Toronto Mendelssohn Choir

Bach's Mass in B Minor
2023-03-28 19:30 - 21:30 (America/Toronto) | Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre For Performance And Learning, 273 Bloor St W, , ON, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1V6, Canada
In This Performance
Mass in B minor, BWV 232 by Johann Sebastian Bach
On the music
Experience Bach’s Mass in B minor performed by the renowned Toronto Mendelssohn Choir! Under the direction of maestro Jean-Sébastien Vallée, the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir brings an unforgettable performance of Bach’s timeless masterpiece!
This monumental work explores the full range of Bach’s musical expression – from the poignant Crucifixus to the exuberant expression of hope and joy of the final Dona nobis pacem. As explained by maestro Vallée, “Mass in B minor embodies Bach’s musical and human journey bringing together centuries of musical developments ingeniously assembled by the composer.”

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Singsation with Jean-Sébastien Vallée
2023-04-29 10:30 - 12:00 | Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St., Toronto, Ontario, M4T 1Z9, Canada
Join Artistic Director Jean-Sébastien Vallée for a Singsation workshop featuring music from Carmina Burana.

Advanced registration has closed. Walk ups are welcome.

The event will take place in Cameron Hall at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church.
Please note: all participants will be required to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination and wear a mask at all times during the workshop.

In Time - At the Intersection of Music & Dance
2023-09-22 19:30 - 2023-09-23 19:30 | Jeanne Lamon Hall (Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre), 427 Bloor St W, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1X7
In this performance
Dixit Dominus HWV 232 by George Frideric Handel
Christ lag in Todesbanden BWV 4 by Johann Sebastian Bach
To the Hands by Caroline Shaw
On the music
Experience a fusion of music and dance in this mesmerizing evening of baroque masterworks. Presented in collaboration with Compagnie de la Citadelle, witness a breathtaking combination of grace and elegance as the Toronto Mendelssohn Singers perform Handel’s Dixit Dominus and Bach’s Christ lag in Todesbanden under the direction of Jean-Sébastien Vallée. Let your soul soar with the exuberance of this unforgettable performance that unites choral grandeur and captivating choreography imagined by Laurence Lemieux in a tribute to the strength and resilience of women.

Singsation with Shireen Abu-Khader
2023-10-21 10:30 - 13:00 | Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St., Toronto, Ontario, M4T 1Z9, Canada
Join 2022-2023’s Composer-in-Residence Shireen Abu-Khader for a Singsation workshop.

It’s a community singing workshop, and a wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning – with people who love to sing!
The Theme: “Melodies of Home.”
An SATB reading of pieces from around the world chosen to tell a story of home, belonging, and community. Join us to sing and explore music which brings comfort and peace.

Your Conductor:
This workshop is conducted by 22-23’s Composer-in-Residence of the TMChoir, Shireen Abu-Khader.
Shireen Abu-Khader is a Palestinian Jordanian Canadian artist, composer and educator. She holds a PhD in Music Education from the University of Toronto, a Master’s in Choral Music from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Oberlin College Conservatory. In 2002, Shireen founded Dozan wa Awtar Music Establishment which has been an important venture in her personal development as well as the evolution of choral music in Jordan. Learn more about Shireen.
The workshop will take place in Cameron Hall at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church.
Register for the Workshop
Singsation is made possible through the support of our donors

Carmina Burana
2023-10-26 20:00 - 2023-10-27 20:00 | Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St, Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2H5, Canada
In this performance
Carmina Burana by Carl Orff
Schicksalslied op. 54 by Johannes Brahms
Patah Tumbuh (Broken – Renewed) by composer-in-residence Tracy Wong
On the music
Join the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir on a journey of passion and desire as you experience Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, with its unmistakable opening: “O fortuna!” Under the direction of Jean-Sébastien Vallée, the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir is joined by the Toronto Children’s Chorus and members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra to present this monumental score filled with hypnotic rhythms and dramatic storytelling. This performance will also feature one of Brahms’ finest choral works, Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny), and a commissioned piece by TMChoir’s 23/24 composer-in-residence, Tracy Wong. This grand celebration of life, love, and renewal is bound to be an unforgettable evening at Roy Thomson Hall.
Tickets

Festival of Carols
2023-12-05 19:30 - 2023-12-06 19:30 | Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St., Toronto, Ontario, M4T 1Z9, Canada
In this performance
Traditional carols and newly composed works.
On the music
Ring in the holiday season with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and its beloved annual celebration of music: the Festival of Carols. Under the direction of Maestro Jean-Sébastien Vallée, this dazzling performance is bound to fill your heart and make your spirits soar as you sing along to classics like Silent Night, Angels We Have Heard on High, and O Come, All Ye Faithful. A heartwarming experience for all ages!

