Category Archives: Toronto music

365 Things to Do in Toronto, Toronto, Toronto events, Toronto music, Toronto restaurants

178. Open Jam Night Hosted by Carolyn T

June 27, 2011 Heikki Walden

June 27, 2011

Ready to jam? Whether you’re a super-star in the making, or just want to check out some new music from soul, jazz, Motown, pop and funk aficionados, Open Jam Night hosted by Carolyn T is the place to be on a Monday night from 8pm until midnight!

Hosted at Harlem Restaurant at Richmond & Church, Open Jam Night is a community event for musicians and fans alike, providing an opportunity for musicians to collaborate, promote their music, and show off their talent! All instruments and voices are welcome; the Carolyn T Band includes bass, drums, keys and vocals, and invites you to sit in on any existing instrument. A drum kit, guitar amp, and/or DI box are also provided, so get ready to share your music, improvise, and have fun playing/listening to the music you love!

For more information on this free event, go to www.carolyntband.com.

365 Things to Do in Toronto, Toronto, Toronto events, Toronto festivals, Toronto music

175. TD Toronto Jazz Festival

June 24, 2011 Heikki Walden

June 24, 2011

Starting today and continuing until July 3rd, the TD Toronto Jazz Festival is one of North America’s premier jazz festivals. Featuring more than 350 performances by over 1500 musicians performing at about 40 different venues around Toronto, the Festival is attended by more than 500,000 jazz fans each year!

You are not going to want to miss tonight’s kick off for this ten-day jazz extravaganza; Aretha Franklin, the undisputed “Queen of Soul” will get the festivities started at the Toronto Star Stage at Metro Square! Admission is free! Doors will open at 7pm, and there will be no tickets or seating, so you’ll have to get there early! If you don’t quite make it in the doors, outdoor video screens in the Square will make the concert enjoyable for everyone. There are more than 25 other performances tonight in venues across Toronto; tickets range in price from free/“no cover”/pay-what-you-can to $75.

For a complete concert calendar, and for information on how you can purchase Movado Three and Five day passes to the Jazz Festival, go to http://torontojazz.com!

365 Things to Do in Toronto, Toronto, Toronto events, Toronto festivals, Toronto music

164. NXNE – North By Northeast

June 13, 2011 Heikki Walden

June 13, 2011

Starting today and continuing until June 19th, this year’s NXNE (North By Northeast) Festival and Conference promises to present the best Canadian and indie talent around. With 650 bands, 40 films, and 50 panels, NXNE 2011 is bigger and better than ever! With alumni such as Broken Social Scene, Feist, Black Rebel Motorcyle Club, Sufjan Stevents, K-os, Ron Sexsmith, Billy Talent, Blue Rodeo, Great Lake Swimmers, Hidden Cameras, K’naan, Kathleen Edwards and many more, you never know what “next big” artist/band you’ll be witnessing before they’re catapulted into fame!

There are all kinds of passes and wristbands to purchase to make sure you get the most out of NXNE; a Priority Pass goes for $200 online, giving you priority access to all NXNE club shows, film screenings and afternoon interactive sessions. You can purchase a 5-day or 1-day wristband, a Film Festival wristband, an Interactive pass (for the 3-day interactive conference from June 16th-18th), attend Workshops, or get the “Mundo Combo” which includes a Priority Pass, Interactive Pass, and all Workshops for the full NXNE experience! Of course, you can also buy tickets for specific shows.

For more information, a full schedule of performances, and the opportunity to buy wristbands and passes online, go to http://nxne.com!

365 Things to Do in Toronto, Toronto, Toronto events, Toronto festivals, Toronto film, Toronto music, Toronto theatre

161. Luminato

June 10, 2011 Heikki Walden

June 10, 2011

A multi-disciplinary celebration of the arts, Luminato fills Toronto’s streets, stages, and public spaces with creativity. Throughout the ten day festival, you can catch theatre and dance performances, witness stunning visual art and film, or enjoy fashion and magic as you’ve never seen them before. Luminato embraces artists from across the world, encouraging collaboration as creative expressions emerge from the partnership of artists from different mediums and different cultures.

Luminato includes free and ticketed performances, making it accessible no matter what your summer festival budget! Today’s free events include “The Luminato Reel” – a screening of short and feature-length films; “Sargasso” – an installation by a a visionary architect answering the question “could architecture come alive?” in the Allen Lambert Galleria; “Habit” – a collaboration of live theatre, reality TV and visual arts; “My Name is Raj” – a celebration of Indian film pioneer Raj Kapoor ; “Garden of Roses: Denis Gagnon Interprets Alice” – a line of fashion inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and much more! The fun is just getting started today – the festival continues until June 19th!

For more information, and a full listing of events throughout the whole festival, go to www.luminato.com!

365 Things to Do in Toronto, Toronto, Toronto events, Toronto music

159. TSO Afterworks Series

June 8, 2011 Heikki Walden

June 8, 2011

If you’ve never had the opportunity to experience an Afterworks Concert, today is the day! These 75 minute concerts are performed at 6:30pm without intermission, allowing you to wait out the rush hour traffic by enjoying some fantastic classical music, though you’ll still get home much earlier than you would from a typical later-evening concert.

