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Toronto
Koerner Hall
Georgian-born violinist Lisa Batiashvili appears in recital on April 26 with pianist and countryman Giorgi Gigashvili, presenting works by Beethoven, Franck and Bartók as well as a new piece by Ioseb Bardanashvili. On May 1, Korean-Canadian cellist and conductor Earl Lee, music director of the Ann Arbor Symphony, leads the Royal Conservatory Orchestra. The ensemble of students from the undergraduate and graduate programs of The Glenn Gould School play Samy Moussa’s Elysium, Mahler’s “Titan” symphony and are joined by violinist Sabina Sandvoss, winner of The Robert W. and G. Ann Corcoran Concerto Competition, for Bloch’s Schelomo.
Two piano greats, Brad Mehldau and Kirill Gerstein join forces on May 8 for a jazz/classical collaboration that explores the space between composition and improvisation. American violinist Hilary Hahn offers a varied program on May 21 including works by Boulanger, Ravel and Debussy, and the North American premiere of a new work by French jazz violinist Scott Tixier. On May 24, Canadian virtuoso pianist Kevin Chen presents works by Chopin, Liszt, and Scriabin.
Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Two prominent Finns, conductor Hannu Lintu and violinist Elina Vähälä, guest with the orchestra on April 23, 25 and 26 presenting Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 2 and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5. Also on the program is the world premiere of TSO RBC Affiliate Composer Echo Liam Ritz’s Echo Chamber. On April 30 and May 1, Hong Kong-born conductor Elim Chan leads Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9 as well as the world premiere of Chris Derksen’s Still Here, created in collaboration with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. The program also includes Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 3, played by Czech pianist Lukáš Vondráček.
Franco-British conductor Stephanie Childress, principal guest conductor of the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra and National Orchestra of Catalonia, takes the orchestra to the George Weston Recital Hall in north Toronto on May 9 and 10 for Britten’s Simple Symphony and Schumann’s Symphony No. 1, “.” Joining them is Canadian bass-baritone Daniel Okulitch for Vaughan-Williams’s Songs of Travel.
Music Director Gustavo Gimeno welcomes South African cellist Abel Selaocoe for the North American premiere of American composer Jessie Montgomery’s new cello concerto and leads Wagner’s Overture to The Flying Dutchman and Suite from Götterdämmerung (May 14 and 16). On May 21 and 23, Anoushka Shankar makes her TSO debut, performing her father Ravi Shankar’s Sitar Concerto No. 2. The program also features Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8, along with a selection from Passages, a collaboration between Philip Glass and Ravi Shankar.
Canadian Opera Company
Robert Lepage’s iconic production of Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle and Schoenberg’s Erwartung returns April 25 through May 16 with Christian Van Horn and Karen Cargill as Bluebeard and Judith, and Anna Gabler as the Woman.
Massenet’s Werther returns to the COC for the first time in 30 years, in a new co-production with Opéra de Montréal and Vancouver Opera. Alain Gauthier directs an international cast including American tenor Russell Thomas as Werther (see our feature interview in this issue), Russian mezzo Victoria Karkacheva as Charlotte, and Canadians soprano Simone Osborne and bass-baritone Gordon Bintner as Sophie and Albert.
Esprit Orchestra
The title of the group’s April 23 concert at Koerner Hall, Hallelujah Sim, derives from British/Japanese composer Ben Nobuto’s 2024 work that is structured like a game. It sets a choir of 72 singers with simple rules for progressing through levels of play. Featuring the Elmer Iseler Singers and Concreamus Chamber Choir under Music Director Alex Pauk. The program also includes Canadian composer Chris Paul Harman’s Coyote Soul and Danish composer Poul Ruders’s Tundra.
Tafelmusik
Soprano Amanda Forsythe returns with a program dedicated to the work of women composers including Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre, Barbara Strozzi and Wilhelmine von Bayreuth as well as the premiere of a new work by Métis composer Karen Sunabacka (April 30–May 3). Under its founding director Ivars Taurins, Tafelmusik Chamber Choir explores the influence of Danish composer and organist Dietrich Buxtehude (1637–1707) on Bach (May 15). The season closes with Japanese-American violinist Shunske Sato, concertmaster of Concerto Köln and former artistic leader of Netherlands Bach Society, making his directing debut with the orchestra. From the violin, he will conduct Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, “Eroica” in a program that also includes works by Black 18th-century composer Joseph Bologne (May 29–31).
Opera Atelier
The company steps out of its usual baroque and classical zone to present a new production of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande starring tenor Antonin Rondpierre and soprano Meghan Lindsay in the title roles. Douglas Williams is Golaud, Philippe Sly makes a company debut as Arkel, and Measha Brueggergosman-Lee sings Geneviève. David Fallis conducts the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra. Koerner Hall, April 15–19.
Ontario Philharmonic
On April 25, Canadian pianist Tony Yike Yang returns for a recital of transcriptions of famous ballet scores including Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, Stravinsky’s Firebird and Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty.
Montreal
Ladies’ Morning Musical Club
LMMC’s recital season concludes at Concordia’s Oscar Peterson Hall with the McGill-Chien-Elliott Trio (April 12) in works by Debussy, Messager, Beethoven, Brahms. Clarinetist Anthony McGill, pianist Gloria Chien and cellist Sterling Elliott come together for this unusual combination of clarinet, cello and piano. The season concludes with the fourth appearance of the Jerusalem Quartet (May 3) in works by Mozart, Schumalit Ran and Beethoven. This year, the quartet celebrates the 30th anniversary of its debut.