We’re bringing the TMChoir to you!
Highlights of this concert will be available for free On Demand beginning on Friday, December 8th at 7:30pm.

Singsation with Tracy Wong
2024-01-27 10:30 - 13:00 | Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St., Toronto, Ontario, M4T 1Z9, Canada
Join Composer-in-Residence Tracy Wong for a Singsation workshop on Community & Discovery.

It’s a community singing workshop, and a wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning – with people who love to sing!
The Theme: Community & Discovery
We will be exploring choral repertoire by living composers that focuses on community spirit through the lens of composers’ lived experience. The session will also be a discovery on the flexibility of the collective singing voice in tone, expression, and storytelling.
Your Conductor:
This workshop is conducted by the current Composer-in-Residence of the TMChoir, Tracy Wong.
Dr. Tracy Wong is a Malaysian-Canadian choral conductor, music educator, composer, vocalist, and pianist. Dr. Wong is passionate about helping choral leaders and educators to provide unique experiences for their singers and students through collaborative commissions, customized workshops, festivals, and artist residencies. She does this through focusing on the balance of performance practice considerations, vocal and acoustic explorations, and choral artistry and heart. Learn more about Tracy.
The workshop will take place in Cameron Hall at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church.

Pre-registration has closed, however walk-ups are welcome!
Singsation is made possible through the support of our donors

Singsation with Jean-Sébastien Vallée
2024-03-16 10:30 - 13:00 | Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St., Toronto, Ontario, M4T 1Z9, Canada
Join Artistic Director Jean-Sébastien Vallée for a Singsation workshop on Mozart’s Requiem.
It’s a community singing workshop, and a wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning – with people who love to sing!
The Theme:
Join us for a unique exploration of the diverse versions and completions of Mozart’s Requiem. This workshop offers a unique opportunity for singers to unravel the fascinating layers of Mozart’s masterpiece, discovering various interpretations and completions that contribute to its profound beauty. Guided by Toronto Mendelssohn Choir’s Artistic Director, Jean-Sébastien Vallée, participants will sing their way into the history and evolution of this iconic composition!
Your Conductor:
This workshop is conducted by TMChoir Artistic Director, Jean-Sébastien Vallée.
Internationally recognized conductor, scholar, and pedagogue Jean-Sébastien Vallée was named as the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir’s 8th Artistic Director in June 2021. In addition to his work as Artistic Director of the TMChoir, Jean-Sébastien is Associate Professor of Music, Director of Choral Studies, and Coordinator of the Ensembles & Conducting Area at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University. Jean-Sébastien has conducted ensembles throughout North America, Europe and Asia and has prepared choruses for leading orchestras including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and the National Arts Center Orchestra in Ottawa. In addition to his interest in choral, operatic, and orchestral music, Jean-Sébastien is an advocate for contemporary music, making one of his priorities to premiere and commission works by young composers and program rarely performed repertoire. He has recorded extensively under the label ATMA Classique. Learn more about Jean-Sébastien.
The workshop will take place in Cameron Hall at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church.
Register
Singsation is made possible through the support of our donors

Winterreise
2024-03-16 19:30 - 21:00 | Jeanne Lamon Hall (Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre), 427 Bloor St W, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1X7
In this performance
Ich stand in dunkle Träumen Op.13 No. 1 – Clara Schumann / arr. James McCullough
Liebst du um Schönheit Op. 12 No. 2 – Clara Schumann / arr. James McCullough
Winterreise D. 911 Op. 89 (part 1) – Franz Schubert / arr. Gregor Meyer

