In Canada, classical music includes a range of musical styles rooted in the traditions of Western or

European classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

that European settlers brought to the country from the 17th century and onwards. As well, it includes musical styles brought by other ethnic communities from the 19th century and onwards, such as

Indian classical music Indian classical music is the art music, classical music of the Indian subcontinent. It is generally described using terms like ''Shastriya Sangeet'' and ''Marg Sangeet''. It has two major traditions: the North Indian classical music known as ...

(Hindustani and Carnatic music) and Chinese classical music. Since Canada's emergence as a nation in 1867, the country has produced its own composers, musicians and ensembles. As well, it has developed a music infrastructure that includes training institutions, conservatories, performance halls, and a public radio broadcaster, CBC, which programs a moderate amount of Classical music. There is a high level of public interest in classical music and education. Canada has produced a number of respected ensembles, including the

Montreal Symphony Orchestra The Montreal Symphony Orchestra () is a Canadian symphony orchestra based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The orchestra’s home is the Montreal Symphony House at Place des Arts. History Several orchestras were precursor ensembles to the curren ...

and the

Toronto Symphony Orchestra The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1906, the TSO gave regular concerts at Massey Hall until 1982, and since then has performed at Roy Thomson Hall. The TSO also manages the Toron ...

, as well as a number of well-known Baroque orchestras and chamber ensembles, such as the

I Musici de Montréal Chamber Orchestra I Musici de Montréal is a Canadian chamber orchestra, founded in 1984 by cellist and conductor Yuli Turovsky. About I Musici de Montréal Chamber Orchestra plays a varied repertoire ranging from the 17th century to the present day. It has per ...

and the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir. Major Canadian opera companies such as the

Canadian Opera Company The Canadian Opera Company (COC) is an opera company in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest opera company in Canada and one of the largest producers of opera in North America. The COC performs at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performin ...

have nurtured the talents of Canadian opera singers such as

Maureen Forrester Maureen Kathleen Stewart Forrester, (July 25, 1930 – June 16, 2010) was a Canadian operatic contralto. Life and career Maureen Forrester was born and grew up in Montreal, Quebec, one of four children of Thomas Forrester, a British cabinetma ...

, Ben Heppner, and

Jon Vickers Jonathan Stewart Vickers, (October 29, 1926 – July 10, 2015), known professionally as Jon Vickers, was a Canadian heldentenor. Born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, he was the sixth in a family of eight children. In 1950, he was awarded a s ...

. Well-known Canadian musicians include pianist

Glenn Gould Glenn Herbert Gould (; né Gold; 25 September 19324 October 1982) was a Canadian classical pianist. He was among the most famous and celebrated pianists of the 20th century, renowned as an interpreter of the keyboard works of Johann Sebastian ...

; pianist Ronald Turini, violinist James Ehnes; pianist Jan Lisiecki; conductor

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Yannick Nézet-Séguin, CC (; born Yannick Séguin;David Patrick Stearns, "Nezet-Seguin signs Philadelphia Orchestra contract". ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', 19 June 2010. 6 March 1975) is a Canadian conductor and pianist. He is the music dir ...

; flautist Timothy Hutchins; and composers Claude Vivier, R. Murray Schafer, Harry Somers and Jacques Hétu. Well-known music schools include the

Royal Conservatory of Music (Canada) The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM; ), branded as The Royal Conservatory, is a non-profit music education institution and performance venue headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1886 by Edward Fisher as The Toronto C ...

in Toronto and the Schulich School of Music at

McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

Opera and vocal

Opera singers

A number of Canadian singers who learned their craft in Canadian opera companies went on to sing in major international opera houses. The Holman Opera Troupe, which toured throughout Canada in the 1860s–1880s, were at separate periods, lessees of the London Opera House, the Royal Lyceum, Toronto, the Grand Opera House, Ottawa, and the Theatre Royal, Montreal. The troupe consisted of Mr. George Holman, his wife, his daughter Sallie Holman (soprano/principal singer) another daughter, and two sons, with some others, including William H. Crane and Sallie's husband Mr. J. T. Dalton. Bertha May Crawford (1886–1934), a coloratura soprano from Toronto, was probably the only Canadian singer of her era to achieve significant success performing in major opera houses in Russia and Poland during the First World War and through the 1920s. In the early 20th century, contralto singer Portia White (1911–1968) achieved international fame because of her voice and stage presence. As a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

