Category Archives: Music and musicology

Woolf at the door, Orlando in your head

Posted on October 31, 2026 by barczablog

Thursday night I experienced Orlando: Ema Nikolovska with Sean Shibe. A good concert shows us how and why. How to curate, assemble, share, perform. And why we do this at all, the community of listeners & watchers observing. I felt … Continue reading →

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Ema Nikolovska talks about Orlando, her upcoming concert with Sean Shibe

Posted on October 27, 2026 by barczablog

A good concert program is an invitation, encouraging you to think and feel in response to the combination of materials & performances. That’s what I felt when I heard about Orlando: Ema Nikolovska with Sean Shibe, this Thursday, October 29, … Continue reading →

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Interviewing conductor Ivars Taurins

Posted on October 19, 2026 by barczablog

I bask in the reflected glory of interview subjects. If they look good I look good, and that’s especially true when they’re showing their brilliance in this space. One of the most enjoyable interviews I ever did was with George … Continue reading →

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Drama and lyricism from Scarborough Philharmonic Showpieces

Posted on October 4, 2026 by barczablog

Scarborough Philharmonic opened their 2026-27 season Friday October 2nd with something of a bombshell announcement. SPO’s Artistic Director & Conductor Ronald Royer stood before us, disclosing that he’s fighting cancer. He confidently predicted he would beat it, returning fully next … Continue reading →

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Tafelmusik and Jakob Lehmann introduce us to Sophie Gail, Louise Farrenc and also Beethoven

Posted on September 26, 2026 by barczablog

The Tafelmusik concert I heard Friday night at Koerner Hall makes an interesting chaser to the Toronto Symphony Concert I saw Thursday, my previous lengthy rapturous review. Yes there’s a lot going on in Toronto, and these two concerts on … Continue reading →

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Yuja Wang plays Prokofiev: a study in contrasts to open the Toronto Symphony season

Posted on September 25, 2026 by barczablog

“Yuja Wang Plays Prokofiev” might be the title of the Toronto Symphony’s opening concert of the 2026-27 season Thursday September 24th, but we heard a great deal more last night. Yuja also played four brilliant encores in a breath-taking display … Continue reading →

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Questions for composer Linda Catlin Smith: an interview

Posted on September 19, 2026 by barczablog

Linda Catlin Smith is a composer I’m pleased to interview, as a couple of her works are about to be premiered, including one by the Toronto Symphony next week. Her music is heard and acclaimed around the world, whether it’s … Continue reading →

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Jennifer King’s suffragist pianism comes to Toronto

Posted on September 15, 2026 by barczablog

I think it’s the first time I was at a concert program like this, consisting entirely of classical music composed by women. To begin English composer Ethel Smyth (1858–1944) greeted us from the stage, introducing each piece that she played … 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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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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