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Clockwise from top L: Jean-François Lapointe, Tessa Fackelmann, Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Industry News February 2025: Resignations, cancellations & happy winners announced

By Gianmarco Segato on 31 January 2025 Arts Industry, Classical Music, Montreal, Quebec City, Region, Toronto

Appointments The Metropolitan Opera announced the appointment of Daniele Rustioni to the position of principal guest conductor for a three-year term, becoming only the third principal guest conductor in Met history, beginning with the 2025–26 season. In his new position, Rustioni will conduct a minimum of two operas per season. In coming seasons, Rustioni will conduct a new production of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra, as well as revivals of Giordano’s Andrea Chénier, Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and Puccini’s La bohème. Isolde Lagacé, C.M. has been appointed a Member of the Order of Canada by Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada. Lagacé is…

Tafelmusik’s Baroque Brew: Triple Espresso With Alfredo Bernardini

By Heather Weinreb on 31 January 2025 Baroque and Early, Classical Music, Interviews, Orchestral, Strings, Toronto, Winds

When baroque oboist Alfredo Bernardini first performed with Tafelmusik in 1982, the baroque oboe was a much rarer specimen than it is today. “At the time,” he says, “there were only a handful of baroque oboists in the world.” Bernardini was fortunate, then, to be performing alongside his teacher Bruce Haynes, an early pioneer who uncovered a lot of the history, repertoire and technique of the instrument. Bernardini also considers himself fortunate, now, to be returning to play with Tafelmusik, a group he holds in high esteem. Tafelmusik “is a very special group,” he says. “It is one of the…

Marmen Quartet Photo: Marco Borggreve

Women’s Musical Club of Toronto: A History of Passionate Music-Makers

By Heather Weinreb on 31 January 2025 Classical Music, Toronto

While women today have ample opportunity to perform music professionally, this wasn’t always the case. Dr. Robin Elliot, a musicologist at the University of Toronto and author of Counterpoint to a City: A History of the Women’s Musical Club of Toronto explains that in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, women were discouraged from playing music in public. Founded in 1898, the Women’s Musical Club of Toronto began as an outlet for women to get together and play music privately, without social stigma. “Quite a few of the women involved in the Women’s Musical Club at the start were…

Choral Calendar

By Marie-Claire Fafard-Blais on 31 January 2025 Canadian Music, Choral, Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, Vocal

MONTREAL Destinées March 22 at 7:30 p.m. – Maison symphonique The Chœur St-Laurent, directed by Philippe Bourque, in collaboration with the Chœur de l’Université de Montréal, presents William Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast, a monumental work for baritone, choir and orchestra. The program will be completed by Edward Elgar’s The Music Makers, performed by contralto Rose Naggar-Tremblay. www.choeur.qc.ca Edelweiss March 29 at 3 p.m. – Maison symphonique Ensemble ArtChoral, conducted by Matthias Maute, presents a springtime concert featuring some of the most beautiful works celebrating spring: Richard Rodgers’s Edelweiss; excerpts from Georges Bizet’s opera Carmen; Edward Elgar’s Lux Aeterna; and Léo Delibes’s…

Orchestras Guide for Quebec and Ontario

By La Scena Musicale Team on 31 January 2025 Canadian Music, Classical, Classical Music, Montreal, Orchestral, Ottawa, Quebec City, Toronto

QUEBEC Arion Orchestre Baroque arionbaroque.com At the heart of Montreal’s musical life for over forty years, Arion Orchestre Baroque is a pioneer in Quebec and Canada in the world of early music on period instruments. Under the artistic direction of conductor and bassoonist Mathieu Lussier since 2019, Arion presents a concert series featuring internationally renowned guest conductors and soloists. The clarity and freshness of Arion’s interpretations of Baroque and Classical works are underpinned by a discography of over thirty critically acclaimed and award-winning titles. Committed to the creation and dissemination of youth and educational projects, and a partner of renowned…

