World-class digital performances from our Free Concert Series
The Free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, presented by TD Bank Group, brings artists from around the world to share their talent and passion in one of Toronto's most breathtaking and intimate spaces. Located within the Isadore and Rosalie Sharp City Room at the Four Seasons Centre, this iconic, glass-enclosed space connects the building to its surroundings and community.
Throughout the 22/23 season, monthly digital concerts will be released on this page as The Free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre: City Sessions. This season’s programming will feature performances from: JUNO-winning piano and violin ensemble Duo Concertante in a concert that features a work by former COC Composer-in-Residence Ian Cusson; Tokai String Quartet, a leading ensemble featuring musicians of the COC Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and National Ballet of Canada Orchestra; and the COC’s Ensemble Studio, gathering the best and brightest rising opera artists from across the country.
As the newest iteration of our City Sessions digital concerts, these concerts build on last season's popular public programming series! Enjoy our collection of these short, five-minute digital performances below.
PAST PERFORMANCES
Önay Köse & Stephen Hargreaves
Enjoy a selection of German art songs by Turkish bass Önay Köse, who recently appeared on our stage in Verdi's Macbeth. Köse is joined by pianist Stephen Hargreaves.
Sheng Cai
Internationally renowned Canadian pianist Sheng Cai shows off his piano mastery in works by Oskar Morawetz and Tchaikovsky.
Payadora Tango Ensemble
The contemporary chamber music group delivered an exciting mix of original songs and arrangements of both traditional and modern tango and Argentine folk music.
Luca Pisaroni & Timothy Cheung
Renowned bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni joins pianist Timothy Cheung to perform a selection of art songs by Donizetti, Bellini, and Gounod.
Tokai Quartet
The Tokai Quartet perform the first movement from Haydn's String Quartet, Op. 2, No. 2.
Artists of the COC Ensemble Studio
Artists from the COC Ensemble Studio perform selections by composer Pauline Viardot.
Duo Concertante
In our first free digital concert of the 22/23 Season, Duo Concertante (Nancy Dahn on violin and Timothy Steeves on piano) perform "The Garden of Earthly Delights" by former COC Composer-in-Residence, Ian Cusson.
Padideh Ahrarnejad & Ali Massoudi
Renowned Iranian-Canadian instrumentalists Padideh Ahrarnejad and Ali Massoudi demonstrate their virtuosity on the tar and handpan in a showcase of Persian music.
Jonah Spungin & Vladimir Soloviev
COC Ensemble Studio baritone Jonah Spungin and pianist Vladimir Soloviev perform “Zueignung” by Strauss and "Largo al factotum" from Rossini’s The Barber of Seville.
Rudin Lengo
Award-winning pianist Rudin Lengo displays his profound and imaginative musicality in a performance of Frédéric Chopin’s "Scherzo No.3 in C-sharp minor, Op. 39."
Mike Downes and Robi Botos
Leading Canadian jazz musicians and multiple JUNO-award winners, Mike Downes and Robi Botos, join forces to perform an original piece by Mike Downes called “A Reflection.”
PhoeNX Ensemble
This week, Patty Chan (erhu) and Sanya Eng (harp) of PhoeNX Ensemble deliver a moving rendition of “The Golden Fish” by celebrated Canadian composer Alice Ping Yee Ho.
Alex Halliday and Frances Thielmann
COC Ensemble Studio bass-baritone Alex Halliday and pianist Frances Thielmann perform “Così dunque tradisci... Aspri rimorsi” by Mozart and “Chanson de la Mort” from Ibert’s Chansons De Don Quichotte.
Wen Zhao
Internationally acclaimed pipa virtuoso, Wen Zhao, gives a tour-de-force performance of traditional Chinese Music that demonstrates the full expressive range of her instrument.
Eliana Cuevas Trio
Venezuelan-born, Toronto-based singer-songwriter Eliana Cuevas performs one of her original compositions, entitled “Seré Libre” which means “I Will Be Free."
Sean Donald and Alex Samaras
Singer-songwriters Sean Donald and Alex Samaras create soothing and healing atmospheres through their hauntingly beautiful original compositions.
Frances Thielmann
COC Ensemble Studio pianist Frances Thielmann returns to the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, delivering an inspired rendition of “Cloches à travers les feuilles” from Claude Debussy’s Images.
Matthew Cairns & Vladimir Soloviev
COC Ensemble Studio artists Matthew Cairns and Vladimir Soloviev performing “La fleur que tu m'avais jetée” from Bizet’s Carmen and “Ah, la paterna mano” from Verdi’s Macbeth.
Sina Bathaie & Siavash Sadr Mahdavi
Toronto-based santur Sina Bathaie & percussionist Siavash Sadr Mahdavi perform an original composition titled "Childhood Memories."
Vladimir Soloviev
Pianist Vladimir Soloviev of the COC Ensemble Studio performs "Sposalizio" from Franz Liszt's Italian Years of Pilgrimage.
Charlotte Siegel & Frances Thielmann
COC Ensemble Studio soprano Charlotte Siegel and pianist Frances Thielmann perform "Song to the Moon" from Dvořák's Rusalka, followed by an original song.
Jessy Kim & Jean-Luc Thierren
Artists from the Royal Conservatory of Music, violinist Jessy Kim and pianist Jean-Luc Therrien, perform the first movement from Poulenc's Sonata for Violin and Piano.
Morgan-Paige Melbourne
Pianist Morgan-Paige Melbourne performs a semi-improvised original composition titled "Beneath the Rivers."
Midori Marsh & Frances Thielmann
Two artists from the COC Ensemble Studio, soprano Midori Marsh and pianist Frances Thielmann perform "O mio babbino caro" from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi and Debussy's "C'est l'extase".
BLISK
Our inaugural artist is BLISK, a Toronto-based group synthesizing polyphonic Eastern European song, dance, and movement with hypnotic percussion.
Lead Donor, Digital Initiatives
Digital Infastructure Support
The Free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre is presented by:
The Free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre is supported by the Free Concert Series Endowment Fund, established in honour of Richard Bradshaw by an anonymous donor.