Review | Czech Philharmonic: A Rare Treat of Czech Music in Canada
2024 is the Year of Czech Music. Inaugurated in 1924 to celebrate the centenary of the birth of Bedřich Smetana, this tradition occurs every decade…
Denise Lai
Denise Lai
Denise Lai is a Physiotherapist and College Professor. She is an alumnus of the McGill Choral Society and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, and a rusty piano player.
From this author
Tafelmusik: A rare presentation of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio
With the Christmas season fast approaching, that holiday staple, Handel’s Messiah, is being performed everywhere. Tafelmusik is no exception, and its singalong version is a…
Review | Ariana Maubach wins COC competition
The Canadian Opera Company’s Centre Stage Ensemble Studio Competition is one of the most exciting events in Canada’s opera world. Now in its 11th year,…
TSO Delights with Romantic Bruch & Rachmaninoff
Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s Oct. 24th program featured two beloved Romantic works: Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in G major, and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No.…
Review | COC’s Faust a Devilishly Dazzling New Production
Few legendary figures have inspired more literary, cinematic, ballet and musical works than Faust. Numerous symphonic and operatic pieces have been written by famous composers…
Review | Nabucco makes a triumphant, belated COC debut
The Canadian Opera Company opens its 2024-25 season with Nabucco. It is hard to believe that the opera that launched Giuseppe Verdi’s career has never…
Review | COC Presents World Premiere of Aportia Chryptich: A Black Opera for Portia White
It is not everyday that Toronto experiences the world premiere of a new opera. What makes Aportia Chryptich even more special is its quintessential Canadian connection.
Concert Review | COC’s Medea: A Chilling Spectacle for its Season’s Finale
How does the Canadian Opera Company end its 2023-24 season of high calibre singing and vibrant productions? With a bang, not a whimper.
Concert Review | COC’s Don Pasquale a Long Overdue Delight
The Canadian Opera Company opens its spring season with Gaetano Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, last performed by the COC 30 years ago.
Concert Review | Southern Ontario Lyric Opera‘s Carmen Showcases Emerging Canadian Talent
Concert review of SOLO’s Carmen at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
