Category Archives: Music and musicology

Of Whales and Willpower Part One: Jamaican Music from Apocryphonia

Posted on June 14, 2026 by barczablog

The title of the concert Friday June 12th at Christ Church Deer Park was “Of Whales and Willpower: The Jamaican Jonah, Part 1”, suggesting that there’s a sequel in the works. This first step was hearing excerpts from Samuel Felsted’s … Continue reading →

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Digging into cinematic culture with Maria Dueñas, Gustavo Gimeno & the Toronto Symphony

Posted on June 7, 2026 by barczablog

In a week when every item in the Toronto Symphony’s concert program has a connection to film, it was amazing to see such a remarkable variety, the many different ways music and movies can be connected. And the results were … Continue reading →

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Bringing the first Jamaican oratorio to life in Toronto: an interview with organist Joshua Duncan Lee

Posted on June 6, 2026 by barczablog

As a follower of Apocryphonia, I heard about the concert presenting excerpts from Samuel Felsted’s Jonah, coming this Friday June 12th at 7:30 pm, at Christ Church, Deer Park. The work is significant not just as the first oratorio composed … Continue reading →

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Virtuoso Shunske Sato takes Tafelmusik to the next level with Beethoven & Bologne

Posted on June 1, 2026 by barczablog

Descending the stairs after the final Tafelmusik concert of the season at Koerner Hall, walking slowly behind older audience members, a woman beside me glanced over, eyes glowing, wanting to share her experience. She had to talk. And so we … Continue reading →

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Mandle Philharmonic plays Mahler 2nd

Posted on May 23, 2026 by barczablog

I have to make comparisons. Even the most sympathetic critic observes and then contextualizes, by framing those observations in comparison to others. On Friday May 22nd Mandle Cheung conducted his orchestra, the Mandle Philharmonic, in a performance of Gustav Mahler’s … Continue reading →

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Co-existing worlds of Epic Wagnerian Toronto Symphony

Posted on May 15, 2026 by barczablog

Thursday night the Toronto Symphony showed us they could blend Western & non-Western cultural traditions. When Gustavo Gimeno spoke in his program note of the imminent arrival of thousands from abroad into our city for the FIFA matches, he spoke … Continue reading →

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Best Toronto Symphony concert of the season

Posted on May 1, 2026 by barczablog

So far so good. I knew I was going to like this concert because they were playing pieces I liked. I did not expect this to be the best concert of the season. As we go into the month of … Continue reading →

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Tapestry Opera and Toronto Symphony Orchestra Announce Groundbreaking Masterclass for Emerging Star Conductors at Roy Thomson Hall

Posted on April 30, 2026 by barczablog

TORONTO, ON – Continuing their long-standing relationship, Tapestry Opera and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) join forces for a masterclass on Saturday, May 16, 2026, dedicated to the next generation of women and non-binary conductors and music directors in Canada. … Continue reading →

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History captured in Toronto Beach Chorale’s Carmina Burana

Posted on April 28, 2026 by barczablog

My daughter and I joined an overflowing crowd eager to hear Toronto Beach Chorale with Mississauga Chamber Singers and their guests in a jam-packed Kingston Road United Church. The short pieces in the first half of the concert with introductory … Continue reading →

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She Holds up the Stars from Red Sky & Toronto Symphony

Posted on April 20, 2026 by barczablog

In a week of adaptations, the trip to Roy Thomson Hall to see & hear the world premiere of She Holds Up the Stars from the Toronto Symphony & Red Sky Performance on Sunday April 19th was a fabulous case … Continue reading →

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