will inspire you to audition for the choir for 2026, as arts making and human connections are so integral to all of us, to keep us human. Info here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Canadian Opera Company: Instrumental Series: Primordial<\/h3>\n

Tuesday, Dec 10, Noon
\nRichard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Free<\/p>\n

In the midst of the saturation of holiday music of all kinds, here\u2019s a great selection of solo cello works presented by Peter Eom. Eom\u2019s focus on contemporary cello repertoire is impressive \u2014 you may have seen him with The Happenstancers, a fast-rising chamber group with hyper-focus on truly great contemporary music, premiering and performing works of 17 living composers. Or perhaps you\u2019ve seen him with the Rolston String Quartet. This particular program includes great repertoire seldom heard and recorded, including works by Ana Sokolovi\u0107, Gy\u00f6rgy Kurt\u00e1g, Kaija Saariaho, Pascal Dusapin, Peter E\u00f6tv\u00f6s and Paul Desenne, structured with John Cage\u2019s all three parts of 4\u201933\u201d. If you are familiar with the names, no other words are needed; if you never heard them before, this may be the best chance you will have in a long while to experience such beautiful, if strange at first, music in person. Carve that lunch break out, come to the beautiful Four Seasons Centre, and get your ears and eyes open to this amazing music. Info here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

St. Michael’s Choir School: REJOICE! Jubilee Celebration \u2014 60 Years at Massey Hall \u2014 Annual Christmas Concert<\/h3>\n

Friday, December 12, 7 p.m.,Saturday, December 13, 7 p.m.
\nMassey Hall, 178 Victoria ST., $48.20+<\/p>\n

The annual Christmas celebration with youngsters of St. Michael\u2019s Choir School returns to Massey for the 60th time \u2014 auguri! SMCS\u2019s choral program is intense \u2014 young singers from grade 3-12 receive daily choral practice, music theory, and weekly private lessons on piano and additional instruments. As part of the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music, these hard working students are admitted based on vocal audition, and many of them have gone on to become pillars of community and professional music-making in our city since 1937. Come out to Massey, and experience a high calibre performance from the stage fully packed to the brim, and be soaked with joy that comes through the community. After all, the young generation\u2019s boundless energy and fearlessness is one of the most amazing resources we have, as a group, and such a vibe is so infectious. Info here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Elmer Iseler Singers: Handel’s Messiah<\/h3>\n

Friday, December 12, 7:30 p.m.
\nYorkminster Park Baptist Church (Toronto), 1585 Yonge St., $55+<\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t made it to a Messiah performance yet, here\u2019s another good one. Elmer Isler, under the baton of Lydia Adams, is joined by the Amadeus Choir and the Viva Chamber Singers to present a lovely rendition of the Messiah. Featuring an amazing roster of Ontario talents \u2014 Leslie Fagan, Nicole Percifield, Colin Ainsworth and Doug MacNaughton \u2014 the traditional excellence of the EIS is a great way to experience Handel\u2019s masterful creation. This just might be the most popular classical work of all times, rivalling Beethoven\u2019s 5th, and Pachelbel\u2019s Canon. After all, who has not heard the Hallelujah chorus? It\u2019s almost inescapable. Bring your friends and families, and fill your Friday evening with this timeless work, meticulously prepared and presented in the lovely space of the Yorkminster Park. Info here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Toronto Children’s Chorus: Songs of the Season: Nostalgic Movie Moments<\/h3>\n

Sunday, Dec 14, 2 p.m.
\nRoy Thomson Hall, $56.30+<\/p>\n

This powerhouse of children\u2019s music programs in Toronto brings many \u2014 oh, so many! \u2014 young musicians to Roy Thomson Hall, filling our hearts with the holiday movie favourites this year. Let it Go from Frozen, Carol of the Bells from Home Alone, You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and My Favourite Things from The Sound of Music \u2014 the selections that are dear and close to our hearts are the best when they\u2019re shared. With nearly 300 singers from age 4 to 18, TCC\u2019s excellence has been celebrated locally and internationally \u2014 they often tour to faraway lands, to NYC, to Singapore, to Australia \u2014 the list is nearly impossible to keep up with. They will also be joining the touring Budapest Festival Orchestra for Mahler 3 at Koerner Hall, Feb 12, 2026 \u2014 amazing. How lucky are we, to have such a beautifully supported music program in the city, and how fun it is, to bring everyone, of all ages, to experience, and be inspired by such displays of dedication, excellence, and musical joy! Come on down, and join the fun. The love of being together, and love of making music in person, is a true joy; my fingers are crossed that after such a concert, many will contemplate joining music-making themselves in 2026. There\u2019ll be carolling in the lobby starting at 1:15 p.m., to get you hum along with the spirit of the holiday. Info here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

TO Live: The Tallis Scholars<\/h3>\n

Sunday, Dec 14, 3 p.m.
\nMeridian Arts Centre \u2014 George Weston Recital Hall, 5040 Yonge St., $40+<\/p>\n

Continuing the tradition of excellent singing over five decades, the Tallis Scholars are returning to Toronto with brilliant selections of Renaissance music. Focusing on the magic of mother and child, the program will feature works by Byrd, Tallis, Britten, John Taverner, John Nesbett, and Matthew Martin\u2019s brand new composition. There\u2019s something special about the human voice, and this collective is truly masterful in blending their voices in that magical Renaissance harmony, a colour and shape before the diatonic system took over the Western music \u2014 and which most people have had a hard time getting away from ever since. Come for the extraordinary colours and timbres of Renaissance magic along with the contemporary music of our own time (they are amazingly very similar at times despite the time gap!) be awed by the beauty of the voices, no other distractions here. Read our Interview with Tallis Scholars founder and director Peter Phillips here<\/a>. Info here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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\nHERE<\/a>.<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Classical music and opera events in Toronto for the week of December 8 to 14, 2025.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":120110,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[41660,74,41392,11,76,19,3895,5722,38,63],"tags":[40043,41489,33540,3342],"yst_prominent_words":[14866,7173,14120,9426,33454,24988,7648,14121,14099,6616,6674,9335,10132,33528,19068,10123],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/12\/Copy-of-CRITICS-PICKS-2025-12-08T100425.452.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-vfe","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120108"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=120108"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120108\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":120119,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120108\/revisions\/120119"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/120110"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=120108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=120108"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=120108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}