Toronto Symphony Orchestra

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Toronto Symphony Orchestra

Weekend Roundup: April 27 to 29

Friday: the Red Hot Chili Peppers play the Air Canada Centre

Friday, April 27
Seemingly ageless rockers the Red Hot Chili Peppers swing into Toronto for two shows as part of their I’m With You world tour. The multi-platinum-selling, Grammy-winning band famous for songs like “Scar Tissue,” “By the Way” and “Under the Bridge” play the Air Canada Centre tonight and tomorrow.

Sultry jazz-soul vocalist Kellylee Evans offers an intimate concert at Glenn Gould Studio. The Torontonian continues to promote her recent Juno Award-winning album Nina, a tribute to legendary singer Nina Simone.

Covering the walls of Gallery 44 tonight and through the weekend are incredible photographic works by local artists—the gallery’s Photopia 2012 event is a great opportunity to add some affordable art to your own collection. (more…)

Weekend Roundup: April 13 to 15

Friday: Steven Page sings

Friday, April 13
Former Barenaked Ladies frontman Steven Page serenades the Winter Garden Theatre this evening with tunes from his new solo album, Page One. Nothing if not dramatic, Page’s performance runs the gamut of musical genres, from power pop to disco to folk and more.

Be wowed by the unique designs shown on the Mad Couture Catwalk at the Art Gallery of Ontario. The 33-piece collection showcases the creativity of local artists living with mental illness.

Legendary comedian Bob Newhart brings his deadpan wit and one-liners to Toronto for one night only. You’ll be rolling in the aisles as he offers up trademark stand-up classics like “The Driving Instructor” and “Sir Walter Raleigh.” (more…)

Weekend Roundup: March 30 to April 1

Friday: The Tao Japanese Drummings pound out a beat

Friday, March 30
Give your evening a bit (err… a lot) of rhythm at an explosive performance by the Tao Japanese Drummers, a 13-piece ensemble that fuses Japanese-style drumming with influences from Korea, Indonesia, New Zealand, and elsewhere in the Far East to create a spectacle of modern and traditional sound.

Operatic tenor Michael Schade returns to his hometown for a recital with Italian bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni—making his Canadian debut—and Justus Zeyen on piano. On the program are the expressive words and music of German lieders by the likes of Schumann, Brahms, and Schubert, Mozart, Mendelssohn and Greer.

Vanguard indie-pop band The Magnetic Fields take the stage at the Sound Academy to promote their 10th album, Love at the Bottom of the Sea. As always, the band, formed by musician/songwriter/producer Stephin Merritt, promises a unique mix of tongue-in-cheek lyrics and synth-pop-meets-alt-folk sonics that really are not to be missed! (more…)

Weekend Roundup: March 23 to 25

Friday: Tracy Morgan brings the funny

Friday, March 23
For one night only (tonight, obviously), Tracy Morgan brings his slightly off-base brand of comedy to the Sony Centre. Edgy laughs come fast and furious as the 30 Rock and former Saturday Night Live cast member presents his stand-up act as part of the Canadian International Comedy Festival.

Contemporary art gallery The Power Plant kicks off its 25th-anniversary celebrations tonight with the opening of two exhibitions, Kerry Tribe’s Speak, Memory, and Dissenting Histories: 25 Years of The Power Plant, the latter of which offers a retrospective of the gallery’s past quarter-century.

Legendary axeman John Hammond sings (and plays) the blues this evening in Toronto. After five decades on the road—he’s performed with everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Eric Clapton—and more than 30 albums under his belt, Hammond settles in at Hugh’s Room to play selections from his latest release, Rough and Tough. (more…)

Weekend Roundup: February 17 to 19

Friday: Only a few shows remain for Cruel and Tender (photo by Bruce Zinger)

Friday, February 17
Don’t miss one of your final opportunities to see Atom Egoyan’s return to his theatre roots as he directs his wife, Arsinee Khanjian, in Martin Crimp’s tour-de-force Cruel and Tender. This drama, which contrasts private battles and public wars, is on stage at the Bluma Appel Theatre until February 18.

Independent music showcase Wavelength celebrates its 12th anniversary with a four-night extravaganza of the newest and brightest in pop, rock and electronic music. Tonight’s lineup features Toronto’s own critically lauded hardcore band F*cked Up.

Virtuosic pianist Leon Fleisher commands the attention of the audience at Koerner Hall, as he and the Royal Conservatory Orchestra perform a bold selection of works by such masters as Ravel, Beethoven and Prokofiev.

Bonus Pick! Make your way to Indigo‘s Manulife Centre location tonight to hear newly minted Giller Prize winner Esi Edugyan discuss her acclaimed novel, Half-Blood Blues, with the Globe and Mail‘s Sandra Martin. (more…)

Weekend Roundup: January 13 to 16

Friday: Gaze in awe at The Blue Dragon (photo by Erick Labbe)

Friday, January 13
Follow the story of a Canadian expat in modern-day China and the two women in his life. Now at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, Mirvish Productions presents The Blue Dragon, a stunningly staged display of drama and dance created by visionary theatre artists Robert Lepage and Marie Michaud.

Three of Disney’s darling princesses visit the Roger’s Centre at Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales. Treat the kids to an evening of magic to see Cinderella, Belle and Snow White – and the princes – and watch their favorite fairy tales unfold on stage.

Be sure to visit the AGO‘s Chagall and the Russian Avant-Garde exhibition before it closes on Sunday. The colourful works of Marc Chagall and his contemporaries trace a revolution in modern art movement that swept through Russia during the early 1900s.

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Hot Date: A Milestone for Mozart (and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra)

Jan Lisieki

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 Voyage” show for young listeners. Audiences at the January 18, 19 and 22 performances of Requiem are in for an additional treat, as teenage prodigy Jan Lisiecki sits in with the orchestra for Mozart’s Piano Concerto no. 20. Roy Thomson Hall (January 22 at George Weston Recital Hall), $20 to $145; call 416-598-3375 or visit here for showtimes and to buy.

Hot Date: Dual Hallelujahs

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 to $43; for both, visit here or call 416-872-4255 for a schedule and to buy.

Weekend Roundup, December 9 to 11

Friday: Relive your Royal Conservatory days through Two Pianos Four Hands

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 on holiday music at Koerner Hall in A Salsa Christmas, performed by the Spanish Harlem Orchestra under the direction of world-renowned pianist, arranger and producer Oscar Hernández.

Get a first look at The Power Plant’s two new exhibitions at their free opening reception. The gallery’s winter exhibits showcase reflections on poignant moments in cultural history by Canadian Stan Douglas and an international collective of young artists.

There’s two more days of merriment after the jump!

Weekend Roundup, November 25 to 27

Friday: Prince brings his little red corvette, purple rain and other colour-coded signifiers to Toronto (photo by Peter Tea)

Friday, November 25
Superstar songwriter and all-around guitar hero Prince brings his perfectly sculpted hair, towering heels, angular suits and golden vocal chords to the Air Canada Centre tonight. The concert kicks off the pop icon’s Welcome 2 Canada tour, his first trek north since 2002.

Nourish your mind, body, and soul, and learn how to live well naturally at the Whole Life Expo. Now in its 25th year, Canada’s largest showcase of eco-friendly lifestyles, natural health, and alternative medicine opens at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Explore the sometimes combative and always creative b-boy lifestyle in Enter the Shadow, the latest show from the Break it Down Dance Company. The dynamic production of hip-hop dance and theatre is presented at Harbourfront Centre’s Enwave Theatre.

There’s even more on Saturday and Sunday!