— Intermission —

Lockung Op. 3 No. 1 – Fanny Hensel
Schöne Fremde Op. 3 No. 2 – Fanny Hensel
Winterreise D. 911 Op. 89 (part 2) – Franz Schubert / arr. Gregor Meyer
On the music
Delve into the beauty and emotion of Franz Schubert’s Winterreise, performed by the Toronto Mendelssohn Singers, renowned Canadian baritone Brett Polegato, and Juno Award-winning pianist Philip Chiu. Presented in a new adaptation for choir, baritone, and piano, this stunning vocal masterpiece recounts the story of a wanderer’s heartbreak and despair as he travels through a frozen world. The concert also features works by Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel, one of the first published female composers, and Clara Schumann, widely regarded as one of the most significant composers and pianists of the Romantic era. Under the direction of Jean-Sébastien Vallée, the TMSingers bring their signature artistry to some of the most beautiful pages of vocal repertoire.
Tickets

Singsation with Irene Gregorio
2024-04-20 10:30 - 13:00 | Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St., Toronto, Ontario, M4T 1Z9, Canada
Join Collaborative Pianist Irene Gregorio for a Singsation workshop.
It’s a community singing workshop, and a wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning – with people who love to sing!
The Theme: Harmonizing Resistance – The Power of Music in Social Change
Music is a powerful vehicle of expression that has inspired political and cultural change across the world. Our April Singsation will explore songs of resistance, their cultural context, and personal connections to these songs through storytelling and singing with TMChoir members. This is sure to be a meaningful and inspiring way to spend your Saturday.
Your Conductor:
This workshop is conducted by TMChoir Collaborative Pianist, Irene Gregorio.
Irene Gregorio enjoys a diverse and active musical life as a pianist, educator, and music director. As a pianist and chamber musician, she has collaborated with members of the LA Phil and San Francisco Symphonies. She has served as pianist for the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, LA Opera Education and Outreach, and the University of Southern California Chamber Singers, among others. Her performances as a collaborative pianist have taken her throughout North America, Europe, Cuba, and the Philippines, and she has also appeared on PBS, CBC Radio 2, and on film soundtracks in the LA area. Learn more about Irene.

The workshop will take place in Cameron Hall at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church.

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Singsation is made possible through the support of our donors

Verdi’s Requiem
2024-04-27 20:00 - 21:30 | George Weston Recital Hall, 5040 Yonge St, North York, Ontario, M2N 6R8
In this performance
Messa da Requiem by Giuseppe Verdi / arr. by J. Linckelmann
On the music
Enthralling, dramatic, and yet eerily beautiful—nothing compares to Verdi’s Requiem. This spellbinding masterwork weaves together a thrilling symphonic score and breathtaking solos with one of the most poignant sacred texts—a powerful cry for deliverance. Experience this monumental work with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, four stellar vocal soloists, and members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Jean-Sébastien Vallée.
Tickets

Verdi’s Requiem
2024-04-30 20:00 - 21:30 | Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre For Performance And Learning, 273 Bloor St W, , ON, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1V6, Canada

Take the Podium: Fauré (Free Concert)
2024-05-25 15:00 - 17:00 | Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St., Toronto, Ontario, M4T 1Z9, Canada
Join the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir for their 15th annual Choral Conducting Symposium concert, where six up-and-coming conductors will take the podium after completing a series of masterclasses under the leadership of Artistic Director and Conductor Jean-Sébastien Vallée.

The six conductors will showcase their work as they conduct the 160 voices of the TMChoir, including the 24-voice professional ensemble, the TMSingers, for this final performance.
The program includes Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem, Frank Martin’s Mass for Double Choir, works by Lili Boulanger and Mel Bonis, a commission by TMChoir composer-in-residence Tracy Wong and winner of the 2024 Debbie Fleming prize for the Choral Composition Competition Justin Lapierre’s Lux Aeterna.
Watch the Concert Online Now

