Musical Toronto’s weekly Critic’s Picks are a fully curated list of some of the best concerts happening now through the end of the week. Of course this is not to say we are the provocateurs of taste, but simply seek to provide a good weekly summary. For a look at the full breadth of what’s available in and around Toronto, check out the comprehensive concert listings from our friends at Wholenote Magazine.
Tuesday 9
Carissa Klopoushak & Philip Chiu at Gallery 345. 8:00 p.m. $10-20
Tonight why not head down to Gallery 345 to catch out a concert by violinist Carissa Klopoushak and pianist Philip Chiu. The two have performed extensively together over the last six years and carry fantastic stage presence. They will be performing a program including Debussy, Janacek, Willan, Viver, Carrabré. More details here.
Wednesday 10
Opera by Request – Zarzuela: Luisa Fernanda at College Street United Church. 3:00 p.m. $20.
Toronto’s Opera by Request will be presenting Torroba’s Zarzeula: Luisa Fernanda, in concert with piano accompaniment. For those unfamiliar, Zarzuela is an interesting Spanish form of operetta that mixes spoken and sung operatic scenes with popular song and dance. Features a promising cast, including Karla Berganza (soprano), Pablo Benitez (tenor), Tsu-ching Yu (soprano), Marco Petracchi (baritone), Jenny Cohen (mezzo), Larry Tozer (baritone), Margaret Bardos (mezzo), Jeannette Burgos (actor) and William Shookhoff (piano and music director). Info here.
Group of 27 at Heliconian Hall. 7:30 p.m. PWYC
‘Tis the season to be jolly with the group of 27 in their first ever Holiday Party! The extraordinary Canadian mezzo-soprano Krisztina Szabo, will be there to sing a few songs, and lead the way through a sing-along of holiday classics. Besides the good company, there will be food, drink and an auction for home-made cookies – all the elements for great party. Details here.
Thursday 11
Against the Grain Theatre – #UncleJohn at the The Black Box Theatre at The Great Hall. 7:30 p.m. $40
After a very successful workshop of #UncleJohn last summer at The Banff Centre, Against the Grain Theatre are finally mounting their Don Giovanni adaptation for a hometown audience. There has been a lot of buzz about this work and it should be on the radar for any opera fan. Includes the Cecilia Quartet and guest music director Miloš Repický, as well as Cameron McPhail, Neil Craighead, Miriam Khalil, and Betty Waynne Allison. Show repeats Dec 13,15,17,19. More details here.
New Music Concerts with Marco Stroppa and Benny Sluchin at the Music Gallery. 8:00 p.m. $10-35.
Headed by the intrepid Robert Aitken, New Music Concerts have brought over a powerful voice in contemporary music; Marco Stroppa is an Italian composer specializing in computer music, and music for live electronics. The concert includes Benny Sluchin – a trombonist of note with Ensemble InterContemporain, as well as Toronto’s Wallace Halladay, one of the best saxophonists in the country. The concert includes a première by Edmonton-based composer Paul Steenhuisen entitled Anthropo. This is a major event for contemporary music lovers and should not be missed. Details here.
Music Toronto with Trio D’Argento with Barbara Croall at St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts. 8:00 p.m. $10-21.50.
One thing about Music Toronto concerts is that they are consistently phenomenal – and they somehow manage to keep bringing some of the best chamber musicians in the world to our city year after year. Tonight is no different. As part of their Discovery Series, Trio D’Argento and Barbara Croall will perform a program including Beethoven’s Trio WoO 37 for flute, clarinet and piano; Jacques Ibert’s Deux Interludes, Russell Peterson’s Trio for flute, and Barbara Croall’s Manidoog (Spirits/Spirit beings). Don’t miss it. Info here.
Friday 12
Nicole Lizée’s Bookburners at the Canadian Music Centre. 7:30 p.m. Free!
We’ve been big admirers of Montréal-based composer Nicole Lizée since she burst on the scene with her first CD This Will Not Be Televised in 2008. She will be in town tonight with Megumi Masaki (piano), Steve Raegele (guitar) and Ben Reimer (percussion) to launch her new CD/DVD titled Bookburners at the Canadian Music Centre on St. Joseph St. We’ve had a chance to listen to the new CD and can safely say it’s breathtaking. Come out and support this amazing talent. You can preview a couple of tracks here.
The Christmas Story – Nativity play at 10 Trinity Sq. 7:30 p.m. $5-20 (suggested donation)
The annual Christmas Nativity play has been a tradition in Toronto for 76 years. It features an all-volunteer cast backed by professional musicians. Repeats December 13,14, 19, 20, and 21. For reservations see here.
Toronto Consort –Little Barley-Corne at Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre. 8:00 p.m. $10-61
The Toronto Consort kicks off Little Barley-Corne tonight, which runs through to Sunday December 14 (mat). An audience favourite, Little Barley-Corne is all about the celebration of winter, and includes English ballads, country dance tunes and French Noëls. David Greenberg will be there to fiddle up a storm! More info here.
Saturday 13
Kindred Spirits Orchestra at Flato Markham Theatre. 8:00 p.m. $15-35
For those who live near Markham, (or don’t mind a drive), we recommend checking out Kindred Spirits Orchestra. They will be performing an all-Beethoven feast with Romance for violin and orchestra No.2 in F, Concerto for piano and orchestra No.3 in c, and Concerto for piano and orchestra No.4 in G. Soloists include Younggun Kim, piano, Marie-Andrée Gray, violin and Alexa Petrenko as host. There will be a pre-concert chat starting at 7:15. Details here.
Sunday 14
The King’s Singers at Koerner Hall. 3:00 p.m. $35-90
Tonight is a delight for the ears from venerable and meticulous The King’s Singers. The famed English a capella group will perform a number of festive works by Lassus, Byrd, Howells, Head, and Poulenc. They are always a lot of fun in concert, and we give this event a gold seal. Info here.
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