CRITIC’S PICKS | Classical Music Events You Absolutely Need To See This Week: February 2 – February 8 2026

This is a list of concerts we are attending, wishing we could attend, or thinking about attending between Feburary 2 and 8, 2026. For more of what’s happening around Toronto, visit our calendar here.

UTNMF: University of Toronto Percussion Ensemble Presents — VIS-À-VIS

Monday, February 2, 7:30 p.m.
Walter Hall, Faculty of Music, 80 Queens Park, free

One of the most exciting things in the contemporary music world is percussion. Anything, everything, may become an instrument, and the nuances and colours that are totally beyond the 12 tones of diatonic harmony world are — breathtaking. As part of the University of Toronto New Music Festival, the scary talented and hardworking percussion students are presenting a program of Vivian Fung (featured composer of UTNMF 2026), and Morton Feldman. If you haven’t run into Feldman’s soundscape, please do come. Feldman (1927-1987), a true avant-garde, constructed soundscapes out of quietness, near-silences, and stillness — almost completely out of our usual daily runaround of clock, constant noise, and never-stopping rhythms. Read our Preview of the University of Toronto New Music Festival here. And the only way to experience this pale — or super dark — true chiaroscuro, is in person. Info here.

Royal Conservatory of Music: An Evening with Nicola Benedetti and Friends

Wednesday, February 4
Koerner Hall, 7 p.m., $55+

Nicola Benedetti will light up the dark February evening with her friends — Plinio Fernandes (guitar), Hanzhi Wang (accordion), and Adrian Daurov (cello) — bringing eclectic and beautiful vignettes from across the genres. Drawing from ever-favourite showpieces such as Paganini Caprices, Sarasate’s Navarra and Wieniawski’s Polonaise Brilliante, to simple timeless folk tunes such as Skye Boat Song, A Choille Ghruamach, and Hacky Honey reel, the night promises much intimacy, plenty of virtuosic pyrotechnics, and true geniality. When the world is noisy beyond comprehension, perhaps the remedy of music, shared in the intimacy of Koerner Hall, is the salve we can all dip into. Info here.

Trinity Bach Project: Bach & Anguish

Wednesday, February 4, 8 p.m.
Holy Family Roman Catholic Church, 1372 King St. W., Toronto, $10+

A pair of laments from the Trinity Bach Project will touch your heart at this evening concert. BWV 12, Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen (“Weeping, lamenting, worry, apprehension”) recites: “Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal in das Reich Gottes eingehen”. We must enter the Kingdom of God through much sorrow. In BWV 127, we seek salvation during the last hour; Bach reuses this music for the St. John Passion and St. Matthew Passion. Simply exquisite music, and the finesse and musicality of Trinity Bach Project might make you shed a tear, especially with all that is going on in the world, juxtaposed by one of the coldest, snow-filled days we’ve seen in Toronto recently; a difficult, demanding time where things seem perpetually dark. A great point to sink into the darkness and ponder, with the great timeless artistry through Bach’s genius. Another performance is scheduled for February 11, 7.30 p.m., at St. John’s, York Mills.

Info here.

Canadian Opera Company: The Barber of Seville

Thursday, February 5, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, February 7, 7:30 p.m., additional performances throughout February
Four Seasons Centre, $45+

With one of the best overtures ever, COC brings the beloved Barber to the winter stage. Rossini had a knack for writing lovely music. Starting out as a child musical genius, by age 21 he had a catalogue of 10 operas in performance, and his life was full of hit after hit — 39 operas in just 19 years, until he’d had enough at age 37, retiring from music to spend nearly four decades as a renowned gourmet. What a character. The Barber of Seville, number 17 in his opera catalogue, is much loved; its jollity, light humour and silliness, contrasted with real human emotion, love, in so many different shades, has been bringing crowds into the opera houses for centuries. Come out and join in the light hearted joy and fun, among friends and frenemies, and escape from demanding daily life, with a little bit of fantasy. To sustain oneself with beauty is a true luxury — and a necessity. Read our Interview with conductor Daniela Candillari here. Info here.

Royal Conservatory of Music: Royal Conservatory Orchestra with Peter Oundjian

Friday, February 6, 8 p.m.
Koerner Hall, $25

The Royal Conservatory Orchestra — a mixture of current students and additional professionals in the city (mostly alumni of the Glenn Gould School) — presents a Romantic program: Chopin’s Piano Concerto 2 (with pianist Eric Guo, Grand Prize winner of The Robert W. and G Ann Corcoran Concerto Competition), and Tchaikovsky’s tragic Symphony 6. The dramatic depth of both works is phenomenal — heartbreaks, struggles and pathos, acceptance, a journey to the unknown void, the passing beauty of life. They are true masterpieces, touching all listening hearts with evocations and transcendence. The evening will open with Vivian Fung’s Dust Devils. At $25 a seat, this concert is a total bargain, as RCO’s young musicians are capable of playing a great concert — as good as any orchestra in the nation on a good day. Come on down, and bask in the tragic beauty of Chopin and Tchaikovsky. Info here.

North Wind Concerts: Encircling the World — Harps!

Saturday, February 7, 7:30 p.m.
Heliconian Hall, Pay-What-You-Can, $20/35 suggested

All kinds of harps will be here this evening. Contrary to the grand symphonic harp, there are many different harps, all with individual character and soundscape. Julia Seager Scott, Martha Mazzoleni, Sharlene Wallace — these three ladies will take you the through voices of Baroque triple harp and clarsach, a Paraguayan harp, and Celtic harp. Instead of a super formal concert, the evening will consist of small solo sets, a heart-to-heart with the audience, and a bit of improvisation. Come out to this small, intimate conversation of a concert, and lend your ears to this curious instrument. 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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