Singsation with Jean-Sébastien Vallée
2024-09-28 10:30 - 12:00 | Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St., Toronto, Ontario, M4T 1Z9, Canada
Join Artistic Director Jean-Sébastien Vallée for a special Singsation workshop celebrating TMChoir’s 130th Season.
It’s a community singing workshop, and a wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning – with people who love to sing!
The Theme: TMChoir at 130
Celebrate our 130th season with a special Singsation featuring TMChoir’s greatest hits. Led by our own Artistic Director, Jean-Sébastien Vallée and special guests, this event brings together the Toronto choral community and TMChoir singers, past and present, to unite in song. Plus, be the first to hear TMChoir’s new recording under ATMA Classique, Remember: 130 Years of Canadian Choral Music.
Your Conductor:
This workshop is conducted by TMChoir Artistic Director, Jean-Sébastien Vallée.
Internationally recognized conductor, scholar, and pedagogue Jean-Sébastien Vallée was named as the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir’s 8th Artistic Director in June 2021. In addition to his work as Artistic Director of the TMChoir, Jean-Sébastien is Associate Professor of Music, Director of Choral Studies, and Coordinator of the Ensembles & Conducting Area at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University. Jean-Sébastien has conducted ensembles throughout North America, Europe and Asia and has prepared choruses for leading orchestras including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and the National Arts Center Orchestra in Ottawa. In addition to his interest in choral, operatic, and orchestral music, Jean-Sébastien is an advocate for contemporary music, making one of his priorities to premiere and commission works by young composers and program rarely performed repertoire. He has recorded extensively under the label ATMA Classique. Learn more about Jean-Sébastien.
The workshop will take place in Cameron Hall at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church.
Ticket: $15 (+ fees) online or $20 at the door. Walk-ins are welcome!
Registration Closed
Singsation is made possible through the support of our donors

The Love Affair: Waltz & Tango
2024-11-03 15:00 | Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre For Performance And Learning, 273 Bloor St W, , ON, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1V6, Canada
In this performance
Liebeslieder Walzer by Johannes Brahms
Drei Quartette by Johannes Brahms
Misatango by Martín Palmeri
Stick with Love by Aaron Manswell
Poverty by Aaron Manswell (World Premiere & TMChoir Commission)
House Program

On the music
The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and Artistic Director Jean-Sébastien Vallée open their 130th anniversary with an afternoon steeped in the language of love. Joined by the exquisite vocals of soprano Charlotte Siegel, be swept off your feet with the passionate melodies of Brahms’ Liebeslieder Walzer and Drei Quartette. Experience the fiery embrace of Palmeri’s Misatango and hear Stick with Love and the world premiere of Poverty by the Choir’s composer-in-residence Aaron Manswell.
Join us in the Orchestra lobby at 2:15PM for our Pre-Concert chat with Jean-Sébastien Vallée, Charlotte Siegel, and Jonathan Goldman.

Tickets
Hear “rising opera star Charlotte Siegel” (Macleans)

Singsation with Brainerd Blyden-Taylor
2024-11-23 10:30 - 13:00 | Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St., Toronto, Ontario, M4T 1Z9, Canada
Join Brainerd Blyden-Taylor for a Singsation workshop.
It’s a community singing workshop, and a wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning – with people who love to sing!
The Theme: A Celebration of Afrocentric Choral Music
Join TMChoir for a vibrant Singsation workshop, led by the esteemed Brainerd Blyden-Taylor, founder of The Nathaniel Dett Chorale. This special event marks the 25th Anniversary season of the Chorale, Canada’s first professional choral group dedicated to Afrocentric music of all styles, including classical, spiritual, gospel, jazz, folk and blues. This is a special opportunity to immerse yourself in a dynamic celebration of Afrocentric cultural heritage and musical excellence.
Your Conductor:
This workshop is conducted by Brainerd Blyden-Taylor.
Brainerd Blyden-Taylor is the Founder, Artistic Director and conductor of The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, Canada’s first professional chamber choir dedicated to the creation and performance of Afrocentric music of all styles. Born in Trinidad & Tobago, Mr. Blyden-Taylor immigrated to Canada in 1973. He founded The Chorale in 1998, in response to a musical void in Canada; there had never before been a professional ensemble dedicated to the dissemination of Afrocentric choral music. The response that The Chorale has received in Canada and the United States since its inception has certainly given credence to Mr. Blyden-Taylor’s vision. Learn more about Brainerd Blyden-Taylor.
The workshop will take place in Cameron Hall at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church.
Ticket: $15 (+ fees) online or $20 at the door
Register for the Workshop
Singsation is made possible through the support of our donors

Festival of Carols
2024-12-03 19:30 - 2024-12-04 19:30 | Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St., Toronto, Ontario, M4T 1Z9, Canada
On the music
Celebrate the season with one of Toronto’s favourite holiday traditions! This year, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir celebrates the 25th anniversary of the beloved Festival of Carols! Sing along to your favourite holiday classics led by Maestro Jean-Sébastien Vallée and experience a sparkling evening of music that is bound to warm hearts and uplift spirits! To add to this festive celebration, delight in a special commissioned work by Composer in Residence Aaron Manswell. Join the tradition or start a new one with Toronto Mendelssohn Choir.

