CRITIC’S PICKS | Classical Music Events You Absolutely Need To See This Week: October 6 – October 12

This is a list of concerts we are attending, wishing we could attend, or thinking about attending between October 6 and 12, 2025. For more of what’s happening around Toronto, visit our calendar here.

Canadian Opera Company: Vocal Series: Wanderer and Beloved

Tuesday, October 7, Noon
Four Seasons Centre, Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, free

The noon concerts at COC are a welcome break in the midst of the downtown bustle; for this Tuesday, Owen McCausland, current Tybalt in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, brings Schumann and Strauss lieder to the stage. Though all songs in the world celebrate a special relationship between words and sound, the German lieder, especially of these two great masters, are amongst the best examples that we have in Western culture. Come and experience the magic woven between words and sound, as McCausland brings these magical compositions to life. Info here.

Glenn Gould Foundation: The Promise of Music: Dan Brown’s Wild Symphony

Wednesday, October 8, 7:30 p.m.
Koerner Hall, $39+

The Glenn Gould Foundation’s first world congress on the social impact of music: The Promise of Music, takes place in Toronto October 6 to 10. There are many discussions, forums, workshops and performances scheduled throughout the week. Guest performances include well-known figures, such as Chilly Gonzales, brave ensembles that came from afar: Afghanistan National Institute of Music, and Firdaus Orchestra, amongst others. And for this particular performance, Dan Brown (yes, the writer of the Da Vinci Code)’s Wild Symphony, a children’s book about music, will be delivered live, with beautiful visuals by 145 young musicians of Sistema Toronto and Sistema New Brunswick Children’s Orchestras, with narration by Viggo Mortensen. Yes, Aragorn of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The youngster ensembles’ terrific energy and great narration promises much fun and joy, in celebration of music, childhood, and the future. It’s these young musicians who will carry the spirit and joy of music throughout their lives, and it is our responsibility, as adults, to continue to appreciate the bright young energy, and their passion for arts — after all, the arts exist within every single one of us, throughout our lives. What better way is there, than to be there, together, and celebrate the current and future energy we share through music? Info here.

Women’s Musical Club of Toronto: Music in the Afternoon: Opera & Song Recital

Thursday, October 9, 1:30 p.m.
Walter Hall, Faculty of Music, University of Toronto, $50

For the season opener, WMCT is bringing Karoline Podolak, a Toronto native, to the stage with a program full of beloved songs and arias. Podolak’s Slavic song set includes a wide range of composers, both familiar and unfamiliar: Nowowiejski, Rachmaninoff, Dvořák, and Alyabyev, and along with Chopin’s Op. 74 song set and other operatic arias, this is looking good for a relaxed afternoon of vocal artistry appreciation. For this event, the pre-concert lecture will discuss the topic of singing through a lifetime — a focus on vocal health for all levels and ages of singers — by professor Lorna MacDonald, starting at 12:15 p.m. In the days of 24/7 streaming, along with too-many-choices, it’s easy to forget the power of live performance; so come out, open your eyes and ears to this real-music making, and remind yourself how powerful arts can be, when experienced in real time, with real presence. Info here.

Canadian Opera Company: Orfeo ed Euridice

Thursday, October 9, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, October 11, 7:30 p.m, with five additional performances throughout October
Four Seasons Centre, $45+

The second opera for COC’s 25/26 first session, Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, opens this Thursday. This short and sweet opera (running 90 minutes with no intermission), may be just the perfect first operatic experience for many. Gluck, a major popular operatic composer of the late 18th century, has inspired many others, including Mozart, Cherubini, and Berlioz. His Orfeo is a great example of the stylistic transition from baroque to classical style, known for its direct, easy-to-follow plot, and simple, yet beautiful music. So come out with a light heart, and be ready to spend the rest of the evening with friends and family, to further discuss this little beautiful gem of an opera. Info here.

Royal Conservatory of Music: Royal Conservatory Orchestra with JoAnn Falletta

Friday, October 10, 8 p.m.
Koerner Hall, $25+

The RCO, consisting mostly of current Glenn Gould School students, presents their first concert of the season, featuring two great orchestral works — John Adam’s Short Ride in a Fast Machine and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade — with Beethoven’s 3rd piano concerto, soloist Jonathan Alter. Falletta, current music director of the Buffalo Phil, was one of the very first women to lead a major American ensemble, and it will surely be great to see her talent and leadership with this young ensemble, full of energy and drive. Come out and enjoy this high-calibre performance, with unmatchable light pricing. Honestly, Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade is one of the most beautiful compositions of the Western canon — what a great way to explore this work for both newcomers and classical music aficionados. Info here.

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Cecilia tumbled into ‘serious’ music study when she decided to avoid attending medical school. Currently working in the field of classical music, recording, and Korean-English interpretation, she tends to get her nose dirty in many different things in the city. Cecilia holds a DMA in Piano Performance from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

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