Events

In advance of the Conservatory’s celebration of RCM alumnus Oscar Peterson’s 100th birthday with two extraordinary concerts in Koerner Hall, you are invited to a special prelude presentation honouring the remarkable legacy of a jazz legend, cultural icon, and one of Canada’s most celebrated musical figures. This inspiring event will feature conversations and reflections on Mr. Peterson’s influence on the Canadian arts scene, his long-standing relationship with The Royal Conservatory, and how his musical genius continues to shape generations of performers.  

Special Guests  

• Kelly Peterson, Author and Advocate for Oscar Peterson’s Legacy  
• John Clayton, Bassist, Composer & Arranger  
• Jeff Hamilton, Drummer, Band Leader and former Peterson band member
• Mervon Mehta, Executive Director, Performing Arts, The Royal Conservatory

The Royal Conservatory celebrates the launch of the ninth album in the ARC Ensemble’s ground-breaking “Music in Exile” series for Chandos Records. Devoted to premieres by the forgotten Jewish composer Ernest Kanitz, who fled Vienna with the Nazi takeover in 1938, the recording is generously sponsored by the Gerald Sheff and Shanitha Kachan Family Foundation.   

The always engaging Dr. David Goldbloom and ARC’s Artistic Director Simon Wynberg will consider the challenges that Kanitz confronted on arriving in America, and ARC's burgeoning success in reviving lost repertoire. Kanitz’s extraordinary music will be performed by members of the ARC Ensemble and the brilliant young violinist Anna Štube, who makes her recording debut with this release.

What do a musical score and a constitutional document have in common? This thought-provoking discussion brings together acclaimed pianist, Jonathan Biss and legal scholar, Dr. Hamish Stewart to explore the parallels between musical interpretation and legal originalism. The event offers fresh perspectives on how both artists and jurists engage with texts from the past, revealing deep insights into the nature of meaning and authority.

Special Guests  

• Jonathan Biss, Faculty, The Glenn Gould School 
• Dr. Hamish Stewart, Professor of Law, University of Toronto

Join prominent arts leaders for an insightful conversation about the present and future of national arts programs across North America. Drawing on decades of leadership experience, our distinguished speakers will address shared challenges and opportunities in the performing arts, including public policy, diversity initiatives, institutional resilience, and the post-pandemic cultural environment.  

Special Guests  

• Deborah Rutter, Vice-Provost of the Arts, Duke University
• Christopher Deacon, President & CEO, National Arts Centre 
• Alexander Brose, Micheal and Sonja Koerner President & CEO, The Royal Conservatory

Arguably the most important composer of all time, Johann Sebastian Bach revolutionized established musical conventions. Explore the Solo Violin Sonatas and Partitas of a composer whose work remains critical to the study of music and continues to influence modern composition.  With special guests, violinists Jonathan Crow (TSO) and Julia Wedman (Tafelmusik). Robert Harris (The Globe and Mail) leads the discussion.

From being born in a displaced person’s camp to becoming Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, The Hon. Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella’s life reads like a novel. While drawn to the legal profession from an early age, her other passion, music, was never far away. A gifted pianist, Rosie attained her ARCT at the age of 17. Dr. David Goldbloom leads a fascinating discussion on the role music has played in the extraordinary life of the first Jewish woman and refugee to sit on the bench of the Canadian Supreme Court.  

During the event, Justice Abella spoke about a course that she taught at Harvard titled Law and Literature: The Application of Law to Life. Many members asked if they could see a reading list for the course, which Rosalie has kindly shared with us here.

President Emeritus of the Juilliard School, Joseph Polisi, believes that if music is to thrive in the 21st century,  artists need to be active and effective advocates for the arts in communities both large and small. Alexander Brose leads the discussion which explores these ideas and more, with reference to The Artist as Citizen a published collection of essays and speeches from Mr. Polisi’s 33 years as President of The Juilliard School. 

Imagine a private virtuoso piano recital in your living room. Now imagine that the pianist is in another city, on another continent, and yet each key stroke, each nuance is transmitted perfectly accurately to your piano. Imagine hearing The Goldberg Variations as played by Glenn Gould at home and in true lossless audio. Discover the revolutionary Steinway & Sons Spiro piano with critically acclaimed Irish concert pianist John O'Conor and virtual performances by Steinway Artists. The new Spirio piano was purchased thanks to the generosity of the Ihnatowycz Family Foundation.