Toronto Mendelssohn Choir is hosting a food drive in support of Daily Bread Food Bank. Audience members are invited to join in and bring nourishing, non-perishable food donations to the performance. Your food donations will make an immediate difference for Torontonians facing food insecurity. View the list of most needed items here.
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In this performance
Traditional carols and festive works
Good News by Aaron Manswell (World Premiere & TMChoir Commission)

Singsation with Scott Pietrangelo
2025-02-08 10:30 - 13:00 | Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St., Toronto, Ontario, M4T 1Z9, Canada
Join Scott Pietrangelo for a Singsation workshop.
It’s a community singing workshop, and a wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning – with people who love to sing!
The Theme: Rock and Pop Hits
Get ready to rock at this Singsation workshop with Scott Pietrangelo, Artistic Director of newchoir, and SoundCrowd, Toronto’s large-scale contemporary a cappella ensemble! Dive into a high-energy session featuring your favorite rock and pop hits. Whether you’re a seasoned vocalist or just love to sing along to the classics, this dynamic workshop will have you harmonizing with the best. Don’t miss this chance to experience the thrill of singing iconic tunes in a fun, welcoming environment led by one of Toronto’s most electrifying choir directors.
Your Conductor:
This workshop is conducted by Scott Pietrangelo.
Scott Pietrangelo is the Artistic Director of newchoir and Founder/Artistic Director of SoundCrowd. Theatre credits include Canadian premieres of The Hobbit (Grand Theatre) and Dear Evan Hansen (Royal Alex), The Last Five Years (BroadwayWorld Award nominee) and Muder for Two (Antigonish/Halifax/Thousand Islands). Music Directing credits include The Rocky Horror Show (Randolph Theatre), The Secret Garden (Factory Theatre) and Fiddler on the Roof (Capitol Theatre). Scott has worked with artists like Steven Page (Barenaked Ladies), Alex Lacamoire (Hamilton) and Deke Sharon (Pitch Perfect) and has sung backup for both Josh Groban and Sarah Brightman. Learn more about Scott Pietrangelo.

The workshop will take place in Cameron Hall at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church.
Ticket: $15 (+ fees) online or $20 at the door
Register for the Workshop
Singsation is made possible through the support of our donors

Visionaries: Vivaldi & DaVinci
2025-02-08 19:30 | Jeanne Lamon Hall (Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre), 427 Bloor St W, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1X7
In this performance
Gloria in D major, RV 589 by Antonio Vivaldi
The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci by Jocelyn Hagen

On the music
Immerse in the world of Leonardo da Vinci with Jocelyn Hagen’s groundbreaking multimedia concert, The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci. Through state-of-the-art video syncing technology, Da Vinci’s words and drawings are brought to life, harmonized with the live voices of the Toronto Mendelssohn Singers. And, experience Vivaldi’s celestial Gloria in this concert that gorgeously reflects the profound complexity and beauty of life.
Tickets
House Program

Beethoven's Missa Solemnis
2025-04-04 20:00 | Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St, Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2H5, Canada
In this performance
Missa solemnis in D major, Op. 123 by Ludwig van Beethoven / arr. by J. Linckelmann
On the music
Beethoven’s Missa solemnis, described by the composer as his greatest work, delivers a powerful experience of his genius. Conductor Jean-Sébastien Vallée, leading the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir as well as top instrumentalists and soloists, makes this epic choral piece a fitting end to the choir’s 130th season. This performance also honours the choir’s long history, returning to a piece they premiered to Canadian audiences nearly a century ago.
Tickets
This performance is 85 minutes with no intermission. Read the house program here.
Pre-Concert Chat
Join us in the North Lobby at 7:00 PM for a pre-concert chat, hosted by TMSinger soprano Lindsay McIntyre joined by Artistic Director & Conductor Jean-Sébastien Vallée, baritone Brett Polegato, and Concertmaster Bénédicte Lauzière.