of African descent, her popularity helped to open previously closed doors for talented blacks who followed. She has been declared "a person of national historic significance" by the Government of Canada. George London (1920–1985) was a Montreal-born concert and operatic bass-baritone. From 1975 until 1980 he was general director of the Washington Opera. Pierrette Alarie 1921, is a French-Canadian coloratura soprano. Lois Marshall (1924–1997) was a Canadian soprano who was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1967. She was both a concert and recital singer, first as a soprano and later as a mezzo-soprano. Louis Quilico (1925–2000) was a Canadian baritone, known as "Mr Rigoletto." In Canada, Quilico performed regularly with the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto, and throughout the 1970s he performed in opera companies in the United States. Quilico's contemporary

(1926- 2015) is a tenor born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, who joined the Metropolitan Opera in 1960. A powerful "heldentenor", he became known for his German- and Italian-language roles.

(1930–2010) was a Canadian operatic contralto known for her performances of Mahler and for her great stamina onstage. Victor Braun (1935–2001) was a Canadian-born operatic baritone who performed at major opera houses from Europe and North America. His contemporary

Teresa Stratas Teresa Stratas (born May 26, 1938) is a Canadian operatic soprano and actress of Greeks, Greek descent. She is especially well known for her award-winning recording of Alban Berg's ''Lulu (opera), Lulu''. She is formally retired. Early life an ...

(born 1938) is a soprano who had a 36-year career at the Metropolitan Opera. Judith Forst (born 1943) is a Canadian mezzo-soprano who was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1991. Richard Margison (born 1953) is an operatic tenor who was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2001 and lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Gino Quilico (born 1955) is a lyric baritone of Italian descent and the son of Canadian baritone Louis Quilico and Lina Pizzolongo. Ben Heppner (born 1956) is a tenor, specializing in opera and classical symphonic works for voice. performs frequently with major opera companies in the United States and Europe, as well as concert appearances with major symphony orchestras. Gerald Finley (born 1960) is a bass-baritone opera singer renowned for his interpretations of Mozart roles. Michael Schade (born 1965) is a Canadian operatic tenor, who was born in Geneva and raised in Germany and Canada; he is known as a "Mozart tenor". Russell Braun (born 1965) is an operatic lyric baritone, who is the son of baritone Victor Braun.

Isabel Bayrakdarian Isabel Bayrakdarian (; born February 1, 1974) is a Lebanese-born Canadian operatic soprano of Armenian descent who now resides and works in the United States. Early life Born in Zahlé, Lebanon, into an Armenian family, she moved to Canada as a ...

(born 1974) is an Armenian-Canadian opera singer who moved to Canada as a teenager. James Westman (born 1972) is an operatic baritone, in his youth he was the first boy soprano to perform

Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic music, Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and ...

, 4th symphony with

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; born Louis Bernstein; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was th ...

. Joni Henson (born 1977 in

Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Sault Ste. Marie ( ) is a city in northern Ontario, Canada, on the north shore of the St. Mary's River directly across from its "twin city," Sault Ste. Marie, in the state of Michigan. The city's population was 72,051 at the 2021 census, makin ...

) and Measha Brueggergosman (born 1977 in Fredericton, New Brunswick) are both Sopranos that perform regularly both in concert and in fully staged Operas.

Opera companies

Opera Atelier Opera Atelier is an opera company located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1985. The company mounts baroque operas and ballet, ballets from the 17th and 18th centuries that are presented in venues located in Toronto's Theatre Distric ...

* Opéra de Montréal *

Vancouver Opera Vancouver Opera is the second largest performing arts organization in British Columbia and the largest opera company in western Canada. Its mainstage performances occur in the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, other venues in Vancouver and occasionally el ...

Manitoba Opera Manitoba Opera is a full-time professional opera company in Winnipeg, Manitoba, based at the Centennial Concert Hall. Founded in 1969, Manitoba Opera is one of several Western Canada, western Canadian opera companies that flourished under the so- ...

* Opera in Concertbr>
*

Opera Lyra Ottawa Opera Lyra Ottawa (OLO) was a non-profit professional opera company based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1984 by Canadian soprano Diana Gilchrist after the demise of the National Arts Centre's annual summer opera productions. The com ...

* Calgary Opera * Edmonton Opera * Opera Hamiltonbr>
*

Opéra de Québec Opéra de Québec () or Opera of Quebec City is a Canadian opera company founded in 1983; it is related to Opéra de Montréal, founded in 1980. The company does not have its own venue but performs in the Grand Théâtre de Québec on 269 Boule ...