Pro Musica
Armenian cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan, in a duo with the pianist Georgy Tchaidze, will present a concert (April 12) dedicated to Romanticism and Armenia. Father-daughter duo, pianist Stanislav Ioudenitch and violinist Maria Ioudenitch perform works by French composers Maurice Ravel, Lili Boulanger, Francis Poulenc, and César Franck on May 17. Both are winners of prestigious international competitions.
Concours musical international de Montréal
The 2026 edition of CMIM is devoted to the violin. Twenty-four competitors between the ages of 16 and 30, from 18 countries, will compete for prizes and grants, exceeding $150,000 in value. The competition’s Mini Violini concert featuring four talented young violinists between the ages of 10 and 14 returns on May 30. The first round (May 27–29) and semifinals (May 30–31) will take place at Bourgie Hall. Violinists not advancing to the semifinals will take part in Concours on the Road throughout the region at Centre d’art de Richmond in Richmond, Concerts sur le fleuve in Île des Sœurs, and Le Vaisseau d’art in Farnham. The five finalists will first compete in the Mozart Round with the OSM on June 3 before the roster is reduced to three grand finalists on June 5, both at Maison Symphonique.
Musica Camerata
Musica Camerata’s 56th season wraps up with several concerts at the intimate Joseph-Rouleau Hall at the JMC. First, a program of piano quartets (April 11) featuring Weber’s Piano Quartet op. 18, Schubert’s Adagio and Rondo Op posthumous, and Schumann’s Piano Quartet op. 47. Then on May 16, a program of trios for piano, violin and cello featuring Mozart’s Trio K 502, Rachmaninov’s Trio élégiaque, and Édouard Lalo’s Trio Op 26.
Festival de la Voix
This year, Festival de la Voix runs April 4 to 28. On April 18, Studio de musique ancienne joins Festival de la Voix for the first time. The renowned early-music choral ensemble will perform Andrew Balfour’s Missa Tekakwitha, The Seven Stones of Grandfather’s Prophecies and Antoine Brumel’s Missa Et ecce terræ motus at Église St-Joachim. Works by Quebec composer Simon Leclerc will be performed by a cappella vocal ensemble Quatuor Musaïque, Quartom and The Montreal Vocal Jazz Quartet on April 19. The final event features jazz standards performed by the Chad Linsley Trio alongside trumpeter Mike Cartile and singers Kristin Hoff and Kerry-Anne Kutz (April 28).
Orchestre Classique de Montréal
OCM under Andrei Feher concludes its season on May 30 at Maison symphonique with a celebration of the 70th anniversary of Les Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal (music director Andrew Gray) performing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Gloria. The world premiere of a work by Tom Lachance opens the concert.
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal
OSM’s April offerings include the pairing of Beethoven’s Eighth Symphony with Schostakovich’s Leningrad Symphony conducted by Rafael Payare; the latter includes students from McGill, UdeM and the Montreal Conservatory. Pianist Bruce Liu performs Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concert No. 1 while Payare conducts Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring (April 22 & 23). In May, conductor Elim Chan visits (May 13 & 14) in an eclectic program of Debussy, Wagner and Miller. The closing concert on May 27 features Yefim Bronfman playing Schumann’s piano concerto and Payare conducting Wagner’s The Ring Without Words, a 70-minute orchestral suite condensing the 16-hour opera cycle.
Concert for Kids with Cancer
In December 2018, 10-year-old Léandre Gaucher was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour. During this period of treatment, his violin became a vital source of comfort, strength, and hope. This annual concert (May 30 at Valois United Church) benefits the Oncology Department at The Montreal Children’s Hospital, and features Léandre and his brother Audrick along with Tristan Blair (cello), Carl Ek (clarinet), Martine Jomphe (piano), Audrick Gaucher (violin), Léandre Gaucher (violin), Sophie Gong (violin), Mathilde Lepage (french horn), Ian Sabourin (counter-tenor), and Thomas Vinals (tenor).
Quebec City
Palais Montcalm
Renowned organist—and February 2016 LSM cover artist—Cameron Carpenter plays the soundtrack of the 1925 silent film version of Phantom of the Opera on April 25.
Club Musical de Québec
Club Musical de Québec ends their season with counter-tenor Philippe Jaroussky and his ensemble Artaserse in a program of 18th-century Italian cantatas on the theme of jealousy (May 4).
Orchestre symphonique de Québec
OSQ under Clemens Schuldt continues their season with an evening featuring soprano Marie-Eve Munger (April 16), Gershwin’s An American in Paris (April 22 & 23), Élisabeth Pion playing Mendelssohn’s first piano concerto (May 6) paired with Dvorak’s Eighth symphony, and Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana (May 27, 28 & 29).
Gatineau
Chœur classique de l’Outaouais: Requiem pour Mathieu
Chœur classique de l’Outaouais, under the direction of Tiphaine Legrand, presents Requiem pour Mathieu by composer and pianist Pierrette Froment-Savoie, who will accompany the choir on piano, along with 15 musicians from Ensemble Prisme and four soloists. Created in 1992, the work is dedicated to the composer’s son, a promising cellist, who died of cancer at the age of 12. April 25 at 7:30 p.m. and April 26 at 3:30 p.m., in Saint-François-de-Sales Church.
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