UPCOMING 2024-25 EVENTS
Find information for upcoming OPUS V (Dec 8) & OPUS VI (Feb 2) concerts and explore our past programming & artists below…
OPUS VI: Shostakovichfest
In partnership with the Canadian Chamber Orchestra.
SUN, FEBRUARY 2, 2025
OPUS Chamber Music | Sun Feb 2, 2025 @ 7:00PM at Eglinton-St. George’s (35 Lytton Blvd) | doors 6:30pm
TICKETS $40 ONLINE & AT DOOR | $25 Student/Senior
Shostakovichfest: a tribute to a musical rebel.
A celebration of the groundbreaking legacy of Dmitri Shostakovich – a revolutionary mind whose life touched the world deeply. Emotional, raw, potent, & triumphant. A composer of enormous power, Shostakovich is a towering figure who grappled with and rebelled against the Soviet regime in which he lived.
He forged a musical language that is able to access deep emotions, drawing upon a potent mix of anger, introspection, & optimism that he and his people were experiencing. Shostakovich walked a tightrope between two opposites of the emotional spectrum, writing for both sides of the coin: at times savage, raw, deep, and a sincere reflection of his life, but also simultaneously joyous, witty, and optimistic in order to cope with the times in which he lived.
Throughout all of this emotional struggle, at the core of Shostakovich’s music exists a quiet strength – a call to hold on to hope in the most desolate of times.
For this concert, OPUS Chamber Music is thrilled to partner with the Canadian Chamber Orchestra, Toronto’s new preeminent, self-directed string orchestra.
ALL-SHOSTAKOVICH Program
Two Waltzes | Octet | Piano Concerto No. 1 | Duo for Two Violins | Chamber Symphony, Op. 110a | Selections from The Gadfly
+ARTISTS
Kevin Ahfat, pianist & OPUS Artistic Director
Renata Cardoso, guest trumpet [Piano Concerto No. 1]
Luri Lee, Noa Sarid, Chris Whitley, Hee-Soo Yoon, Kun Yan, Heemin Choi, Christina Choi, Sienna Cho, violinists
Hezekiah Leung, Catherine Gray, Carolyn Blackwell, violists
Drew Comstock, Andrew Ascenzo, cellists & Co-Artistic Directors of CCO
Travis Harrison, bassist
PAST EVENTS
OPUS V: Change It Up
SUN, DECEMBER 8, 2024
OPUS Chamber Music | Sun Dec 8, 2024 @ 7:00PM at Citadel+Compagnie (304 Parliament St, Toronto) | doors 6:30pm
TICKETS $35 ONLINE & AT DOOR
Change It Up: an evening of newfound creativity & ecstatic energy.
Music changing, transforming, morphing – thrust into a different realm and filled with new energy by thrilling performers.
Throughout the evening runs a certain thread of surprise; not quite knowing where the music will take you, but being thoroughly surprised by the result.
Eight composers whose music you’ve likely never heard…but will be glad you did! They reimagined the music of Broadway, opera, dance, film…and the music of dreams, of fantasy, and of the earth. Come see & hear things from a new angle, changing your expectations of what these instruments can do.
OPUS Chamber Music is thrilled to welcome: flutist ANTHONY TRIONFO, violinist LURI LEE, cellist PETER EOM, and OPUS Artistic Director KEVIN AHFAT.
DAY Ecstatic Samba | PARKER Pan Dreams | DESENNE Birimbao from Jaguar Songs | PRUTSMAN Four Broadway Showtunes | HOLACKY Quartet | BORNE Carmen Fantasy | CLARKE Zoom Tube | DEE 2020: The Year We Could Not Breathe | GERSHWIN/FROLOV Porgy & Bess Fantasy
+stay for an enlightening & entertaining Q&A talkback hosted by OPUS moderator-in-residence Loredana Cunti
OPUS IV: From The Heart
JANUARY 7 & 9, 2024
OPUS Chamber Music | Sun Jan 7 @ 7PM at Trinity-St Paul’s Centre AND Tue Jan 9 @ 7:30PM at Arts & Letters Toronto
TICKETS $40 ONLINE & AT DOOR
PASSION. HEART. SPIRIT. Two dynamic programs made to move you.
Exhilarating & moving performances by some of today’s most gifted & compelling artists.