* Pacific Opera Victoria

Choirs

* Toronto Mendelssohn Choir *Amadeus Choir * Nathaniel Dett Chorale *

Tafelmusik Tafelmusik (German: literally, "table-music") is a term used since the mid-16th century for music played at feasts and banquets. Table music could be either instrumental, vocal, or both. As might be expected, it was often of a somewhat lighter ...

Chamber Choir * Ottawa Bach Choir * Theatre of Early Music

Ensembles and performers

Orchestras and ensembles

Symphony orchestras: * Victoria Symphony *

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The VSO performs at the Orpheum, which has been the orchestra's permanent home since 1977. With an annual operating budget of $16 million, it is ...

* Calgary Philharmonic *

Edmonton Symphony Orchestra The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (ESO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Edmonton, Alberta. As the professional orchestra of Alberta's creative capital city it presents over 85 concerts a year of symphonic music in all genres, from classical to co ...

* Saskatoon Symphony *

Regina Symphony Orchestra The Regina Symphony Orchestra (RSO) was founded by Frank Laubach, in Regina, Saskatchewan, as the Regina Orchestral Society in 1908, giving its inaugural concert December 3 of that same year. Becoming the Regina Choral and Orchestral Society in 1 ...

Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Founded in 1947, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at the Centennial Concert Hall. Including travelling performances, the WSO presents an average of ...

* Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra * Kingston Symphony Orchestra * Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra *

National Arts Centre Orchestra The National Arts Centre Orchestra (NAC Orchestra) is a Canadian orchestra based in Ottawa, Ontario. The NAC Orchestra's primary concert venue is Southam Hall at the National Arts Centre. Since its inception, the Orchestra has commissioned more ...

*Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal *

* Orchestre Symphonique de Québec (Quebec Symphony Orchestra) * Symphony New Brunswick * Symphony Nova Scotia * Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra Community orchestras: * Oakville Symphony Orchestra * Ottawa Symphony Orchestra * Prince Edward Island Symphony Orchestra Baroque orchestras and chamber ensembles: * Amati Quartet * New Orford String Quartet * Quatuor Bozzini *

Canadian Brass The Canadian Brass is a Canadian brass quintet formed in 1970 in Toronto, Ontario, by Charles Daellenbach (tuba) and Gene Watts (trombone), with horn player Graeme Page and trumpeters Stuart Laughton and Bill Phillips completing the quintet ...

* Canadian Chamber Ensemble *

* Les Violons du Roy * Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra * Quartetto Gelato *

Manitoba Chamber Orchestra The Manitoba Chamber Orchestra (MCO) is a chamber orchestra based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It offers an annual subscription series at Westminster United Church, which regularly features Canada's leading soloists, such as James Ehnes and Meas ...

Instrumentalists

Pianists

Alberto Guerrero (1886–1959) was a Chilean-Canadian composer, pianist, and teacher whose students included

and Jon Kimura Parker.

(1932–1982) was noted for his recordings of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, his technical proficiency, unorthodox musical philosophy, and eccentric personality and piano technique. Ronald Turini (born 1934) was the personally most highly regarded student of

Vladimir Horowitz Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz (November 5, 1989) was a Russian and American pianist. Considered one of the greatest pianists of all time, he was known for his virtuoso technique, timbre, and the public excitement engendered by his playing. Life ...

and performed as soloist with major orchestras around the world. Zeyda Ruga Suzuki (born 1943,

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

) is a Cuban-Canadian classical pianist and

Juno Award The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...

nominee. Dang Thai Son (born 1958,

Hanoi Hanoi ( ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Vietnam, second-most populous city of Vietnam. The name "Hanoi" translates to "inside the river" (Hanoi is bordered by the Red River (Asia), Red and Black River (Asia), Black Riv ...

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

) is a classical pianist known for being the first Asian pianist to win the International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition in 1980. He remains a well-known Chopin interpreter, and now resides in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Naida Cole (born 1974) has recorded music by Fauré, Chabrier, Satie and Ravel. Wonny Song Korean-Canadian pianist and professor. First Prize winner at the 2005 Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York, Prix d'Europe 2003, and winner of the Minnesota Orchestra's WAMSO Competition. * Steve Barakatt *JJ Jun Li Bui * Ronald Turini * Angela Cheng *

Marc-André Hamelin Marc-André Hamelin, OC, OQ (born September 5, 1961) is a Canadian virtuoso pianist and composer who has received 11 Grammy Award nominations. He is on the faculty of the New England Conservatory of Music. Biography Born in Montreal, Quebec ...

