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Check out all of our upcoming concerts and events!

This is just a glimpse of our upcoming events! Explore our full calendar to discover more incredible performances.

Messiah | Le Messie

Wednesday, December 10, 2025 7:30 PMTickets | Billets

Ottawa Wine Auction | Enchères de vins

Friday, December 12, 2025 7:00 PMTickets | Billets

Christmas with Music and Beyond | Noël avec Musique et Autres Mondes

Sunday, December 21, 2025 7:30 PMTickets | Billets

Fifteen Highlights for Fifteen Years!

2025 marks the 15th anniversary of Music and Beyond! Over the past fifteen years, we’ve shared with you so many unforgettable moments, extraordinary performances, and inspiring collaborations. In the coming weeks, we’ll revisit some of our favourite highlights — fifteen memorable moments that capture the spirit of Music and Beyond. Over fifteen years and more than 900 concerts, Music and Beyond has created countless inspiring events and experiences — and in addition to our top fifteen, we’ll be sharing 30 more exceptional milestones from this exciting journey.

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No. 1 | Christopher Plummer

Christopher Plummer is widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest actors, a performer of rare eloquence and authority whose career spanned more than seven decades on the international stage and screen. Equally acclaimed in Shakespeare, Hollywood cinema, and modern drama, he was admired globally for the depth, refinement, and intelligence he brought to every role. Richard Ouzounian of the Toronto Star, wrote: “Christopher Plummer is, quite simply, the greatest actor Canada has ever produced.” Christopher Plummer and Julian Armour worked together for three months to create a show called Shakespeare and Music, which opened the 2011 Music and Beyond festival. It was a massive success and was later brought to the Banff Centre and again to Music and Beyond in 2016. In 2021, Canada Post issued a stamp in his honour.

Words, music and Christopher Plummer

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Complete Brandenburg Concertos

Johann Sebastian Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos are among the most celebrated masterpieces in all of music, remarkable for their dazzling inventiveness, virtuosic writing, and bold reimagining of the concerto form. Each concerto showcases a different instrumental combination, turning the set into a brilliant exploration of colour, texture, and contrapuntal imagination that has shaped orchestral writing for three centuries. The Freiburg Baroque Orchestra stands as one of the world’s leading period-instrument ensembles, renowned for its precision, energy, and scholarly depth; its interpretations of Bach are internationally admired for their vitality, clarity, and historically informed brilliance. In 2024, Music and Beyond listeners were treated to an electrifying performance of the complete Brandenburg Concertos with the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra.

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Two musical Wedding Celebrations!

Two of the very best concerts in the 15-year history of Music and Beyond came about from two different couples who wanted to celebrate significant wedding anniversaries through music. In 2014, Jonathan Crone and Nathalie Schiebel wanted to celebrate their 20th anniversary in spectacular style. They chose to sponsor an all-Gershwin concert to close the 2014 Music and Beyond festival, which included Rhapsody in Blue in its rarely-heard 1926 orchestration for theatre orchestra. The hall was packed and the audience went crazy! In 2012, we celebrated the 50th wedding anniversary of Teena and Walter Hendelman with a fabulous program of music by Jewish composers. They sponsored the concert, invited their whole neighbourhood and all of their contacts, friends and family. Both events were incredibly brilliant and classy ways to celebrate landmark wedding anniversaries!

Ottawa Citizen: Rhapsody for Two

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No. 2 | Brian Law

Probably no one has made a greater contribution to Ottawa’s musical life than Brian Law. In 2019, Music and Beyond closed its festival with a gala concert in which he conducted nearly every ensemble he had led or conducted during his 25 years in the city — including the Ottawa Choral Society, Thirteen Strings, the Cantata Singers, the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, the Ottawa Youth Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Opera Lyra, the Ontario Youth Choir, and the Choir of St. Matthew’s Church. Julian Armour called it “the greatest concert I have ever had the honour of presenting!”

Ottawa Citizen: MUSICIANS GALORE WILL FÊTE CONDUCTOR BRIAN LAW AT HIS HOMECOMING CONCERT

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Music and Law

Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin is one of Canada’s most influential jurists, serving as the first woman Chief Justice of Canada and the longest-serving Chief Justice in the nation’s history (2000–2017). Revered for her clarity, fairness, and leadership, she guided the Supreme Court through landmark decisions on rights, equality, and constitutional law, profoundly shaping modern Canadian jurisprudence and strengthening public confidence in the justice system. We were honoured to welcome her to Music and Beyond on multiple occasions, where she spoke engagingly about the legal challenges faced by great composers, followed by live performances of works connected to the issues she explored. Several of these events were filmed and are available on Music and Beyond’s YouTube channel.