Jeremy Eichler, esteemed music critic of The Boston Globe and author of Time’s Echo: The Second World War, the Holocaust, and the Music of Remembrance discussed this remarkable new work with Simon Wynberg, Artistic Director of the ARC Ensemble. The evening concluded with a special performance of “Louange à l’éternité de Jésus” (“Praise to the Eternity of Jesus”) of Olivier Messiaen with members of the ARC Ensemble.

Meet the RCM’s President and CEO Designate, Alexander Brose, in conversation with renowned Canadian tenor and broadcaster, Ben Heppner. An exclusive insight into the unique perspective on Mr. Brose’s vision for the future of the RCM, and the promise of an exciting era ahead.

Coinciding with the joyous celebration of the Lunar New Year, we delve into the historical context and evolution of classical music in Asia, acknowledging the rich tapestry of its past, while looking forward to a promising future. This event will provide a captivating exploration of the profound impact that Asian musicians have had on the global classical music scene.

The evening will feature discussions by panelists:

• Wei He (CEO and Artistic Director, The Tianjin Juilliard School),
• Luri Lee (alumna, The Glenn Gould School, & Assistant Principal Second Violin, Toronto Symphony Orchestra),
• Canon Shibata (alumna, The Glenn Gould School, & Grand Prize winner of the 2023 Corcoran Concerto Competition) - who will also perform.

The panel will be moderated by Dr. Sean Wang (Director of Academics, The Glenn Gould School) with introductions by Alexander Brose (President & CEO Designate, The Royal Conservatory). 

6:00 p.m. Reception
6:50 p.m. Conservatory Circle Talk & Performances
7:50 p.m. Q&A

Join Mervon Mehta, Executive Director of Performing Arts, in a captivating conversation with the world-renowned violinist, Daniel Hope. This intimate discussion offers a glimpse into the artistry and creativity that will define Daniel’s “Celtic Dreams” concert in Koerner Hall later that evening, and the inspirations behind his recent TV documentary, Celtic Dreams - Daniel Hope’s Hidden Irish History.

Sarain Fox, Mervon Mehta and Ian Cusson

The Royal Conservatory is proud to present Commemorate Truth & Reconciliation: Rebecca Cuddy with the New Orford String Quartet, Tomson Highway and more in Koerner Hall.

The concert, which is being presented free of charge, is inspired by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action and co-curated by Denise Bolduc, an accomplished Anishinaabe artistic director and producer. It aims to elevate Indigenous voices, amplify the voices of survivors, and bring together Indigenous artists and allies.

Ahead of the concert in Koerner Hall, the Conservatory Circle will present a talk on Truth and Reconciliation. Hosted by Mervon Mehta, Executive Director of Performing Arts, this intimate and interactive presentation will feature some of the concert’s speakers and performers.

Bob Rae and Dr. Peter Simon

Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae will interview the RCM’s President and CEO Dr. Peter Simon about the RCM’s 135-year history and transformation over the last two decades. The discussion will include unique insights, historical context, and Dr. Simon’s vision for strengthening the organization and moving it into the future.

More than an exciting form of entertainment, jazz has been one of the most significant cultural developments since it first emerged in the American South about a century ago. Jazz has influenced our notions of race, of community, of identity, and of national and world politics in ways that we might not realize. The greats of jazz are avatars for our entire modern way of life.  

In anticipation of the jazz concerts throughout the season highlighting some of the great jazz composers, music critic Robert Harris looks at Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, and Nina Simone among others with music by Robi Botos, The Royal Conservatory’s Inaugural Jazz Artist in Residence. 

Tom Diamond

Renowned stage director Tom Diamond will take us behind the scenes and discuss the creative process involved in bringing an opera to life. From casting to lighting, set design and staging, Mr. Diamond will explain and demonstrate how an artistic vision is conceptualized, formalized and finally, realized.

Stewart Goodyear, Mervon Mehta and Colin Clarke

With Black musicians distinctly underrepresented in North America’s orchestras, the RCM is committed to finding ways to encourage more ethnic diversity in our faculty and various student bodies. Mervon Mehta discusses the importance of making classical music more accessible and representative of our multi-cultural society with RCM Artist-in-Residence, Stewart Goodyear and Artistic Director of The Oscar Peterson Program, Colin Clarke. Joining them is the UK’s preeminent ethnically diverse ensemble, Chineke! and musicians from the RCM’s Oscar Peterson Program.