* Charles Richard-Hamelin * Angela Hewitt * Anton Kuerti * Lee Kum-Sing * Bruce Liu *

Louis Lortie Louis Lortie (born 27 April 1959) is a Canadian pianist. Education Born in Montreal, Lortie made his debut with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra at the age of thirteen and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra three years later. Soon after he tour ...

* Jan Lisiecki *

Harold Bradley (pianist) James Harold Bradley (March 4, 1906 – November 10, 1984), was a pianist and the Founder and Principal of the Bradley Institute for Music Education Research. Early life Bradley was the only son of James Clark Bradley, a grocery store owner ...

* Jon Kimura Parker * Christina Petrowska Quilico *Giancarlo Scalia * Wonny Song *Zeyda Ruga Suzuki * Tony Yike Yang

Violinists

Canadian violinists: * Martin Beaver * Nikki Chooi * Timothy Chooi *

Alexandre Da Costa Alexandre Da Costa is a Canadian concert violinist and conductor from Montreal, Quebec. He is the artistic director of the ''Orchestre philharmonique du Québec''. Education Da Costa has a bachelor's degree in performance (piano) from the Facu ...

* Angèle Dubeau * James Ehnes * Moshe Hammer * Susanne Hou * Leila Josefowicz * Chantal Juillet * Juliette Kang * Jessica Linnebach * Catherine Manoukian * Peter Oundjian * Walter Prystawski * Erika Raum * Lara St. John * Scott St. John * Steven Staryk * Harold Sumberg * Ralitsa Tcholakova * Robert Uchida Non-Canadian violinists within the Canadian music community: *

Jacques Israelievitch Jacques Israelievitch, CM (May 6, 1948 – September 5, 2015) was a French violinist, and one of Canada's foremost chamber musicians. Born in Cannes, France, at 11 years old he was the youngest graduate in the history of the Le Mans Conservatory ...

* Hidetaro Suzuki *

Pinchas Zukerman Pinchas Zukerman (; born 16 July 1948) is an Israeli-American violinist, violist and conductor. Life and career Zukerman was born in Tel Aviv, to Jewish parents and Holocaust survivors Yehuda and Miriam Lieberman Zukerman. He began his musica ...

Other instrumentalists

Other string players include violist Rivka Golani and cellists Donald Whitton (a founding member of NACO), Ottawa-based chamber musician Julian Armour (also a chamber music festival organizer), and soloist Ofra Harnoy. Well-known wind players include bassoonists such as William Douglas and Nadina Mackie Jackson; flautists Timothy Hutchins and Alexander Zonjic; and oboists such as

James Mason James Neville Mason (; 15 May 190927 July 1984) was an English actor. He achieved considerable success in British cinema before becoming a star in Hollywood. He was nominated for three Academy Awards, three Golden Globes (winning once) and two ...

and Marc Rogers. Notable Canadian organists include Eric Robertson, Gerald Bales, François Brassard, and Healey Willan. There are also several well-known Canadian organ builders, including

Casavant Frères Casavant Frères () is a Canadian organ building company in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, which has been building pipe organs since 1879. As of 2014, the company has produced more than 3,900 organs. Company history Brothers Joseph-Claver (1855� ...

and Gabriel Kney. Two classical guitarists from Canada have become well known:

Liona Boyd Liona Maria Carolynne Boyd, (born 11 July 1949) is a Canadian classical guitarist often referred to as the 'First Lady of the Guitar'. Music career Early years Boyd was born in London and grew up in Toronto. Her father grew up in Bilbao, Spai ...

and Norbert Kraft. Well-known brass players from Canada include Jens Lindemann (trumpet),

James Sommerville James Sommerville is a Canadian orchestral hornist and conductor. He was the principal hornist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and former Conductor and Music Director of the Hamilton Philharmonic, in Hamilton, Ontario.Alain Trudel (trombone).

Composers

* Robert Aitken *

István Anhalt István Anhalt (April 12, 1919 – February 24, 2012) was a Hungarian-Canadian composer. Anhalt served as a professor of music at McGill University and founded the McGill University Electronic Music Studio. He also served as head of music at Q ...

