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Browsing: Popular Music

Newswire | Vancouver Folk Music Festival Announces 2026 Artists

By Newswire on 9 April 2026 Folk, Newswire, Popular Music, Vancouver, West

APRIL 9, 2026, VANCOUVER, B.C./ / Traditional territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations – The 49th Annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival returns to ʔəy̓alməxʷ Jericho Beach Park on July 17 to 19. The 2026 Festival welcomes 35 incredible artists and groups from across Canada, North America, and around the world. “This year’s artists are an incredible collection of unique acts of diverse cultures, styles and genres that promise many interesting mashups on our collaborative stages,” says Vancouver Folk Music Festival Artistic Director Fiona Black. “Get ready for Vancouver’s most passionately curated festival that is all about spreading love and positive musical vibes.” Adds Black,…

Festival Classica 2026: Programming for Modern Tastes

By Justin Bernard on 3 April 2026 Contemporary, Opera, Orchestral, Piano, Popular Music, Vocal

The 16th edition of Festival Classica, taking place from May 22 to June 14, will continue to extend its repertoire beyond the limits of classical music under the artistic direction of Marc Boucher. La Scena Musicale spoke to some of the leading artists involved in this year’s festival, including composer and arranger Simon Leclerc, whose new adaptation of Luc Plamondon and Richard Cocciante’s 1998 musical, Notre-Dame de Paris, will be unveiled on June 12. It will be one of three productions offered by Nouvel Opéra Métropolitain in addition to Les Grands classiques de Michel Legrand (June 6) and the opera…

Andrew Wells-Oberegger. Photo: Alex BG

La Nef: Folkdance, Ancient Style

By Nathalie de Han on 2 February 2026 Dance, Folk, Montreal, World Music

Returning from a master class in Austria, Andrew Wells-Oberegger proposed the idea of a program of balfolk—Aufregend! Exaltant!—to Claire Gignac, artistic director of La Nef. It is inspired by traditional dances and music from Austria, France and Sweden that date back to the 18th and 19th centuries. Wells-Oberegger’s Déjouer le glas was nominated for concert of the year at the 29th Opus Awards Gala. For his La Nef show, he draws on the form and rhythm of period tunes, adding in contemporary accents to render them timeless. From his Austrian travels, Wells-Oberegger brought back a bock—or Bohemian bagpipe—and it is…

Photos: SKP—Celebration Issue (@skpbeijing)

Jakub Józef Orliński: A Countertenor for Modern Times

By Justin Bernard on 10 November 2025 Baroque and Early, Contemporary, Interviews, Opera, Popular Music

Jakub Józef Orliński is only 34 years old, but his media presence and aura have already launched him to the rank of one of the most recognizable personalities of the baroque music scene. Like many young artists, he started off quietly, without knowing where this life would lead him. In 2015, after already experiencing success singing roles in Poland and Germany, he began studies at Juilliard, New York’s prestigious music school, and became a finalist at the Metropolitan Opera auditions. And yet it was a unique event, on a July afternoon during a heatwave in 2017, that would put him…

Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra

Calgary Philharmonic 2025/26 Season Kicks Off Sept 5

By Newswire on 14 August 2025 Classical, Classical Music, Contemporary, Film, Movie soundtrack music, Multimedia, Musical Theatre, Newswire, Opera, Piano, Popular Music, Strings, Theatre, Violin, West

Calgary AB (August 14, 2025) — World-renowned stars, epic classics, thrilling collaborations, rockin’ pops, family fun, blockbuster movies, and more — the Calgary Phil heads into its 70th anniversary season with concerts for all ages and tastes. Celebrating seven decades as Calgary’s Orchestra, the Calgary Phil is more committed than ever to making orchestral music accessible to everyone. September alone demonstrates the exciting variety that audiences can expect throughout the season. We officially get things cooking on September 5 at The Big Four Roadhouse for the Canadian premiere of SYNTHONY: EDM Meets Orchestra, which sees the Calgary Phil, along with…

