This is a list of concerts we are attending, wishing we could attend, or thinking about attending between May 18 and 24, 2026. For more of what’s happening around Toronto, visit our calendar here.
Music Toronto: Penderecki Quartet: 40th Anniversary Concert
Thursday, May 21
Jane Mallett Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, $60+
Four decades is a long time! Since 1991, they’ve been based in Waterloo, performing and nurturing close and faraway — their contribution as artists and educators has been much appreciated by Torontonians and beyond. As the Penderecki Quartet celebrate their 40th anniversary, the group is bringing much loved repertoire: Mozart’s Hoffmeister Quartet, Penderecki’s Leaves of an Unwritten Diary, and Schubert Quintet with guest cellist Roman Borys. Come and join the celebration, and take part in the magical intimacy of string quartet. A pre-show concert at 6:30 p.m. will feature Jacques Forestier and Jeanie Chung: a budding international artist, Forestier, with Chung at the piano, will take on Dvorak’s Romantic Pieces and Strauss’ Sonata — a great chance to hear one of the best violins in the world, a Guadagnini (c.1765). Read our Preview of the concert here. Info here.
Toronto Symphony Orchestra: Shankar’s Sitar
Thursday, May 21, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, May 23, 7:30 p.m.
Roy Thomson Hall, $69+
Ravi Shankar quickly became a household name through diverse collaboration, including working with Yehudi Menuhin and George Harrison of the Beatles, bringing the Indian Sitar to the Western audience. Anoushka Shankar, daughter of Ravi, is an amazing artist — a performer and creator with 11 Grammy nominations — and she is bringing Ravi Shankar’s iconic sitar concerto no.2, Raga-Mala, to the stage. Concert opener, Meeting Along the Edge, from Passages, a collaborative work by Philip Glass and RS, will receive its Canadian premiere this Thursday evening. The tickets are going fast — even with the choir loft open, the hall is near capacity. So don’t wait, get your tickets now for this true cross-over concert. Info here.
Royal Conservatory: Hilary Hahn with Tom Poster
Thursday, May 21, 7 p.m.
Koerner Hall, $70+
It is so good to see the return of legendary Hilary Hahn to the stage after a bout of health concerns. Her playing, ever since she was a wee young lady entering Curtis at age 10, has been impeccable and mesmerizing — truly one of the best of our time. The hiatus since summer 2024 has left many of her fans worried, and this concert, a reschedule from June 06, 2024, would certainly be a highlight of 2026 spring. Come out and hear her in full glory, with pianist Tom Poster. The luminous program consists of mostly French repertoire: Ravel, Debussy, Lili Boulanger and Fauré, along with two fresh works: a North American premiere of Scott Tixier: Ressemblance, Duo for Violin and Piano, and Bu-Ching Lam’s Solitude d’automne. What a way to return, and what a chance to welcome this brilliant artist. Info here.
Toronto Bach Festival: Kaffeehaus
Saturday, May 23, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Church of the Holy Trinity, 19 Trinity Square, $65, festival pass available
It has been hard to tell which season we are in, thanks to the weather, but the return of the annual TBF is a great sign of spring. This year, four events and a lecture have been scheduled for the weekend, starting with Bach’s Double Concertos on Friday evening, stretching well into the Sunday afternoon. And the loveliest of the selection is the Kaffeehaus. Featuring great voices: Sherezade Panthaki, Nicholas Burns, Asitha Tennekoon and Martin Gomes, along with narrator R.H. Thomson as Herr Zimmermann, and the Toronto Bach Festival Orchestra + guests from Collegium Musicum, University of Toronto, this casual, open-warmth program always sells out. The 4 p.m. is packed out, so get your 8 p.m. ticket now, and join in for this beloved tradition. Read our Interview with Artistic Director John Abberger here. Info here.
Royal Conservatory: Kevin Chen
Sunday, May 24, 3 p.m.
Koerner Hall, $35+
Canadian pianist Kevin Chen made his mark by winning the first prize at the Franz Liszt competition (2021), Concours de Genève (2022), Arthur Rubinstein (2023), and most recently, a second prize at the International Chopin Competition (2025). Known for the beautiful colours that he draws from the piano — essentially a big black inanimate object — his strength is in making that machine sing pure melodies. Bringing a program full of panache and flair — Chopin, Scriabin, and Liszt — this is a great way to soak into piano virtuosity for a Sunday afternoon. The hauntingly beautiful Vers la Flamme, Scriabin’s last piano work, has been of great interest to past piano giants: Richter, Horowitz, Ashkenazy, and now Volodos and Sokolov — it will certainly be an experience for the uninitiated. Read our Interview with Kevin Chen here. 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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