OPUS Chamber Music welcomes world-renowned artists: violinist STELLA CHEN, violist MATTHEW LIPMAN, cellist BRANNON CHO, violinist ISABELLA PERRON, and OPUS Artistic Director KEVIN AHFAT.
SUN JAN 7, 2024 + 7:00PM
PROGRAM I: SOUL @ Trinity-St Paul’s Centre (427 Bloor St W):
SOUL: A musical celebration of the human spirit, embarking on a moving emotional journey that captivates our hearts. This exuberant evening brings us from the passionate intensity of Rebecca Clarke’s Viola Sonata to Leo Weiner’s cheerful & brilliant String Trio. Webern’s deeply moving & emotional Langsamer satz for string quartet tugs on our heart strings & invites us to revel in the radiant warmth of Schumann’s vibrant Piano Quartet.
CLARKE Viola Sonata | WEINER String Trio | WEBERN Langsamer satz for String Quartet* | SCHUMANN Piano Quartet
*featuring Canadian violinist Isabella Perron.
TUE JAN 9, 2024 + 7:30pm
PROGRAM II: JOY @ Arts & Letters Toronto (14 Elm St):
JOY: A concert to uplift & inspire, evoking delight and renewing the spirit. A whirlwind of breathtaking string virtuosity takes over the first half of this exciting evening, brought to life by some of the world’s leading string players, sounding at times brilliant, and at others quite quirky & maybe even a bit strange!
Following a short break, we present one of the most celebrated & legendary works in the chamber music repertoire: Beethoven’s monumental Kreutzer Sonata. In a heart-stopping exploration of emotional extremes, Beethoven takes on us on one of his signature ‘deep-dives’ of the human spirit, ending in a thrilling discovery of triumph & joy.
CORIGLIANO Stomp | TCHEREPNIN Cello Suite | KLEIN String Trio | WEGENER Suite for String Trio | BEETHOVEN Kreutzer Sonata
OPUS III: Something Old & Something New
FRI 13 OCT 2023 | 7:30PM
OPUS Chamber Music | Grace COTH [300 Lonsdale Road]
TICKETS $35 online / $40 at door ($20 student/senior)
purchase at OPUSOctober.eventbrite.com
SOMETHING OLD & SOMETHING NEW: Now in its third installment, OPUS Chamber Music continues to welcome leading virtuosi from the world-stage: violinist STEFAN JACKIW, clarinetist YOONAH KIM, cellist NOÉMIE RAYMOND-FRISET, soprano REILLY NELSON, and OPUS Artistic Director KEVIN AHFAT.
An eclectic transformation of traditions thrust into a new, modern light. Music becomes invigorated by composers' re-imaginings, creating fresh arrangements & formations that are brought to life by the energetic, dynamic performers of OPUS Chamber Music.
STRAVINSKY Suite Italienne – POULENC Clarinet Sonata – STRAVINSKY A Soldier's Tale – MAHLER The Heavenly Life – RABL Quartet
This thrilling concert series features 5 world-renowned artists, performing a powerful evening of new, daring sounds that break free from a traditional mold. In his reimagined arrangement of the theatrical A Soldier's Tale, Stravinsky tells a deceitful, devilish story surrounding a magical violin – and further transforms the traditional 'dance suite' in his fresh, energetic Suite italienne. Poulenc's quirky Clarinet Sonata cleanses the palate in between.
In contrast, Mahler's iconic & idyllic vision of heaven from a child's eyes takes form in a stunning new arrangement derived from his Fourth Symphony. To finish with something truly "old & new", Walter Rabl's magical, rarely performed Opus 1 Quartet, the very first work he released to the public, closes the program in familiar fashion with its sparkling charm & ravishing beauty.
OPUS x CMC: Intimate Conversations
WED 11 OCT 2023 | 7:30PM
OPUS Chamber Music | Canadian Music Centre [20 St Joseph St}
TICKETS $35 online/ *LIMITED AVAILABILITY
purchase at OPUSCMC.eventbrite.com
Join OPUS Chamber Music for an exclusive evening of intimate conversations & vibrant storytelling featuring violinist STEFAN JACKIW, clarinetist YOONAH KIM, soprano REILLY NELSON, and OPUS Artistic Director KEVIN AHFAT.
*LIMITED AVAILABILITY / few seats remain!