Vancouver Folk Music Festival Announces Full Schedule

By Newswire on 16 June 2025 Folk, Newswire, Vancouver, West

June 12, 2025, VANCOUVER, B.C./ / Traditional territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations – The Vancouver Folk Music Festival full schedule is now available for the three day event taking place at ʔəy̓alməxʷ / Iy̓ál̓mexw Jericho Beach Park on July 18 to 20. “In addition to our incredible 12 Mainstage artists, we have curated three days of performances and workshops featuring 44 artists,” says Vancouver Folk Music Festival Artistic Director Fiona Black. “Performances begin at 3:00 pm on Friday afternoon with artists TEKE:TEKE, Nico Paulo and Bel & Quinn to name a few before our Evening Main Stage shows start at 6 pm. On Saturday and Sunday, the festival site…

La Scena Musicale’s Festival Picks

By La Scena Musicale Team on 4 June 2025 Baroque and Early, Canadian Music, Classical Music, Folk, Popular Music, Vocal

British Columbia and Alberta by Madeline Boldt EARLY MUSIC VANCOUVER This year marks the 55th anniversary of Early Music Vancouver’s Summer Festival. From July 26-Aug. 8, early-music lovers in Vancouver can expect a wide array of performances, from Mozart’s Requiem to Schubert’s Lieder, as well as a Chinese-Baroque Musical Dialogue featuring Vancouver’s Sound of Dragon Ensemble. Titled In Endless Ascent, the 2025 festival focuses on the theme of spiritual transformation and musical elevation, blending the old and the new. www.earlymusic.bc.ca Banff International String Quartet Competition From Aug. 25-31, some of the world’s finest emerging string quartets will take the stage…

An Indigenous Playlist: Indigenous Artists Select their Favourite Tunes

By Kaitlyn Chan on 3 June 2025 Classical Music, Contemporary, Indigenous, Popular Music

In celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, La Scena Musicale asked several Indigenous artists to help create a playlist. Each artist selected one song by an Indigenous musician or composer and explained why they chose the piece. Discover what some of Canada’s incredible Indigenous creators are listening to in their song selections below. Eadsé www.eadsemusic.com Eadsé, which means “my good friend” in Wendat, is a Wendat singer-songwriter based in Montreal. She was recently named a 2025-26 Radio-Canada Revelation following the release of her first album Healer, which explores healing, resilience and letting go in French, English and…

Michael Bridge, accordion. Photo: Sam Gaetz

Michael Bridge: Accordion Virtuoso

By Justin Bernard on 1 June 2025 Classical Music, Contemporary, Interviews, Popular Music, Toronto

One must have several talents to be an accomplished artist: technical skills that make you rare and sought-after, perseverance, vision, a sense of showmanship to give the audience an exceptional experience—and, in addition, the ability to adapt to life’s circumstances. In a nutshell, this is the philosophy and work ethic of Michael Bridge, who though Calgary-born and Toronto-based, has dedicated himself to the most Latin of musical instruments! “I’m generally the only one doing what I do,” he says of playing the accordion. And Bridge does it well. In June, he kicks off his summer tour in Edmonton at the…

Caring For Voices And Singers: Dr. Françoise Chagnon, ENT

By Viktor Lazarov on 31 March 2025 Arts Industry, Canadian Music, Interviews, Montreal, Opera, Popular Music, Vocal

If you are a singer in Quebec, you likely know Dr. Françoise Chagnon. A specialist in otorhinolaryngology (commonly referred to as ear, nose and throat medicine) and cervico-facial surgery for nearly 40 years, Dr. Chagnon takes care of professional voices in both opera and popular music. Some of her patients have sung on the most prestigious stages in the world and, with her guidance, have learned to better understand, master, and maintain their hidden vocal instrument. Her affinity for musicians’ health developed through medicine and, first and foremost, her fascination with the larynx, vocal cords, and the physiology of the…