English pianist Benjamin Grosvenor made his Toronto debut in February 2014 and returned in October 2015. It seems a long two years since those sensational performances. Called “boy lord of the piano” in Australia, Grosvenor has taken the British piano world by storm. Music TORONTO is pleased to host his return. “Poetic and gently ironic, brilliant yet clear-minded, intelligent but not without humour, all translated through a beautifully clear and singing touch.” – The Independent Mozart                    Sonata in B-flat…

Toronto Debut The Škampa Quartet is among the outstanding Czech string quartets performing today. Their mentors, the legendary Smetana Quartet, link them to the great Czech tradition. Their own research added their special understanding of the folk-song and poetry, rhythms and dance of their native land. Prizes at international competitions, awards from the Royal Philharmonic Society, and appointment as the first-ever Resident Artists at Wigmore Hall solidified their early career. The Škampa quartet has released 15 award-winning recordings on Supraphon…

Toronto Recital Debut A pianist who focuses on chamber music, Philip Chiu is an acclaimed accompanist/coach based at McGill University. Dedicated to elevating the standard and art of collaborative piano, Philip is the creator and director of the new Collaborative Piano Program at the Domaine Forget International Festival and Academy. In 2015, he was the first recipient of the Prix Goyer (Extreme Emerging Artist), Canada’s largest prize for an emerging artist in classical music. “Pianist Philip Chiu played with striking…

Now in its third decade, the Gryphon Trio has impressed international audiences and the press with its highly refined, dynamic performances, and has firmly established itself as one of the world’s preeminent piano trios. With a repertoire that ranges from the traditional to the contemporary and from European classicism to modern-day multimedia, the Gryphons are committed to redefining chamber music for the 21st century. Music TORONTO’s long relationship with the Gryphons began in 1995 and included 10 years as MTO’s…

Founded in 1992, the Brentano Quartet just celebrated its 25th anniversary season. The quartet performs music spanning from the Renaissance, through the beloved Classical and Romantic literature, up to music of today’s composers. The Brentano played their Bach Project for MTO in November 2003 (Bach’s Art of the Fugue with 10 modern compositions) and Fragments, the incomplete thoughts of great composers, in September 2012. They succeeded the Tokyo as quartet-in-residence at Yale in 2014. Dawn Upshaw has achieved worldwide celebrity…

Stephen Hough is regarded as a renaissance man. He has distinguished himself as a true polymath, both as a uniquely insightful concert pianist, and as a writer and composer. In 2001 Mr. Hough was the first classical performing artist to win a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (colloquially called the genius awards). Many of Mr. Hough’s catalogue of over 50 albums have garnered international prizes, including the Deutsche Schallplattenpreis, Diapason d’Or, Monde de la Musique, several Grammy nominations, eight Gramophone Magazine Awards…

Established in 1989, the SLSQ came to Music TORONTO in 1992 and continues annually. The SLSQ has developed an undisputed reputation as one of the world’s great ensembles. Called “witty, buoyant, and wickedly attentive” (the Gazette, Montreal), with a “peerless” sense of ensemble (Financial Times, London), the quartet has been the Ensemble-in-Residence at Stanford University since 1998. In 2016-17, the SLSQ toured Italy, Paris, London, and the Netherlands, played a three-concert series at Stanford Live, and paid return visits to…

Toronto Recital Debut Born in Moscow in 1944, Alexei Lubimov premiered many 20th century pieces in Russia, despite heavy Soviet criticism of his commitment to Western music. Since political restrictions were lifted during the 1980s, he has given solo recitals throughout the world, appeared with leading symphony orchestras, and worked regularly with early music ensembles. His recordings have been issued on the Melodia, Erato, BIS, Sony. ECM and Harmonia Mundi labels Mr Lubimov performed and recorded with the Toronto Symphony…

MTO introduced this young Polish quartet to Toronto audiences in November 2015 – and then invited them to return. Founded in 2006, they met in Vienna, and were mentored by the legendary Alban Berg Quartett. They have won many awards, the latest being a prestigious Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award in 2014. “Clever programming and stylish interpretation – it is no surprise that the four young Polish members of the Apollon Musagète have risen to the very top of their profession.” –…

The Penderecki String Quartet celebrated its 30th anniversary season in 2016. These four musicians from Poland, Canada, and the USA bring their varied yet collective experience to create performances that demonstrate their “remarkable range of technical excellence and emotional sweep” (Globe and Mail, Toronto). Their recent schedule has included concerts in New York, Amsterdam, Los Angeles, St. Petersburg, Paris, Prague, Berlin, Rome, Belgrade, Zagreb, Atlanta, as well as appearances at international festivals in Poland, Lithuania, Italy, Venezuela, Brazil, and China.…

Hungarian pianist Dénes Várjon made his Toronto debut in February 2015 and we discovered his commanding virtuosity. At the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, he studied piano with Sándor Falvai and chamber music with György Kurtág and Ferenc Rados, finishing his studies in 1991. He is a regular guest at the most prestigious festivals world-wide, has performed with major orchestras throughout Europe and in the US, and is a deeply committed chamber musician. Dénes Várjon has recorded for Naxos, Capriccio…