Musicians from the global stage come together to share an intimate evening of music & storytelling among friends, curating a personal setlist of Mozart, Schumann, Khachaturian, Piazzolla, and more. Witness world-class artists at the height of their craft, up-close-and-personal. Join the Q&A panel & drinks with the artists following the music, moderated by author & speaker Loredana Cunti.
Mozart Duo in G major | The Schumanns Romance & Abendlied | Khachaturian Trio | Piazzolla Oblivion & Libertango | and more...
OPUS II: Kaleidoscope
SUN 26 FEB 2023 | 6:00PM
OPUS Chamber Music | Grace COTH [300 Lonsdale Road]
TICKETS $35 online / $40 at door ($20 student/senior)
purchase at OPUSKaleidoscope.eventbrite.com
KALEIDOSCOPE: OPUS Chamber Music welcomes leading virtuosi from the world-stage: violinist SIRENA HUANG, cellist BRANNON CHO, & OPUS Artistic Director KEVIN AHFAT, for a thrilling explosion of sound & colour with works by Poulenc, Ysaÿe, Ravel, & Dvorák.
In a rousing finale, joining them are two of Canada’s foremost musicians: ERIKA RAUM and BARRY SHIFFMAN.
OPUS Chamber Music presents KALEIDOSCOPE: a thrilling concert experience featuring an all-star team of 5 world-renowned performers, presenting a blockbuster evening of Poulenc’s ecstatic & sublime Cello Sonata, Ysaÿe’s ethereal L’Aurore, Ravel’s folk & jazz-tinged Second Violin Sonata, & culminating in Dvorák’s electrifying Second Piano Quintet. Weaving together a colourful array of folk tunes & tales, this concert aims to inspire & excite the senses in a visceral kaleidoscope of sounds both familiar & foreign.
Kevin Ahfat, piano | Sirena Huang, violin | Brannon Cho, cello | Erika Raum, violin | Barry Shiffman, viola
OPUS x Citadel: Friday Night Out
FRI 24 FEB 2023 | 7:30PM
OPUS Chamber Music | Citadel+Compagnie [304 Parliament St, Toronto]
Doors 7pm | TICKETS $40 online/ *LIMITED AVAILABILITY
purchase at OPUSCitadel.eventbrite.com
A sensational ‘Friday-night-out’ at Citadel+Compagnie, one of Toronto’s premiere artistic incubators.
*LIMITED AVAILABILITY / few seats remain!
Violinist SIRENA HUANG, cellist BRANNON CHO, soprano DANIKA LORÈN and OPUS Artistic Director KEVIN AHFAT curate a personal setlist of Strauss, Debussy, Ginastera, Kraggerud, and more. Witness world-class artists at the height of their craft, up-close-and-personal. Join the Q&A panel & drinks with the artists following the music.
Kevin Ahfat, piano | Sirena Huang, violin | Brannon Cho, cello | Danika Lorèn, soprano
OPUS I: Brahmsfest
FRI 11 NOV 2022 | 7:30PM
OPUS Chamber Music | Kingston Road United Church | 975 Kingston Road – Toronto
BRAHMSFEST: 6 dynamic artists assemble for a diverse mixed program celebrating the majestic music of Johannes Brahms.
Kevin Ahfat, piano | Yoonah Kim, clarinet | Reilly Nelson, soprano | Heemin Choi, violin | Ryan Davis, viola | Daniel Hamin Go, cello
OPUS Chamber Music presents BRAHMSFEST, a diverse celebration of the true magic that is BRAHMS. With music & melodies that are enchanting, vibrant, warm, & loving – Brahms reaches the depths of our hearts with countless moments both sublime & supreme. Brahms composed endless output for chamber music, the most intimate of all settings in which we come together to express our unique artistry as a unified voice. All in celebration of one of the greats…welcome to BrahmsFest!
OPUS Artistic Director Kevin Ahfat assembles 6 dynamic musicians from Toronto & New York, curating an eclectic mixed-program of Brahms chamber works. Vibrant conversations & stories come to life via the intimate art of chamber music.
ALL-BRAHMS Program
Scherzo in C minor from FAE Sonata for Violin & Piano | Intermezzo in A major, op. 118, no. 2 | Selected Lieder | Sonata in E-flat major for Clarinet & Piano, op. 120, no. 2 | Trio in A minor for Clarinet, Cello, & Piano, op. 114 | Quartet in G minor for Piano, Violin, Viola, & Cello, op. 25, IV. Rondo alla Zingarese (Gypsy Rondo)