Credit: Vancouver Sun

Remembering Kazuyoshi Akiyama (1941-2025)

By Madeline Boldt on 29 January 2025 Arts Industry, Canadian Music, Classical, Classical Music, Obituaries, Orchestral, Toronto, Vancouver, West

Legendary Japanese conductor Kazuyoshi Akiyama has passed away at the age of 84. A cornerstone of Vancouver’s classical music scene, Akiyama led the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra for over 13 years. Under his leadership from 1972 to 1985, the VSO transitioned from the Queen Elizabeth Theatre to the Orpheum, marking a new era of growth, increased ticket sales, and a revitalized sound. Early Life and Career Born in Japan in 1941, he launched into the world of classical music in 1964 when he made his debut with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. His immediate success earned him the roles of both Music…

A scene from the Canadian Opera Company’s production of Madama Butterfly, 2025. Photo: Michael Cooper

Review | COC’s Madama Butterfly a Profound Emotional Journey

By Denise Lai on 28 January 2025 Newswire, Opera, Toronto

With its epic music and heartbreaking story, it is no surprise that Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly remains one of the most popular and beloved operas of all times. It has been over 10 years since Madama Butterfly was last staged by the Canadian Opera Company after the pandemic forced the cancellation of its mainstage performances in 2022. This opera has also struggled with many controversies related to western imperialism, along with cultural and gender stereotypes. In this production (seen Jan. 26), COC has at least in part addressed them by foregoing the traditional geisha makeup, and by having an all-Asian…

Tickets now on sale for Opera 5’s Toronto Opera Festival

By Newswire on 28 January 2025 Chamber Music, Classical, Newswire, Opera, Toronto, Vocal

TORONTO, ON – Tickets are now on sale for Opera 5’s first-ever Toronto Opera Festival, running from June 12-21, 2025 at Factory Theatre. The festival features a series of performances, including the world premiere of Come Closer by Canadian Composer Ryan Trew and with a libretto by Opera 5’s General Director Rachel Krehm, Opera 5’s first musical theatre production, Elegies: A Song Cycle by William Finn, and a Gala Performance – featuring the Portfolio Artist Interns. The Toronto Opera Festival is currently Toronto’s only professional opera festival dedicated to celebrating opera, musical theatre, and new Canadian works. It will also showcase homegrown talent while training the next generation of portfolio artists. Rooted in…

Opera 5 Announces 2025 Portfolio Artist Internship Program Participants

By Newswire on 23 January 2025 Arts Industry, Classical Music, Education, Employment, Newswire, Opera, Toronto

TORONTO, ON – Today Opera 5 announces the 8 singers who will join the Portfolio Artist Internship Program for the 2025 Toronto Opera Festival, in partnership with Opera McGill and the Schulich School of Music. The Portfolio Artist Internship is an innovative new approach to artist training designed to support individuals pursuing a portfolio career: a multi-faceted path, artistic or otherwise, simultaneously. The internship provides three levels of learning opportunities: performance, professional skills development, and secondary artistic/administrative skills. The 2025 interns include Kyle Briscoe, Jayden Burrows, Len Crino, Kate Fogg, Brenna McFarland, Maddelena Ohrbach, MacKenzie Sechi, and Emma Yee. For more information on these artists, click…

New Conducting Mentoring Program and Community Concert in May

By Newswire on 16 January 2025 Choral, Classical Music, Education, Newswire, Toronto

Toronto, January 16, 2025 — The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir (TMChoir) is proud to announce an exciting new initiative for local conductors: the Conducting Mentoring Program, taking place over several weeks in April and May 2025. This program is designed for local conductors of all experience levels, including university students and emerging community leaders, and will focus on educational activities surrounding the community concert, rather than extensive podium time. The program delivers a personalized, in-depth musical learning experience for participants, combining observation, discussions, and lectures. With its innovative approach to conducting mentorship, it emphasizes hands-on engagement and collaborative learning, providing an…

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