Toronto Mendelssohn Choir

Visionaries: Vivaldi & DaVinci
2025-02-08 19:30 (America/Toronto) | 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.
