Volume 31 Issue 2 - November & December 2025

CLASSICAL AND

CLASSICAL AND BEYONDEARLY SIGNS OFORCHESTRATEDCHANGE AT THERCM?ANDREW SCOTTCory WongIt may be too early to tell if this piece of creativeprogramming signals a bold new beginning forToronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music. But it certainlylooks like something both exciting and inventive comingto Koerner Hall over the next few months – an ambitiousslate of concerts curated by new RCM President and CEOAlexander Brose.As WholeNote readers may remember, a profile of then-departingRCM President Peter Simon appeared in the June 2024 issue, acknowledgingSimon’s transformative tenure, and speculating as to whatwould come next for both the RCM and the Glenn Gould School.Well, with “Orchestrated,” an interesting new concert seriesdesigned to reside within the synergies between Classical andContemporary sounds, we perhaps have a bit of an answer. Leaninginto a commitment to keep pedagogy and music education front andcentre, the new series has Glenn Gould School students – the RCMOrchestra – performing alongside a suite of inventive and genredefyingartists: Cory Wong in December, Kishi Bashi in January,and a stacked May 2026 performance by Dragonette, JonathanGoldsmith, and Don Rooke.According to Brose, “Orchestrated” affirms “the Conservatory’sdeep commitment to creating transformative cultural experiencesthat inspire and connect us all.” For audiences, the series holdsthe promise of three exciting evenings of music, celebration, andenjoying the best that this city offers.A Jazz & Folk NightéphémèreBY MANELASaturday, December 13, 8 PMSPADINA THEATRE18 | November & December 2025 thewholenote.com

Kishi BashiStarting things off on December 11 is the nimble-fingered guitarist,Cory Wong. I will be curious to see whether Koerner Hall can drawin the considerably invested fanbase Wong has solidified through hisinfectious funk work with the group Vulfpeck, a paradigmatic bandnot only in terms of how to create exciting music, but how to “makeit” and connect with community in the new online ecosystem that istoday’s music business.2026 will start with Kishi Bashi, a multi-instrumentalist makinghis Koerner Hall debut January 22 in a performance that promisesto blend multiple musical styles including “City Pop,” a smooth-jazzadjacent 1970s Japanese genre that has ignited the imagination of GenZ over the past number of years.Don RookeAnd May 14, Toronto staple Don Rooke, longtime leader and lapsteel master of the inventive group The Henrys, joins film composerand producer Jonathan Goldsmith (Nick Buzz, Art of Time Ensemble)for an evening of musical vignettes scored for orchestra, followed by aset of Dragonette’s (Hello) dance hits.More information can be found on Instagram, @KoernerHallRCM.Andrew Scott is a Toronto-based jazz guitarist (occasional pianist/singer) and professor at Humber College, who contributesregularly to The WholeNote Discoveries record reviews.CAROLS BYCANDLELIGHTSUNDAY, DECEMBER 14, 4:30 P.M.A timeless candlelit choral presentationNINE LESSONS& CAROLSSUNDAY, DECEMBER 21, 4:30 P.M.In the tradition of King’s College, CambridgePresented by the Yorkminster Park Choirwith William Maddox, Organist and Directorand Sharon Beckstead, Associate MusicianADMISSION IS FREE FOR BOTH EVENTSYorkminster ParkBaptist Church1585 Yonge Street | YorkminsterPark.comthewholenote.com November & December 2025 | 19