This evening’s concert features Chinese pianist Yuja Wang, labeled by the Detroit News as “the most important new pianist to appear in recent years.” This young artist will delight her audience with Rachmanioff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor and Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé Suite No. 2 – a much more enriching experience than sitting in rush hour traffic!

Tickets for this Afterworks concert range from $22.50 to $76. Purchase tickets or find out more about the Afterworks series at www.tso.ca.

365 Things to Do in Toronto, The Beach, Toronto, Toronto events, Toronto festivals, Toronto music

154. Waterfront Blues 2011

June 3, 2011 Heikki Walden

June 3, 2011

Sit back and enjoy Toronto’s “only genuine Blues festival” as the 7th Annual Waterfront Blues kicks off tonight at 6pm! This free event takes place at Woodbine Park in the popular Beach neighbourhood. You’ll experience top Blues performances from the likes of Larry McCray, Teeny Tucker, Juno Award winners Gary Kendall & Chuck Jackson, great food (including award winning BBQ) a children’s amusement area, and much more!

For more information and a schedule of performances, go to the Waterfront Blues Festival website.

365 Things to Do in Toronto, Toronto, Toronto events, Toronto music

137. TSO – A Night at the Cotton Club

May 17, 2011 Heikki Walden

May 17, 2011

Go on a musical journey through the 1920s with tonight’s performance at the Roy Thomson Hall. You’ll experience music and dance from Prohibition-era Harlem with special guests Byron Stripling (trumpet and vocalist), Carmen Bradford (vocalist), Ted Levy (tap dancer and vocalist) and Bill Breithaupt (drums).

A Night at the Cotton Club starts tonight at 8pm; there are also two performances tomorrow, at 2pm and 8pm respectively. Tickets range in price from $31 to $109 for tonight’s performance; buy tickets online at www.tso.ca.

365 Things to Do in Toronto, Toronto, Toronto events, Toronto music

122. Video Games Live: Bonus Round

May 2, 2011 Heikki Walden

May 2, 2011

Ever wonder what it would be like to live in a video game? Video Games Live: Bonus Round, is probably the closest you can get (at least in your waking hours)! Hosted by Massey Hall, Video Games Live is an “immersive concert event featuring music from the most popular video games of all time.” You’ll witness orchestras and choirs performing music from Warcraft, Halo, Zelda, Final Fantasy, Street Fighter II, Shadow of the Colossus and many more!

In addition to the musical experience, exclusive video footage, synchronized lighting, and interactive segments will help you to experience the intensity and excitement of your favourite video games. It “combines the power and emotion of a symphony orchestra, the excitement and energy of a rock concert, and the technology and interactivity of a video game,” providing an unforgettable multi-sensory experience for gamers and non-gamers alike.

Be sure to show up early to experience the pre-show festival, including prizes for the best costume, and a Guitar Hero: Van Halen competition (the winer will perform live on stage with an orchestra and choir!) Stay late to meet and greet famous game designers and composers – it’s all included in the price of your ticket! Doors open at 6pm (for the pre-show event) and tickets cost $37.50 to $67.50. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Massey Hall website.

365 Things to Do in Toronto, Toronto, Toronto events, Toronto music, Toronto theatre

120. Ariadne auf Naxos

April 30, 2011 Heikki Walden

April 30, 2011

Enjoy Richard Strauss’ 1912 “opera-within-an-opera,” performed at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts by the Canadian Opera Company. Ariadne auf Naxos features Adrianne Pieczonka as princess Ariadne and Richard Margison as the god Bacchus.

A fascinating opera, the story is split between the Greek island of Naxos, and the story of the staging of the opera in Vienna. As two groups of very different musicians arrive at the home of “the richest man in Vienna,” ready to perform two very different musical productions, preparations are complicated when the Major-domo decides that both performances must take place simultaneously. The resulting opera is a combination of the original performances (a burlesque show and a serious opera).

Today’s performance starts at 4:30pm. Tickets range from $62.00 + tax to $281.00 + tax. To purchase tickets, visit the Canadian Opera Company’s website.

365 Things to Do in Toronto, Toronto, Toronto events, Toronto music, Toronto theatre

116. La Clemenza di Tito

April 26, 2011 Heikki Walden

April 26, 2011

One of Mozart’s lesser known operas, La Clemenza di Tito is based on a leftover libretto by Pietro Metastasio.

The opera is set in the year 79 and depicts Vitellia, an ancient Roman aristocrat, as she plots to assassinate Tito, the Emperor of Rome. Directed by Marshall Pynkoski, featuring the Artists of Atelier Ballet and Tafelmusik Orchestra conducted by David Fallis, this production promises to be a crowning event in Opera Atelier’s 25th-anniversary season.

Tonight’s performance of La Clemenza di Tito is at 7:30pm at the Elgin & Winter Garden Theatre Centre. Tickets range from $38 to $166. For more information, go to the Opera Atelier website.