* Louis Applebaum * Violet Archer * Michael Conway Baker * Steve Barakatt * John Beckwith * Denys Bouliane * John Burge * Amice Calverley *

Pat Carrabré T. Patrick Carrabré is a Canadian composer, teacher, and radio personality based in Manitoba. He is currently a professor of music at the University of British Columbia, where he serves as Director of the School of Music. Carrabré was formerly ...

* Brian Cherney *

Jean Coulthard Jean Coulthard, (February 10, 1908 – March 9, 2000) was a Canadian composer and music educator. She was one of a trio of women composers who dominated Western Canadian music in the twentieth century: Coulthard, Barbara Pentland, and Violet Ar ...

* Eleanor Joanne Daley * Victor Davies * R. Nathaniel Dett * Airat Ichmouratov * John Estacio * Gordon Fitzell * Malcolm Forsyth *

André Gagnon André Gagnon (2 August 1936 – 3 December 2020) was a Canadian pianist, composer, conductor, arranger, and actor, known for his fusion of classical and pop styles,Jean-Pierre Thiollet, ''88 notes pour piano solo'', Neva Editions, 2015, p.16 ...

* Steven Gellman * Peter Hannan *Stephen Hatfield * Christos Hatzis * Jacques Hétu * Gary Kulesha * Rachel Laurin * Alexina Louie *

Hummie Mann Hummie Mann (born October 29, 1955) is a Canadian-born American film score composer. His credits include the Mel Brooks films '' Robin Hood: Men in Tights'' and '' Dracula: Dead and Loving It''. Mann was awarded an Emmy for arranging Billy Cryst ...

* Bruce Mather * Michael Matthews *

Oskar Morawetz Oskar Morawetz, (January 17, 1917 – June 13, 2007) was a Canadian composer. Biography Morawetz was born in Světlá nad Sázavou, Bohemia (now in the Czech Republic), into a Jewish family. He studied piano and theory in Prague and, follow ...

* Marjan Mozetich *

Owen Pallett Michael James Owen Pallett-Plowright (born September 7, 1979), known professionally as Owen Pallett, is a Canadian composer, violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist. Under their former pseudonym Final Fantasy, Pallett won the 2006 Polaris Music P ...

* Randolph Peters * Imant Raminsh * John Rea * Godfrey Ridout * John Robertson * James Rolfe * George Ross * Vahram Sargsyan *Giancarlo Scalia * R. Murray Schafer *

Howard Shore Howard Leslie Shore (born October 18, 1946) is a Canadian composer, conductor and orchestrator noted for his film scores. He has composed the scores for over 80 films, most notably the scores for ''The Lord of the Rings'' and '' The Hobbit'' fi ...

*Mark Sirett * Harry Somers * Donald Steven * Claude Vivier *

John Weinzweig John Jacob Weinzweig (March 11, 1913 – August 24, 2006) was a composer, teacher, and advocate of contemporary Canadian concert music. Born in Toronto, Weinzweig went to Harbord Collegiate Institute, then studied music at the University of Tor ...

* Healey Willan See also: * Association of Canadian Women Composers * Canadian League of Composers *

Canadian Music Centre The Canadian Music Centre was founded in 1959 by a group of Canadian composers who saw a need to create a repository for Canadian music. It now holds Canada's largest collection of Canadian concert music, and works to promote the music of its As ...

Canadian Music Centre
– An archive of Canadian compositions. * SOCAN – Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada *Wikipedia's

List of Canadian Composers This is a list of composers who are either native to the country of Canada, are citizens of that nation, or have spent a major portion of their careers living and working in Canada. The list is arranged in alphabetical order: A * John Abram ...

Conductors

Canadian conductors

Raffi Armenian Raffi Armenian, (born June 4, 1942) is a Canadian conductor, pianist, composer, and teacher. He directed the Kitchener–Waterloo Symphony orchestra for many years. Since 1999 he has been the director of Orchestral Studies at the University of ...

