TAFELMUSIK
BAROQUE ORCHESTRA
“One of the world’s top baroque orchestras”
- GRAMOPHONE MAGAZINE
*Canadian Activities Only
REVIEWS
“Tafelmusik Orchestra has emerged in recent years as not just a purveyor of good concerts, but a weaver of fascinating stories that edify and educate as well as entertain.”
— LUDWIG VAN TORONTO
“The sound that Tafelmusik makes is as if they are all playing as one and only one sound can be heard, that’s how good this group is at performing together.”
— CITY NEWS (AUSTRALIA)
“We are fortunate to have ensembles such as Tafelmusik here in Toronto, consistently delivering delightful and excellent interpretations. It is rare to hear a live performance that is virtually flawless from beginning to end, but that is what we were treated to.”
— THE WHOLENOTE
“One of the world’s top baroque orchestras”
— GRAMOPHONE MAGAZINE
“Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra is a testament to what hard work and dedication to art and scholarship can do over time. This is a world-class period instrument ensemble … the playing is superb.”
— LUDWIG VAN TORONTO
“If this concert is anything to go by, the orchestra has a future characterized by renewed vibrancy and panache. The performance created edge-of-the-seat excitement and was greeted with shrieks of delight.”
— CONCERTONET.COM
“Tafelmusik impresses with its rhythmic drive, agility and shared sense of musical purpose.”
— LIMELIGHT
“Everything is vital and exciting but always in control, and the players behind her [Citterio] are feeding off her energy.”
— THE WHOLENOTE
“Tafelmusik’s agile ensemble assumes a multiplicity of voices, gloriously emotive. The quality of instrumental harmony graphically on display here is extraordinary.”
— OPERA GOING TORONTO
“The players were obviously enjoying themselves and this enjoyment was infectious. It was one of the most delightful orchestral concerts I have ever heard from Tafelmusik.”
— CONCERTONET.COM
“Tafelmusik Orchestra has emerged in recent years as not just a purveyor of good concerts, but a weaver of fascinating stories that edify and educate as well as entertain.”
— LUDWIG VAN TORONTO
BIOGRAPHY
Every now and then a group of musicians comes along and changes the way we think about music. Tafelmusik has done just that. Music for feasting. It is a name that, for over four decades, has been synonymous worldwide with dynamic, engaging, and soulful performances.
Whether on tour or at home in Trinity-St-Paul’s Centre, an historic church in the Annex neighbourhood of Toronto, at its heart Tafelmusik is a family of collaborative musicians. Steeped in the historical traditions of the baroque and classical eras, together they form one of the world’s leading period ensembles.
Tafelmusik is Canada’s most toured orchestra, having performed in over 350 cities in 32 countries, and its international reputation is without question. The vitality of Tafelmusik’s vision clearly resonates with its loyal audiences at home in Toronto, where the ensemble performs some 80 concerts every year, a focal point of Toronto’s lively early music scene.
Today, Tafelmusik’s catalogue of award-winning recordings continues to demand the attention of the world stage. Over 85 recordings on Tafelmusik Media, Sony, CBC Records, Analekta have garnered nine JUNOs and numerous other recording prizes. Today you regularly see Tafelmusik as Record of the Month in BBC Music Magazine, Editor’s Choice in Gramophone Magazine, or Record of the Year in Absolute Sound Magazine.
Through dynamic performances, international touring, concert films, award-winning recordings, and comprehensive education programs, Tafelmusik reaches out to a multiplicity of audiences. Nearly four decades strong, Tafelmusik continues to deliver a feast for the senses.
For more information, please visit www.tafelmusik.org.
September 2025
TOURING PROGRAM
November 2026
STAIRCASES
A journey through time where every staircase tells a story
Staircases is a new creation by Alison Mackay, whose award-winning multimedia programs have enhanced Tafelmusik’s reputation for artistic innovation. Through words, stunning images, and music by Purcell, Handel, Platti, Vivaldi, Fux and Bach, and designed in collaboration with the acclaimed American bass-baritone and composer Jonathan Woody, the program explores the highs and lows of passion and power. Directed by Julia Wedman, program highlights include Woody’s “The Unbounded Soul,” based on inspiring text by 18th century poet Phillis Wheatley.
“It’s no wonder so many of Mackay’s creations have been performed for audiences around the world—there’s really nothing like them”
– THE GLOBE AND MAIL
