{"id":122601,"date":"2026-03-16T10:00:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T14:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=122601"},"modified":"2026-03-16T10:00:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T14:00:17","slug":"critics-picks-classical-music-events-absolutely-need-see-week-march-16-march-22-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2026\/03\/16\/critics-picks-classical-music-events-absolutely-need-see-week-march-16-march-22-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"CRITIC\u2019S PICKS | Classical Music Events You Absolutely Need To See This Week: March 16 \u2013 March 22 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"L-R
L-R (clockwise): Soprano Monica Whicher, who\u2019ll be performing with Arkel Chamber Concerts (Photo courtesy of the artist); Dialogos: Constantinople and Holland Baroque (Photo courtesy of the artists)
Quatuor Bozzini (Photo: Michael Slobodian)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This is a list of concerts we are attending, wishing we could attend, or thinking about attending between March 16 and 22, 2026. For more of what\u2019s happening around Toronto, visit our calendar here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Canadian Opera Company: Vocal Series: 25th Anniversary Performance of Dean Burry\u2019s The Brothers Grimm<\/h3>\n

Wednesday, March 18, Noon
\nRichard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, free<\/p>\n

Since its premiere in 2001, Dean Burry\u2019s delightful Brothers Grimm has clocked over 600 performances internationally, making it one of the most beloved of Canadian classical works. Rather than altering an adult thing to fit into children\u2019s minds, Burry created work for children \u2014 and such a concept seems so natural once it comes into existence. After all, the most honest voices are children\u2019s voices. Its continued success is significant, moving the story between the familiar characters of Rapunzel, Little Red Cap, and Rumpelstiltskin. Come with your littles, walk into the beautiful Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre \u2014 and appreciate these fairy stories for free. Info here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Small World Music\/Constantinople: DIALOGOS: The Sultan and the Bird<\/h3>\n

Wednesday, March 18, 8 p.m.
\nTrinity St. Paul’s United Church, $30+<\/p>\n

The world seems to be full of conflict, especially with screaming headlines and wars that keep burning with no hope of resolution. In contrast, the renowned Holland Baroque and ensemble Constantinople are presenting a program celebrating differences, inspired by the meeting of two very different men: Francis of Assisi and Sultan Malik al-K\u00e2mil. It is easy to forget that all things came from somewhere, and nothing stands on its own. As the dark ages left Europe petrified from the horror of the Black Death, and lost in the void left by the fall of Rome, the riches that flowed from Islamic culture and the East into Europe extended European intellect and arts to new heights, and we still see the glory of such amalgamation. The incredible Mezquita-Catedral of C\u00f3rdoba, and Notre Dame de Paris still stand tall to tell the glorious conversation of these differences, and they wouldn’t exist without those Muslim scholars, mathematicians, and builders. So come and sit, and experience the glories of contrast, differences, and the search for beauty. Info here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Royal Conservatory of Music: Glenn Gould School Spring Opera: Serenata Italiana<\/h3>\n

Wednesday, March 18, 7:30 p.m., Friday, March 20, 7:30 p.m.
\nKoerner Hall, $25+<\/p>\n

The GGS Spring Opera is a double bill of fun: La cambiale di Matrimonio, and Gianni Schicchi. La cambiale, a Rossini operatic \u2018farsa comica\u2019 is about a proper runaround between young people in love, marriage contracts, and all silly things that stem from the conflict of wills; Gianni Schicchi, a sarcastic comic opera about inheritance, forgery, and the will of \u2026 the cunning Gianni Schicchi. These little operas are a lovely break from reality. Of course, all comedy stems from the funny \u2014 and the dark \u2014 sides of life, but when the days are laden with heavy news, perhaps the appropriate option may be laughter. And a bit more laughter. Read our Interview with director Stephen Carr and conductor Gordon Gerrard here<\/a>. Info here for March 18<\/a><\/strong>, and here for March 20<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Soundstreams: Quatuor Bozzini: With Strings Attached<\/h3>\n

Saturday, March 21, 7:30 p.m.
\nSt. Lawrence Centre for the Arts \u2014 Jane Mallett Theatre, $40+<\/p>\n

All neophiliacs, come out this Saturday, as Quatour Bozzini brings you fantastically new works. Through the Soundstreams Bridge Composers Program, six young composers \u2014 Alexander Bridger, Ana Maria Oancea, Ho-Chi So, Justine Leichtling, Liam Ross Gibson, and Lily Koslow \u2014 will present their works along the seasoned mentors Zosha Di Castri and Cassandra Miller. In this world of reviews, reviews, and more reviews, perhaps the idea of experiencing something that doesn\u2019t have any reviews might feel bizarre \u2014 even mildly terrifying. However, when would be the next time that one might encounter something truly new in this commodified world? Don\u2019t snooze on this chance, and come with plenty of curiosity. Read our Preview of the concert here<\/a>. Info here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Arkel Chamber Concerts: Four Temperaments<\/h3>\n

Sunday, March 22, 6 p.m.
\nTrinity St. Paul’s United Church, $40<\/p>\n

Trio Arkel hosts this afternoon\u2019s intimate concert with three guests: Monica Whicher, Yolanda Bruno, and Theresa Rudolph. For this Sunday, Trio Arkel have programmed rich chamber music for strings and voice, hitting on all four temperaments \u2014 sanguine, phlegmatic, melancholic and choleric. Paul Hindemith\u2019s Melancholie (1917-19), is a beautiful set of four songs. Marcus Goddard\u2019s \u2018Allaqi\u2019 for String Quartet is a St. Lawrence String Quartet commission with inspiration drawn from the Inuit throat singing: Katajjaq. Borodin\u2019s second string quartet is a perennial favourite \u2014 a love letter to his wife, it\u2019s considered one of the most beautiful romantic quartets of the oeuvre. And, with a gentle ending, Holst\u2019s Four Songs for Voice and Violin, this concert is a lovely way to wrap up the week, and re-centre before the bustle of another week to come. Info here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#LUDWIGVAN<\/b><\/em><\/h3>\n

Get the daily arts news straight to your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n

Sign up for the Ludwig Van Toronto e-Blast! \u2014 local classical music and opera news straight to your inbox <\/em>HERE<\/a>.<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is a list of concerts we are attending, wishing we could attend, or thinking about attending between March 16 and 22, 2026. For more of what\u2019s happening around Toronto, visit our calendar here. Canadian Opera Company: Vocal Series: 25th Anniversary Performance of Dean Burry\u2019s The Brothers Grimm Wednesday, March 18, Noon Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":122603,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[42533,74,10,41392,76,19,3895,38,43,63,72],"tags":[41534,41116,41793,23274],"yst_prominent_words":[7173,19648,16237,27814,12697,12857,7164,7677],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Copy-of-CRITICS-PICKS-2026-03-16T095926.789.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-vTr","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122601"}],"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\/64"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122601"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122601\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":122604,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122601\/revisions\/122604"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/122603"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122601"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122601"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122601"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=122601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}