(Canadian Chamber Ensemble) * Mario Bernardi (Canadian Opera Company, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic, CBC Radio Orchestra) * Boris Brott (National Academy Orchestra, McGill Chamber Orchestra, Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra) * Bernard Labadie ( Les Violons du Roy and La Chapelle de Québec) * Martin MacDonald (National Academy Orchestra) *Sir Ernest MacMillan ( Toronto Symphony Orchestra( TSO)) *

(Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal) * Peter Oundjian ( Toronto Symphony Orchestra( TSO)) * Ivars Taurins ( Tafelmusik Chamber Choir) * David Fallis (

, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Toronto Consort, Toronto Chamber Choir) *

Wilfrid Pelletier Joseph Louis Wilfrid Pelletier (sometimes spelled Wilfred), (20 June 1896 – 9 April 1982) was a Canadian conductor, pianist, composer, and arts administrator. He was instrumental in establishing the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, serving ...

(

), (Quebec Symphony Orchestra), (

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...

) * Doreen Rao (MacMillan Singers, Bach Festival Singers;

Elmer Iseler Elmer Walter Iseler, (October 14, 1927 – April 3, 1998) was a Canadian choir conductor and choral editor. He was the conductor of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and founder of the Festival Singers of Canada and the Elmer Iseler Singers. E ...

Chair in Conducting,

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...

) * Rosemary Thomson (Calgary Philharmonic, Canadian Opera Company) * Tyrone Paterson (Manitoba Opera, Opera Lyra Ottawa) * Dr Lisette Canton (the Ottawa Bach Choir) * Timothy Vernon (Pacific Opera Victoria)

Conductors of other nationalities

Kazuyoshi Akiyama was a Japanese conductor who held conducting posts of symphony orchestras in Japan, Canada and the U.S., such as the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra from 1964 for life, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra from 1972 to 1985, the Syracuse Symphony Orche ...

(Vancouver Symphony Orchestra) * Karel Ančerl (Toronto Symphony Orchestra) * Sergiu Comissiona (Vancouver Symphony Orchestra) *Sir Andrew Davis (Toronto Symphony Orchestra) * Pierre Dervaux (Orchestre Symphonique de Québec) *

Charles Dutoit Charles Édouard Dutoit is a Swiss conductor. He is the principal guest conductor for the Saint Petersburg Philharmonia. In 2017, he became the 103rd recipient of the Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal Award. Dutoit held previous positions ...

(Montreal Symphony Orchestra) *

William Eddins William Eddins (born December 9, 1964, Buffalo, New York) is an American pianist and conductor. He served as music director of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra from 2005 until 2017. Eddins started playing piano at age 5 after his parents purc ...

(Edmonton Symphony Orchestra) *

John Eliot Gardiner Sir John Eliot Gardiner (born 20 April 1943) is an English conductor, particularly known for his performances of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, especially the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage of 2000, performing Church cantata (Bach), Bach's church ...

(CBC Radio Orchestra) * Gunther Herbig (Toronto Symphony Orchestra) *

Otto Klemperer Otto Nossan Klemperer (; 14 May 18856 July 1973) was a German conductor and composer, originally based in Germany, and then the United States, Hungary and finally, Great Britain. He began his career as an opera conductor, but he was later bet ...

(Montreal Symphony Orchestra) *

Luigi von Kunits Ludwig Paul Maria "Luigi" von Kunits (20 July 1870 – 8 October 1931) was a Canadian conductor, composer, violinist, and pedagogue. Born in Austria, he studied at the Vienna Conservatory. He later moved to Canada where he was the founding con ...

(New Symphony Orchestra, precursor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra) *

Zubin Mehta Zubin Mehta (born 29 April 1936) is an Indian conductor of Western classical music. He is music director emeritus of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) and conductor :wikt:emeritus, emeritus of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mehta's father ...

(Montreal Symphony Orchestra) * Alexander Mickelthwate (Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra) *

Kent Nagano Kent George Nagano (born November 22, 1951) is an American conductor and opera administrator. Since 2015, he has been ''Generalmusikdirektor'' (GMD) of the Hamburg State Opera (until 2025). Early life and education Nagano was born in Berkeley, ...

(Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal) *

Seiji Ozawa was a Japanese conductor known internationally for his work as music director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, and especially the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), where he served from 1973 for 29 years. After cond ...

(Toronto Symphony Orchestra) *

Trevor Pinnock Trevor David Pinnock (born 16 December 1946 in Canterbury, England) is a British harpsichordist and conductor. He is best known for his association with the period-performance orchestra The English Concert, which he helped found and direct ...