Singsation with Jean-Sébastien Vallée
2025-04-26 10:30 - 13:00 | Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St., Toronto, Ontario, M4T 1Z9, Canada
Join Artistic Director Jean-Sébastien Vallée for a Singsation workshop.
It’s a community singing workshop, and a wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning – with people who love to sing!
The Theme: Brahms’ Requiem
Join TMChoir’s Artistic Director, Jean-Sébastien Vallée, as he leads you through Brahms’ beloved German Requiem. Discover the genesis, structure, and intricate construction of this masterwork while raising your voice alongside singers from across Toronto. Experience the power and beauty of the Requiem’s inspiring chorus firsthand, in an unforgettable celebration of music and community.
Your Conductor:
This workshop is conducted by TMChoir Artistic Director, Jean-Sébastien Vallée.
Internationally recognized conductor, scholar, and pedagogue Jean-Sébastien Vallée was named as the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir’s 8th Artistic Director in June 2021. In addition to his work as Artistic Director of the TMChoir, Jean-Sébastien is Associate Professor of Music, Director of Choral Studies, and Coordinator of the Ensembles & Conducting Area at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University. Jean-Sébastien has conducted ensembles throughout North America, Europe and Asia and has prepared choruses for leading orchestras including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and the National Arts Center Orchestra in Ottawa. In addition to his interest in choral, operatic, and orchestral music, Jean-Sébastien is an advocate for contemporary music, making one of his priorities to premiere and commission works by young composers and program rarely performed repertoire. He has recorded extensively under the label ATMA Classique. Learn more about Jean-Sébastien.
The workshop will take place in Cameron Hall at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church.
Ticket: $15 (+ fees) online or $20 at the door
Register for the Workshop
Singsation is made possible through the support of our donors

Duruflé's Requiem (Community Concert)
2025-05-09 19:30 - 20:45 | Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St., Toronto, Ontario, M4T 1Z9, Canada
In this performance
Requiem by Maurice Duruflé
Richte mich, Gott by Felix Mendelssohn
Nothing Gold Can Stay by Stephanie Martin
One Thing at a Time by Aaron Manswell (World Premiere & TMChoir Commission)
Little Welcome Son by Crescenzo DiCecco (Choral Composition Competition Winner & World Premiere)
Runtime: 75 minutes with no intermission
On the music
Join the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir as it closes its 130th anniversary season with a community concert. Experience Duruflé’s Requiem, and new works by Composer-in-Residence Aaron Manswell and the winner of the Debbie Fleming Prize for Choral Composition, Crescenzo DiCecco. This program also features a selection of a cappella pieces from TMChoir’s latest recording, Remember: 130 Years of Canadian Choral Music.
Tickets

Singsation with Karen Burke
2025-10-18 10:30 - 13:00 | Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St., Toronto, Ontario, M4T 1Z9, Canada
Join Karen Burke for a Singsation workshop.
It’s a community singing workshop, and a wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning – with people who love to sing!
The Theme: From Spirituals to Gospel Music
Join us for an uplifting Singsation with the extraordinary Karen Burke, Artistic Director of the Juno award-winning Toronto Mass Choir and creator of Canada’s first post-secondary Gospel music courses. Together, we’ll dive into the rhythmic foundations and interpretive methods that bring authenticity to spirituals and gospel – traditions that will enhance your appreciation of any musical forms rooted in rhythm, whether you’re new to gospel music or not! Come ready to sing, learn, and experience the transformative power of gospel music in a welcoming community celebration of this rich musical heritage!
Your Conductor:
Karen Burke is the co-owner of Burke Music Inc., a Gospel music production and publishing company. Burke is an Associate Professor in the Music Department at York University, and the Artistic Director and Co-founder of the Juno award-winning Toronto Mass Choir. In 2005, Burke developed the first post-secondary gospel music courses in Canada and has offered many workshops for several North American and International organizations including Pro Novis in Poland. In 2019, Burke was awarded the national Harry Jerome Award in the Arts, Media and Entertainment category and in 2023, Karen was awarded the prestigious President’s Research Impact Award from York University.
Learn more about Karen Burke.
The workshop will take place in Cameron Hall at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church.
Admission: $15 (+ fees) online or $20 at the door
Register for the Workshop
Singsation is made possible through the support of our donors

