Whether you're a seasoned classical music enthusiast or just beginning to explore its depths, Rob Kapilow's "What Makes It Great?"® presentations are sure to captivate and enlighten you. With his infectious enthusiasm and profound knowledge, Rob delves into Beethoven's music, offering fresh insights and perspectives that will forever change the way you listen.

Rob's unique ability to make complex musical concepts accessible and engaging ensures that audiences of all levels will find his presentations both enjoyable and enlightening. Prepare to be moved, inspired, and thoroughly entertained as Rob Kapilow opens a new world of understanding and appreciation for Beethoven's masterpieces.

Co-presented with TO Live

Imagine a “dream-team” lineup of musicians whose performances are even greater than the sum of the considerable parts, and you have the brilliant and internationally acclaimed Ehnes Quartet. Amongst today’s most sought-after chamber ensembles, violinists James Ehnes and Amy Schwartz Moretti, violist Che-Yen Chen, and cellist Edward Arron bring their passion, artistic command, and refinement to Toronto for a one-night, must-hear concert.

Although formally established in 2010, the members of the group have performed together in various combinations for decades, leading The Strad to characterize one of their live performances thus: “They meshed together like the old friends they are, themes passing seamlessly, unison writing blending perfectly as solo themes emerged, and the ebb and flow managed beautifully.”

The dynamic and deeply musically connected sibling duo of violinist Christian and ‘cellist Tanja Tetzlaff are joined by the dazzling Kiveli Doerken for an evening of piano trio favourites. The trio was originally formed in 2004 with pianist Lars Vogt; Doerken joined the group after Vogt’s tragically early death from cancer in 2022. She has quickly more than filled the role with her own strengths and sensibilities.

This is the Music Toronto audience’s first opportunity to hear this new and wonderful incarnation of the group. In their first season with Doerken, Vladimir Jurowski wrote in The Threepenny Review: “The accord among the three players was perfect; the way they picked up each other’s themes, alternated their trills and pizzicatos, occasionally joined together in unison, and even left a few momentary silences was a pleasure to behold… the entire concert felt moving and triumphant, joyful and sad all at once, just as the best music should be.”

Lauded as “exquisite” by The Philadelphia Inquirer and “a pianist of sterling artistry” by Gramophone, GRAMMY Award winning pianist Michelle Cann is one of the most sought-after artists of her generation. Recent engagements include appearances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the Orquestra Sinfônica Municipal de São Paulo. Her honors include the Sphinx Medal of Excellence and the Andrew Wolf Chamber Music Award. In 2024, she was named the inaugural Christel DeHaan Artistic Partner of the American Piano Awards, responsible for artistic oversight of the competition.

She joined the Curtis piano faculty in 2020 as the inaugural Eleanor Sokoloff Chair in Piano Studies. She is also on the piano faculty of the Manhattan School of Music.

We typically imagine J.S. Bach as the sage old master and undisputed genius of the 18^th century. But in his late teens he was as hot-headed and unruly as he was gifted. Taking temporary leave of his job, he set off, on foot, to hear the master of his age, Dietrich Buxtehude, some 400 km away! This illuminating program weaves together music and the spoken word to animate this fascinating chapter in the young Bach’s life.

Presented as part of our MUSE series (Music Unveiled, Stories, Explorations) the evening is narrated by the CBC’s charismatic and captivating Tom Allen. He is joined in this wide-ranging program by harpist Lori Gemmel, accordionist Michael Bridge, violinist Yolanda Bruno, cellist Kevin Fox and the spectacular and genre-expanding soprano Patricia O’Callaghan.

Rob Kapilow has genuinely earned the somewhat unlikely title of “celebrity music educator”! His unique observations, infectious curiosity, and profound grasp of how music works to express the full range of human emotions have intrigued and delighted music lovers for decades. Initially launched in 2004 as part of National Public Radio’s Performance Today, WMIG has taken on new life in video and especially in live presentations, which we are pleased to offer twice this season.

