Tag Archives: classical-music

Christopher Bagan, busy keyboardist & scholar talks about his new orchestration of Pelléas et Mélisande

Posted on March 14, 2026 by barczablog

Christopher Bagan wears a lot of hats, as keyboardist, conductor, professor at University of Toronto, chamber musician, basso continuo specialist, coach & repetiteur. In the immediate future: Christopher joins Toronto Mendelssohn Choir’s presentations of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion March 24th-25th. … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Music and musicology, Opera | Tagged Arnold Schönberg, Baroque, Christopher Bagan, classical, classical-music, Claude Debussy, continuo, Felix Deak, François Couperin, Johann Sebastian Bach, Jonathan Oldengarm, music, Opera Atelier, Pelléas et Mélisande, piano, St Matthew Passion, Toronto Bach Festival, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir | Leave a comment

A Bach Celebration with Tafelmusik Chamber Choir & Ivars Taurins

Posted on March 13, 2026 by barczablog

Thursday night was the first performance by Tafelmusik of A Bach Celebration at Jeanne Lamon Hall. The explanation was that this is an attempt to present a curated series of works that less well-known, instead of the usual canonical pieces, … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Spirituality & Religion | Tagged art, art music, classical-music, Ivars Taurins, James Reese, Jean-Sébastien Vallée, Jeanne Lamon Hall, Johann Sebastian Bach, JS Bach, liturgy, music, Myriam Leblanc, Tafelmusik, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Tafelmusik Chamber Choir, Trinity-St Paul's Centre, writing | Leave a comment

A closer look at the COC’s zany Barber of Seville

Posted on February 22, 2026 by barczablog

Your tickets to the opera really are a case of “location location location”. When I saw the Canadian Opera Company’s Barber of Seville two weeks ago seated in the middle of the downstairs at the Four Seasons Centre, yes I … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Press Releases and Announcements, Reviews | Tagged Ariadne auf Naxos, Barber of Seville, Benjamin Britten, Canadian Opera Company, Cherie Dimaline, classical-music, Cosi fan tutte, Daniela Candillari, Dave Monaco, David Ferguson, Deepa Johnny, Elixir of Love, Four Seasons Centre, Gioachino Rossini, Ian Cusson, Ian Derrer, Joan Font, Joan Guillén, La Traviata, Luca Pisaroni, Luke Sutliff, music, Nathan Keoughan, opera, Perryn Leech, Pietro Adaini, Renato Girolami, Richard Strauss, Robert Lepage, Rossini, theatre, Turn of the Screw | Leave a comment

TSO are back for Gimeno’s Mahler 9 proposition

Posted on February 20, 2026 by barczablog

I’ve had a wonderful experience tonight at Roy Thomson Hall watching and listening to Gustavo Gimeno leading the Toronto Symphony in Mahler’s 9th Symphony. The orchestra has just returned from their European tour. You can read more about the tour … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Reviews | Tagged classical-music, Gustav Mahler, Gustavo Gimeno, Jonathan Crow, music, orchestra, Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto Symphony Orchestra | 2 Comments

A last visit for Alexander Shelley with the NACO

Posted on February 8, 2026 by barczablog

Saturday night the National Arts Centre Orchestra played their annual Toronto concert to an enthusiastic Roy Thomson Hall audience. As 2025-26 is the final season as music director for Alexander Shelley, this was his last visit at the helm of … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Reviews | Tagged Alexander Shelley, Beethoven, Camille Saint-Saens, classical, classical-music, Eroica, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Jocelyn Morlock, Ludwig van Beethoven, Maurice Ravel, music, My Name is Amanda Todd, Pavane pour une infante defunte, piano | Leave a comment

Jonathan Stuchbery: Diapente’s concert Time’s Eldest Son on the 400th Anniversary of John Dowland’s passing

Posted on February 7, 2026 by barczablog

On February 20th, 1626 English lutenist and composer John Dowland died in London, leaving behind a legacy that brought him fame across Europe, and left him as one of the most recognizable names in renaissance music to this day. Jonathan … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Music and musicology | Tagged Alexander Cappellazzo, Benjamin Britten, classical-music, Diapente Renaissance Vocal Quintet, Elizabeth I, Felix Deak, guitar, interview, Jane Fingler, John Dowland, Jonathan Stuchbery, Martin Gomes, music, Peter Koniers, Renaissance Music, Sting, Sylvain Bergeron, Time's Eldest Son | Leave a comment

Opera Salon Series: Romanticism & Bel Canto

Posted on February 1, 2026 by barczablog

Today I attended a Voicebox: Opera in Concert Opera Salon, highlighting Romanticism & Bel Canto. I want to see any concert or presentation that offers us a new way to offer opera and to find an audience. We’ve seen arias … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Reviews | Tagged Alexander Cappellazzo, bel canto, Cassandra Amorim, classical-music, Diana Rockwell, Edward Jackman Centre, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Evan Korbut, Gaetano Donizetti, Giacomo Meyerbeer, Giuseppe Verdi, Guillermo Silva-Marin, Henry Ingram, Holly Chaplin, Jules Massenet, Justin Welsh, Michael William Balfe, music, opera, Romanticism, Vincenzo Bellini, Voicebox Opera in Concert | Leave a comment

Musing on Mandle Cheung’s orchestral adventures: an interview

Posted on January 30, 2026 by barczablog

I can’t stop thinking about Mandle Cheung, the successful tech entrepreneur who paid the Toronto Symphony for the privilege of conducting Mahler’s 2nd Symphony last summer. I wrote a review of the concert for the Globe & Mail, and couldn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Music and musicology | Tagged Bugs Bunny, Carl Flesch, classical-music, Gilbert Kaplan, Globe and Mail, Gustav Mahler, Mandle Cheung, Mandle Philharmonic, Naomi Buck, Norman Lebrecht, orchestra, Roy Thomson Hall, Steve Jobs, The Maestro Myth, Toronto Life, Toronto Symphony | 6 Comments

Tafelmusik Messiah sounds new through the drama of live performance

Posted on December 20, 2025 by barczablog

While there’s something comforting in being able to return to a classic text year after year, I always hope to find ways to make it a fresh experience. Tafelmusik’s first 2025 Messiah on Thursday December 18th at Koerner Hall had … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Reviews | Tagged Baroque, Benjamin Done, classical-music, George Frideric Handel, Handel, Ivars Taurins, Jonathan Woody, Kathryn James Adduci, Koerner Hall, Krisztina Szabó, Massey Hall, Messiah, music, Nicholas Scott, opera, Singalong, Stefanie True, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Tafelmusik Chamber Choir | 2 Comments

Interview with William Fedkenheuer, new Artistic Director of Toronto Summer Music

Posted on December 13, 2025 by barczablog

William Fedkenheuer is a Canadian violinist, fiddler, and educator, second violinist for the Grammy-nominated Miró Quartet recognized internationally for chamber music and performances at prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall. William has begun his new role as Artistic Director of Toronto … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Music and musicology | Tagged classical-music, fiddle, Jonathan Crow, Miro Quartet, string quartet, Toronto Summer Music, Toronto Summer Music Academy, Toronto Summer Music Festival, violin, William Fedkenheuer | Leave a comment