Author Archives: barczablog

Guest blog: a Postcard from Bayreuth

Posted on August 28, 2026 by barczablog

This guest blog is written by Canadian Margarete Von Vaight: her Postcard from the 150th anniversary Bayreuth Festival. What happens when you travel to Bayreuth to see The Ring and discover there is no ring? No gold. No sword. No … Continue reading →

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Elissa Lee talks about the upcoming BIGLAKE Festival

Posted on August 18, 2026 by barczablog

Founders and Directors Elissa Lee and Johannes Debus present BIGLAKE, an annual festival in Prince Edward County (PEC). Founded in 2018 by classical musicians Elissa Lee and Johannes Debus in Toronto, the BIGLAKE Festival has become a cornerstone of quality … Continue reading →

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Tyler Seguin’s adaptation of Northanger Abbey premieres at Guild Festival Theatre

Posted on August 10, 2026 by barczablog

There’s a special magic with a new play. When it’s an adaptation of a beloved novel the excitement is greater. Tyler Seguin has adapted Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey in a production that premiered this weekend at Guild Festival Theatre in … Continue reading →

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Nebula Performances’ Artistic Director and co-founder, pianist Wenwen Du: an interview

Posted on August 8, 2026 by barczablog

It’s been fascinating to discover pianist Wenwen Du, who seems to be making a splash around the world as a collaborative pianist and as the artistic director of Nebula Performances. I found an amazing solo performance that she gave, playing … Continue reading →

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Two sides of the same fiddler

Posted on July 22, 2026 by barczablog

Toronto Summer Music showed us a magic trick. William Fedkenheuer played classical violin in the first half of the concert. William on violin and Orion Weiss on piano played a movement of Brahms, then a sonata of Beethoven and a … Continue reading →

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Kleztory at Toronto Summer Music

Posted on July 21, 2026 by barczablog

Kleztory made their third appearance at Toronto Summer Music Festival Monday July 20th at Walter Hall although this was my first chance to hear and see them, as much a visual as aural experience. Kleztory sometimes play music that we … Continue reading →

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Brontë: The World Without comes to Guild Festival Theatre in Scarborough

Posted on July 20, 2026 by barczablog

Gothic Girl Summer began this week at Guild Festival Theatre with Brontë: The World Without, a recent play by Jordi Mand. I laughed loudly for much of the play showing us episodes, a series of scenes from a three-year period … Continue reading →

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Golden Age: Erin Morley and Lawrence Brownlee bring their magic to a live performance at Koerner Hall

Posted on July 17, 2026 by barczablog

Last year soprano Erin Morley and tenor Lawrence Brownlee released an album titled “Golden Age” accompanied by Munich Radio Orchestra conducted by Ivan Repušić featuring opera solos & duets from the 19th century. Thursday July 16th, the Toronto Summer Music … Continue reading →

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Gothic Girl Summer: Tyler Seguin talks about Brontë & Northanger Abbey at Guild Festival Theatre

Posted on July 14, 2026 by barczablog

I heard Guild Festival Theatre’s announcement of their 15th summer in Guild Park. Inspired by Gothic literature and the great women writers of the 19th century, GFT’s 2026 programming features a theatrical imagining of the lives of the beloved Brontë … Continue reading →

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Mark Tetreault recalls his Toronto Symphony Tuba playing days

Posted on July 12, 2026 by barczablog

Whenever I come into the concert hall for a Toronto Symphony Orchestra concert and see a tuba my heart beats a bit faster: because it means something extraordinary. I just googled the tuba. You won’t hear the instrument in a … Continue reading →

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