(National Arts Centre Orchestra) * Jukka-Pekka Saraste (Toronto Symphony Orchestra) * Alex Prior (Edmonton Symphony Orchestra) * Walter Susskind (Toronto Symphony Orchestra) *

Bramwell Tovey Bramwell Tovey (11 July 1953 – 12 July 2022) was a British conductor and composer. Life and career Tovey was educated at Ilford County High School, the Royal Academy of Music and the University of London. His formal music education was as ...

(Vancouver Symphony Orchestra) *

(National Arts Centre Orchestra) *

Christian Kluxen A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

(Victoria Symphony Orchestra) * Kees Bakels (Victoria Symphony Orchestra) * Gemma New (Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra)

Recording, broadcasting, and publishing

Radio stations

Radio broadcasting of classical music in Canada is extremely limited. Historically, the primary source of classical music on Canadian radio was the national

CBC Radio 2 CBC Music (formerly known as CBC FM, CBC Stereo and CBC Radio 2) is a Canadian FM radio network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It used to concentrate on classical and jazz. In 2007 and 2008, the network transitioned towards a ...

network, however that network has greatly reduced its classical music programming in favor of Canadian

popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...

programming, with mainly "accessible" classical music available only five hours a day in the middle of the day. There are three commercial radio stations in Canada offering a classical music format: * CFMZ 96.3 FM,

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

/103.1 FM,

Cobourg Cobourg ( ) is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto and east of Oshawa. It is the largest town in and seat of Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, to the west. It is ...

* CJPX 99.5 FM,

* CKCL Classic 107 FM

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

The community

CKUA CKUA Radio is a Canadian donor-funded community radio station based in Edmonton, Alberta. Originally located on the campus of the University of Alberta in Edmonton (hence the UA of the call letters), it was the first public broadcaster in Canada ...

radio network in

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

and CFMU in

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

also airs some classical music programming, as do some

campus radio Campus radio (also known as college radio, university radio or student radio) is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively created or produced ...

and

community radio Community radio is a radio service offering a third model of radio broadcasting in addition to commercial broadcasting, commercial and public broadcasting. Community broadcasting, Community stations serve geographic communities and communities o ...

stations. All radio stations in Canada are required by the

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC; ) is a public organization in Canada tasked with the mandate as a regulatory agency tribunal for various electronic communications, covering broadcasting and telecommunic ...

(CRTC) to meet

Canadian content Canadian content (abbreviated CanCon, cancon or can-con; ) refers to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) requirements, derived from the Broadcasting Act of Canada, that radio and television broadcasters (inclu ...

targets. For classical music stations, the requirement is 20% Canadian content.

Music publications

La Scena Musicale
magazine (Montreal)
Musical Toronto
magazine (Toronto)
The Wholenote
magazine (Toronto) * Opera Canada magazine * Musicworks magazine

Schools, venues, and awards

Music schools

Most major Canadian universities offer some type of instruction in Classical music in

Bachelor of Music A Bachelor of Music (BMus; sometimes conferred as Bachelor of Musical Arts) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. The degree may be awarded for performance, music ed ...

programs of BA (Music) programs, either in a practical sense via training in instrumental or vocal performance or conducting, or in a theoretical or academic sense through the study of Classical music harmonic theory or history. Some universities in Canada also offer graduate degrees in music, such as the Master of Music (in instrumental or vocal performance), the Master of Arts in theory or musicology, or more rarely, through the PhD in music theory or musicology. The

in Toronto offers a comprehensive teaching method encompassing strict guidelines for ten grade levels. The ARCT and LRCT diplomas for Teachers or Performers is the culmination of all the grades which is also recognized worldwide. Comprehensive theory and history co-requisites are required to obtain a certificate. Many

Canadian provinces Canada has ten provinces and three territories that are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North America—New Brunswick, N ...

recognize completion of higher levels of the curriculum, awarding students high school credits upon successful completion. The Royal Conservatory operates The Glenn Gould School, a centre for professional training in classical music performance, a Community School, an educational initiative for public school teachers, a Young Artists Performance Academy, and it offers RCM Examinations. Some of Canada's most famous musicians studied at the Conservatory.

studied theory, organ and piano, graduating at age 12 in 1946 with an ARCT diploma, with highest honours.

, Lois Marshall and

were also Conservatory students. The Schulich School of Music at

offers performance programs at McGill provide students with private lessons and performing opportunities in university ensembles, in addition to studies in the history and theory of music. The school also offers a three-year diploma of Licentiate in Music, an Artist Diploma program, and an Orchestral Training Program. McGill's Music Research Department offers B.Mus. programs in Composition, Theory, History, Music Education, Sound Recording, and Music Technology. The school has been ranked by ''

The Princeton Review The Princeton Review is an education services company providing tutoring, test preparation and admission resources for students. It was founded in 1981, and since that time has worked with over 400 million students. Services are delivered by 4, ...