Rob’s capacity to make music accessible is broad enough to appeal to the novice listener and insightful enough that the most seasoned music enthusiast (as well as the performers on stage with him) are sure to come away with new appreciation. And you’ll have a Great time in the process!

Our much beloved Gryphon Trio teams up with the stellar Norwegian a capella vocal ensemble Nordic Voices for a unique evening of musical exploration, featuring new works by living composers from Canada and abroad. Audiences may recall the sounds of Nordic Voices from the film portions of the March 2023 performance on this stage of Echoes: Memories of the World, but this time we get the full experience of the group. 

Do not miss this once-in-a-lifetime chance to hear four superb new creations commissioned by the Gryphon Trio. These works are by some of today’s most emotionally direct and powerfully engaging composers, including Andrew Balfour (Cree), Norbert Palej (Polish/Canadian), Bohdana Frolyak (Ukrainian), and Vancouver-based Jeffrey Ryan whose new commission sets a text by Toronto poet Michael Redhill.

Rob Kapilow has genuinely earned the somewhat unlikely title of “celebrity music educator”! His unique observations, infectious curiosity, and profound grasp of how music works to express the full range of human emotions have intrigued and delighted music lovers for decades. Initially launched in 2004 as part of National Public Radio’s Performance Today, WMIG has taken on new life in video and especially in live presentations, which we are pleased to offer twice this season.

Rob’s capacity to make music accessible is broad enough to appeal to the novice listener and insightful enough that the most seasoned music enthusiast (as well as the performers on stage with him) are sure to come away with new appreciation. And you’ll have a Great time in the process!

Since its formation in Berlin in 2019, the Leonkoro Quartet has won more awards and been bestowed more honours than any other group of its generation. Bookended by the Schwartz brothers playing first violin and ‘cello, the group takes its name from “Leon” and “koro” - the Esperanto words that together form “Lionheart”. The name also references the children’s book of the same name by Astrid Lundgren, which features a pair of brothers (not coincidently) who are brave and courageous.

In the relatively brief time they have been together, they have emerged as a group not only technically supreme and courageous in their embrace of artistic risk, but also as one particularly attuned to the unique sonority and sound world of each piece they approach. This is music making made on the edge of the seat, vibrant and engaged from beginning to end.

The phenomenal Canadian pianist Louis Lortie returns to Music Toronto for his first appearance in decades with a fascinating program featuring the piano ballade. Popularized in the 19^th century, the piano ballade is a single movement work that most often incorporates a dramatic narrative arch. The form is remarkably flexible so while there is a single genre on offer, the emotional depth and variety of the compositions and of Mr. Lortie’s performance will astound you.

Mr. Lortie enjoys a remarkable international reputation, as a recitalist and soloist with orchestras across the world. Don’t miss this opportunity to welcome him back to the intimacy of the Jane Mallett Theatre for the first time in a generation or more!

Frequent musical companions, Steven Isserlis and Connie Shih are both internationally renowned soloists and chamber musicians. Their collaborations have thrilled audiences at Wigmore and Carnegie Halls, amongst many others.

Mr. Isserlis’s reputation goes beyond performing: he has created texts for children’s works, is a keen champion of new music as well as authentic performance, and also has a career as a broadcaster and writer. In a beautifully crafted program that is reflective of his broad interests, of particular note is the Ritournelle of the little-known Czech composer Vitezslava Kaprálová, whose life and promising career was sadly cut short at the age of 25. It is paired here with what will undoubtedly be memorable performances of some of the gems of the cello/piano duo repertoire. 

Celebrating their 36th  anniversary, the Penderecki String Quartet began their career as winners of the Penderecki Prize at the National Chamber Music Competition in Łódz, Poland in 1986.   Now based in Waterloo, Ontario where they have been Quartet-in-Residence at Wilfrid Laurier University since 1991, The Penderecki String Quartet has become one of the most celebrated chamber ensembles of their generation.  The four Penderecki musicians (now originating from Poland, Canada, and USA) bring their varied yet collective experience to create performances that demonstrate their “remarkable range of technical excellence and emotional sweep” (Toronto, Globe and Mail).