Brahms: A German Requiem
2025-11-05 19:30 - 2025-11-07 19:30 | Ontario
In this performance
Ein deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem) by Johannes Brahms
ECHO by Stephanie Martin (World Premiere & TMChoir Commission, generously underwritten by Norman Martin in memory of his late wife Candace Heyward)
Runtime: 90-minutes, no intermission. Read the house program here.
On the music
Brahms’ A German Requiem is a deeply human reflection on love, loss, and the solace offered to those who grieve. Led by Artistic Director Jean-Sébastien Vallée, the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir brings their signature “mix of subtlety, power, and precision” (Ludwig van Toronto) to this masterpiece’s soaring choral lines and rich orchestration. ECHO, a stunning new commission by Stephanie Martin, preludes Brahms’ work, featuring the full power of the Choir and orchestra.
Wednesday, November 5, 2025, 7:30 PM
George Weston Recital Hall, Meridian Arts Centre

Friday, November 7, 2025, 7:30 PM – SOLD OUT
Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning

Pre-Concert Chat
Join us in the lobby at 6:30 PM for a pre-concert chat, hosted by TMSinger soprano Lindsay McIntyre joined by Artistic Director & Conductor Jean-Sébastien Vallée, Composer-in-Residence Stephanie Martin, and Soprano Charlotte Siegel.
About the Artwork
As I Lay Sleeping by Vanessa McKernan. Vanessa McKernan is a Canadian visual artist whose figurative paintings work to express the fragility and complexity of the psyche as it struggles with mortality, love, and human connection.

Festival of Carols
2025-12-02 19:30 - 2025-12-04 19:30 | Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St., Toronto, Ontario, M4T 1Z9, Canada
In this performance
Traditional carols and festive works
The Treasures by Stephanie Martin (World Premiere & TMChoir Commission, generously underwritten by Deborah Finlayson & Dan Leader)
Runtime: 90-minutes, no intermission. This year, the performances will be professionally recorded for an upcoming album.
House Program

On the music
Celebrate the season with one of Toronto’s favourite holiday traditions! Hailed as “a joyous affair” (Ludwig van Toronto), this festive evening invites you to sing along to holiday classics, led by Maestro Jean-Sébastien Vallée. Enjoy a performance that warms hearts and lifts spirits, featuring The Treasures, a new commission by Composer-in-Residence Stephanie Martin. Inspired by Lucy Maud Montgomery’s poetry, it reflects on the simplicity of Christmas joys. Continue or start a new tradition with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir!
About the Artwork
sometimes to the left by Julie Liger-Belair. Julie Liger-Belair creates assemblage pieces or three dimensional collages, using found objects, paper ephemera, and Japanese paper in handmade frames or found containers. Her larger scale pieces combine painting and collage on wood cradle boards.

Singsation with Jean-Sébastien Vallée
2026-03-07 10:30 - 13:00 | Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St., Toronto, Ontario, M4T 1Z9, Canada
Join Artistic Director Jean-Sébastien Vallée for a Singsation workshop.
It’s a community singing workshop, and a wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning – with people who love to sing!
The Theme: Bach’s Passions: Drama, Devotion, and Music

Experience an inspiring Singsation with our own Artistic Director, Jean-Sébastien Vallée, as we explore Bach’s extraordinary settings of the Passion story — from St. John and St. Matthew Passions to the intriguing reconstructions of the lost St. Mark Passion. Together, we’ll compare these masterpieces, uncovering how Bach wove drama, devotion, and musical brilliance into each work. Experience the emotional depth, rich choral textures, and timeless beauty that have captivated audiences for centuries — and enjoy the thrill of singing this unforgettable music in community. Discover the enduring power of Bach’s Passions and leave with a deeper connection to some of the most moving works ever written.
Your Conductor:
Internationally recognized conductor, scholar, and pedagogue Jean-Sébastien Vallée was named as the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir’s 8th Artistic Director in June 2021. In addition to his work as Artistic Director of the TMChoir, Jean-Sébastien is Associate Professor of Music, Director of Choral Studies, and Coordinator of the Ensembles & Conducting Area at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University. Jean-Sébastien has conducted ensembles throughout North America, Europe and Asia and has prepared choruses for leading orchestras including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and the National Arts Center Orchestra in Ottawa. In addition to his interest in choral, operatic, and orchestral music, Jean-Sébastien is an advocate for contemporary music, making one of his priorities to premiere and commission works by young composers and program rarely performed repertoire. He has recorded extensively under the label ATMA Classique. Learn more about Jean-Sébastien.
The workshop will take place in Cameron Hall at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church.
Ticket: $15 (+ fees) online or $20 at the door
Register for the Workshop
Singsation is made possible through the support of our donors

