APRIL 20 Known as the “people’s diva,” operatic soprano Renée Fleming brings her grandiose voice and consummate artistry to Toronto in a recital of classic arias as well as popular songs. Roy Thomson Hall, 8p.m., $40 to $150; call 416-872-4255 or visit here to purchase tickets.

MARCH 26 The only Canadian athlete to win medals in both the summer and winter Olympics, Clara Hughes talks about overcoming obstacles as part of the Unique Lives and Experiences lecture series. Roy Thomson Hall, 7:30 p.m., $39.50 to $87.50; call 416-872-4255 or click here to buy.

Cutting through the Financial District, this street can seem like home to little more than corporate skyscrapers. But delve deeper and you’ll find fine dining, shopping and entertainment destinations, all epitomizing downtown Toronto’s polish. MUSICAL MONOLITH A bowl of inverted glass encases Roy Thomson Hall, one of Canada’s finest performance stages. Home to the Toronto [...]

JANUARY 23 Spencer Wells, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence and director of the Genographic Project, has spent the last seven years collecting DNA samples from people around the globe in order to create a genetically based map of human migration. See him present the project’s latest findings, and discover how scientific tools are helping to answer the [...]

JANUARY 11 TO 22 The Toronto Symphony Orchestra continues its 90th season by commemorating an even older anniversary—that of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s birth. The ensemble’s annual series of Mozart programming this year highlights two of the composer’s late-period masterworks—his Jupiter Symphony and Requiem—in separate concerts, along with other exemplary pieces and even a “Mozart’s Magnificent [...]

Have you noticed more and more places selling calendars these days? Maybe, just maybe, it has something to do with the imminent arrival of 2012. Hang on though, your 2011 calendar can be put to use one last time to jot down your plans for December 31st. Consider the following to fill up that final [...]

DECEMBER 14, 16, 17, 18 & 19 Lift your spirits with two performances of the Messiah. At Roy Thomson Hall, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra performs Handel’s oratorio with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, $38 to $107. And for one show only, join in Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir’s joyous Sing-Along Messiah at Massey Hall, $26 [...]

Friday, December 9 Follow along with the melodies made by Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt, the actor-musicians behind the hit comedy Two Pianos Four Hands, a hilarious and poignant story about two lives transformed by piano teachers, lessons and competitions. The show’s recently extended run continues at the Panasonic Theatre. Listen to a Latin take [...]

NOVEMBER 1 & DECEMBER 6 Photographer and filmmaker Mattias Klum guides you through some of the Earth’s natural wonders in Being There: On Expedition with National Geographic. Marvel at Klum’s still images and high-definition video from Botswana’s Okavango Delta and the rainforests of Southeast Asia. Then dive into the blue at Ocean Soul: Photographing the [...]

Friday, October 28 Immerse yourself in everything artistic at the Toronto International Art Fair, a.k.a. Art Toronto. See Andy Warhol’s 1979 BMW Art Car, a new site-specific installation by Kent Monkman, plus numerous other exhibiting galleries, presentations and discussions with artists, curators, and collectors. The show runs through to Monday at the Metro Toronto Convention [...]