'' as among the top ten

music school A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger in ...

s in the world.

Music venues

Concert halls with resident performing groups: * Place des Arts (Montreal) * Montreal Symphony House (Montreal) * Lambda School of Music and Fine Arts (Montreal) * Francis Winspear Centre for Music (Edmonton) *Jack Singer Concert Hall (Calgary Centre for Performing Arts) *

Centennial Concert Hall Centennial Concert Hall is a 2,305-seat performing arts centre located at 555 Main Street in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, as part of the Manitoba Centennial Centre. The concert hall opened on March 25, 1968. It is the performing home o ...

(Winnipeg) *

National Arts Centre The National Arts Centre (NAC) () is a Arts centre, performing arts organization in Ottawa, Ontario, along the Rideau Canal. It is based in the eponymous National Arts Centre (building), National Arts Centre building. History The NAC was one ...

(Ottawa) * Sony Centre for the Arts (Toronto) *

Four Seasons Centre The Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts is a 2,071-seat theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located at the southeast corner of University Avenue and Queen Street West, across from Osgoode Hall. The land on which it is located was a gift ...

(Toronto) *

Roy Thomson Hall Roy Thomson Hall is a concert hall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located downtown in the city's entertainment district, it is home to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, and the esports team Toronto Defiant. Opened ...

(Toronto) *

Massey Hall Massey Hall is a performing arts auditorium in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Opened in 1894, it is known for its outstanding acoustics and was the long-time hall of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Although original ...

(Toronto) * Koerner Hall (Toronto) * Toronto Centre for the Arts (Toronto) * Living Arts Centre (Mississauga) *

Queen Elizabeth Theatre The Queen Elizabeth Theatre is a performing arts venue in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Along with the Orpheum, Vancouver Playhouse, and thAnnex it is one of four facilities operated by the Vancouver Civic Theatres on behalf ...

(Vancouver) * Rebecca Cohn Auditorium (Halifax) *

Rose Theatre The Rose was an Elizabethan playhouse, built by theatre entrepreneur Philip Henslowe in 1587. It was the fifth public playhouse to be built in London, after the Red Lion in Whitechapel (1567), The Theatre (1576) and the Curtain (1577), both i ...

(Brampton)

Awards and competitions

* Glenn Gould Prize * Banff International String Quartet Competition *

Montreal International Music Competition The Concours musical international de Montréal (CMIM) is an elite-level competition for classical musicians who are interested in pursuing an international career as a professional concert artist. Established in 2001 by the late André Bourbeau a ...

/Concours international de musique de Montréal
Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition for the Performance of Canadian Music
Concours national de musique Eckhardt-Gramatté

(formerly, the John Robb Organ Competition) *

Kiwanis Music Festival The Kiwanis Music Festival movement consists of regional music competitions. These festivals are named after the Kiwanis Kiwanis International ( ) is an international service club founded in 1915 in Detroit, Michigan. It is headquartered in I ...

Opera Canada Awards
(The Rubbies) *Th
Montreal International Classical Guitar Festival and Competition
*

Juno Awards The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's music industry. The Grammy Awards are the United S ...

Canadian Music CompetitionStandard Life Competition, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal

Financing

Arts organizations in Canada are usually expected to raise 50% of their funding through ticket sales and/or fundraising campaigns that they organize and execute themselves. Another 25% is traditionally covered by corporate sponsorship. The remaining 25% is typically provided by three separate levels of government: federal, provincial and municipal. Canadian arts organizations are constantly lobbying all three levels of government for a more prominent place in their budgets and must therefore compete with other public concerns such as health care and education.

References

External links

Canadian music periodicals
CMPI

Library and Archives Canada Library and Archives Canada (LAC; ) is the federal institution tasked with acquiring, preserving, and providing accessibility to the documentary heritage of Canada. The national archive and library is the 16th largest library in the world. T ...

opera.ca
An association of many Canadian opera companies.
chamberfest
Ottawa Chamber Music Society.

Brampton Symphony Orchestra

Rose Theatre, Brampton {{DEFAULTSORT:Canadian Classical Music Classical music in Canada,