Bach: St. Matthew Passion
2026-03-24 19:00 - 2026-03-25 19:00 | Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre For Performance And Learning, 273 Bloor St W, , ON, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1V6, Canada
In this performance
St. Matthew Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach

Runtime: 3 hr 10 min, with one 20-minute intermission
On the music
Bach’s St. Matthew Passion is a monumental work of drama, devotion, and unparalleled musical genius. With its soul-stirring arias, intricately woven chorales, and emotionally charged narrative, this spiritual masterpiece remains one of the greatest choral works ever written. Under the baton of Jean-Sébastien Vallée, the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, along with exceptional soloists and instrumentalists, brings Bach’s timeless music to life in a profoundly iconic performance.
Buy Tickets – Mar 24
Buy Tickets – Mar 25
About the Artwork
The Embrace by Fabrizio Sclocco. Fabrizio Sclocco’s work interrogates the fluidity of identity and the complexities of selfhood. His paintings depict figures that resist conventional categorization, occupying a space between vulnerability and strength.

Singsation with Elaine Choi
2026-04-11 10:30 - 13:00 | Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St., Toronto, Ontario, M4T 1Z9, Canada
Join Elaine Choi for a Singsation workshop.
It’s a community singing workshop, and a wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning – with people who love to sing!
The Theme: Finding Resilience Through Song

In October of 2024, conductor, educator, and friend of TMChoir, Elaine Choi was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her public display of resilience as she embarked on her cancer journey has inspired musicians across the country. Together, we will journey with Elaine through the music that showed her adversity in the darkness, enabled her to find courage within, and most importantly, build an unwavering community of support and love. Experience how repertoire creates connection and highlights our shared resilience in this Singsation. Immerse yourself in the art of togetherness, and celebrate the strength found in hope and human connection – through song!
Your Conductor:
Elaine Choi (D.M.A.) immerses herself in Canada’s vibrant choral community as a conductor, educator, adjudicator, chorister, and collaborative pianist. She currently serves as Director of Music at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church, Artistic Director of Pax Christi Chorale, and Founder & Artistic Director of Babεl, an ensemble dedicated to highlighting choral music of the Asian diaspora. Active nationally and internationally, she has led performances at the PODIUM National Choral Conference (2024), Ontario Youth Choir (2024), Luminato Festival (2025), AMIS Festival (2025/2026), and the Bangkok International Choral Festival (2022), among others. Elaine earned her Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from the University of Toronto under the mentorship of Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt and was awarded the Ontario Arts Council’s 2023 Leslie Bell Prize.
Learn more about Elaine Choi.
The workshop will take place in Cameron Hall at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church.
Ticket: $15 (+ fees) online or $20 at the door
Register for the Workshop
Singsation is made possible through the support of our donors

The Sacred Veil
2026-04-25 19:30 | Metropolitan United Church, 56 Queen St E, Toronto, ON, M5C 2Z3, Canada
In this performance
The Sacred Veil by Eric Whitacre
Mystical Hope by Stephanie Martin (TMChoir Commission & World Premiere)

Runtime: 90-minutes, no intermission
On the music
Grammy Award-winning composer Eric Whitacre’s The Sacred Veil is a deeply personal meditation on love, loss, and healing. Written with poet Charles Anthony Silvestri, it tells the true story of Silvestri’s wife, Julie, who passed away from ovarian cancer at 36. Through its luminous harmonies and intimate text, the piece explores the profound connection between love and grief. “Heartbreaking but also bracing” (LA Times), this poignant work is presented in partnership with Metropolitan United Church as a vigil for Cancer Awareness Month.
Buy Tickets – April 25
About the Artwork
Lionhearted by Michelle Marin. Michelle Marin creates intimate paintings, drawing on her technical knowledge as a craftsperson and artist, as well as her experiences and observations as a healthcare worker, to explore what it means to be human.
