{"id":122726,"date":"2026-03-24T09:13:05","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T13:13:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=122726"},"modified":"2026-03-19T08:07:50","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T12:07:50","slug":"preview-lives-studio-sessions-presents-kune-global-orchestra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2026\/03\/24\/preview-lives-studio-sessions-presents-kune-global-orchestra\/","title":{"rendered":"PREVIEW | TO Live\u2019s Studio Sessions Presents KUN\u00c9, The Global Orchestra"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"KUN\u00c9
KUN\u00c9 orchestra (Photo courtesy of KUN\u00c9)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Curated by Canada\u2019s Music Incubator (CMI), TO Live\u2019s Studio Sessions will features KUN\u00c9 on April 2. KUN\u00c9 means \u201ctogether\u201d in Esperanto, and the ensemble is a collective of immigrant musicians from Iraq, Cuba, Peru, Burkina Faso, and China, alongside one M\u00e9tis Canadian artist.<\/p>\n

TO Live Studio Sessions are cabaret-style concerts that take place in the Studio Theatre of the Meridian Arts Centre, and focus on showcasing the broad diversity of Toronto\u2019s music community. The intimate vibe brings audiences closer to the artists, and their stories.<\/p>\n

Toronto is one of the world\u2019s most diverse cities, and many immigrants bring musical skills and traditions that don\u2019t fit into the mainstream music scene of classical, pop, country, and hip hop. The members of KUN\u00c9 perform with artistic practices that reflect the real Toronto.<\/p>\n

The instruments they perform on, such as the tar, dizi, caj\u00f3n, and ngoni, don\u2019t typically come together on the same stage. That\u2019s the Toronto element \u2014 where all those cultures and traditions can blend together to create truly original music.<\/p>\n

KUN\u00c9<\/h3>\n

KUN\u00c9\u2019s history began at the Royal Conservatory of Music, and with Mervon Mehta, Executive Director of Performing Arts, and his desire to create an ensemble that reflected the people he saw in downtown Toronto everyday.<\/p>\n

About 150 immigrant musicians were auditioned for the ensemble, and 12 were chosen for its inaugural configuration. The cohort included 11 newcomers to Canada, and one M\u00e9tis Canadian whose ancestors lived in this country long before the first European ships arrived.<\/p>\n

KUN\u00c9 was launched in December 2016 with David Buchbinder as artistic director, and the ensemble recorded their first album in 2018, which was released by Universal Music.<\/p>\n

Today, the ensemble performs with 11 musicians from Iraq to Burkina Faso, Peru and China, alongside one M\u00e9tis-Canadian artist. Traditions are not forgotten or subsumed; the varied backgrounds of the musicians become the basis for a dialogue, and a community of music and blended sound worlds.<\/p>\n

KUN\u00c9 transitioned into an independent musicians\u2019 collective and a not-for-profit organization in 2021. It shifted the direction of the ensemble toward creation that was self-direction, along with a bigger push for community engagement and education that supported immigrant musicians beyond its own members.<\/p>\n

They recorded their second album \u201cUniversal Echoes\u201d in 2023.<\/p>\n

In 2025, KUN\u00c9 became a hub for immigrant musicians, fuelled by research, community programming and artistic residencies.<\/p>\n

Details<\/h3>\n

KUN\u00c9\u2019s upcoming concert with TO Live was curated by Canada\u2019s Music Incubator (CMI). CMI has supported more than 1,800 artists and music professional across the country since its inception in 2012. The goal is to help artists develop sustainable careers in Canada, and the organization works towards its goals through a variety of initiatives, including its flagship Artist Entrepreneur Program.<\/p>\n

Alumni of the program include 2026 JUNO-nominated artists Noeline Hofmann, Jutes, Sebastian Gaskin, Cassie & Maggie, Aysanabee, and Anthony Delesandro.<\/p>\n

Studio Sessions: Canada\u2019s Music Incubator presents KUN\u00c9 is also presented in partnership with the City of Toronto.<\/p>\n

The concert takes place April 2<\/strong> at Meridian Arts Centre, Studio Theatre.<\/p>\n