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Music at Cumberland Heritage Village Museum

The Cumberland Heritage Village Museum is a beautifully preserved 1920s–1930s rural village just east of Ottawa, offering visitors an immersive window into early 20th-century life through historic homes, working farms, vintage machinery, and hands-on demonstrations. With live interpreters, heritage animals, and seasonal activities, it brings the region’s agricultural and community traditions vividly to life in a charming and authentic setting. Music and Beyond has presented numerous family events at this remarkable site, filling its grounds and historic buildings with concerts, demonstrations, games, and opportunities for children to try musical instruments — creating lively, activity-filled days that blend history, culture, creativity and fun!

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No. 3 | Music for the Royal Fireworks

They said it could never be done — and indeed, it HAD never been done. Until Music and Beyond made it happen, there had never been a live fireworks display coordinated with a live musical performance taking place in a different location. This was a world first! Please watch the video for more information — and for some spectacular fireworks paired with world-class music making!

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Angela Hewitt

Angela Hewitt is unquestionably one of the great musical treasures of Ottawa, of Canada, and of the world. Music and Beyond invited her to perform a recital while the COVID-19 pandemic continued to disrupt cultural life. In fact, the massive influx of protesting truckers made it impossible to hold her recital in central Ottawa. We quickly moved her concert out of the downtown core, and Music and Beyond audiences were treated to an exquisite performance. Thank you, Angela, for being such a trooper!

Piano Star Angela Hewitt Plays On Through Pandemics and Protests

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No. 4 | An Evening With John Rutter

John Rutter is one of the world’s most beloved choral composers and conductors, renowned for his luminous melodies, uplifting harmonies, and universal appeal. As the world’s most-performed living composer, his works have become cornerstones of modern choral music, celebrated by choirs and audiences across the globe for their beauty, warmth, and spiritual resonance. Sir David Willcocks once called him “the most gifted composer of his generation.” He has appeared at Music and Beyond twice, in 2018 and again in 2023.

Click here to see the video

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Ian Bostridge

Ian Bostridge is one of the world’s most acclaimed tenors, celebrated for his intellectually probing and emotionally riveting interpretations of art song—especially the music of Schubert. Combining scholarly insight with extraordinary vocal expressivity, he has reshaped modern understanding of the song repertoire and is widely regarded as one of the defining interpreters of his generation. In the fall of 2023, he offered Ottawa audiences a profoundly moving performance of Schubert’s Winterreise.

A scholar and a singer, acclaimed tenor Ian Bostridge feels totally free with Schubert’s Winterreise

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No. 5 | Jordi Savall

Jordi Savall is one of the most influential early music performers and conductors of our time, renowned for reviving forgotten repertoires and bringing the viola da gamba back to international prominence. Through his visionary concerts, he has transformed historical performance into a living, expressive art form that bridges cultures and centuries. Ottawa audiences were treated to a spectacular concert of Maestro Savall and Hespèrion XXI in November 2022. A sold-out crowd at the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre enjoyed a breath-taking evening they will never forget!

Music and Beyond: Spain’s Jordi Savall, early music ‘spy,’ brings his ensemble to Ottawa

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Sleeping Rough

Sleeping Rough is an extraordinary puppet opera by the supremely-gifted composer Roddy Elias, combining hauntingly beautiful music, striking visual design, and deeply human storytelling. Blending live musicians, singers, and expressive puppetry, the work explores themes of homelessness, compassion, and resilience with remarkable emotional depth. Its originality and artistry have made it one of the most powerful and unforgettable creations to emerge from Canada’s contemporary opera scene. It received its premiere at Music and Beyond in 2018 and was described as a “masterpiece” by many. The performance was so popular that all of the performers asked for it to be repeated in 2019!

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Pablo Ziegler

Pablo Ziegler is an Argentine pianist, composer, and bandleader celebrated as one of the foremost figures in nuevo tango, the contemporary evolution of tango pioneered by Astor Piazzolla. A longtime member of Piazzolla’s legendary quintet, Ziegler has carried the torch forward, blending tango’s passion and rhythmic vitality with jazz improvisation and classical sophistication. A Grammy and Latin Grammy Award winner, he has performed with major orchestras and ensembles around the world, establishing himself as the leading voice in keeping tango’s spirit alive while pushing it boldly into the 21st century. He opened the 2023 Music and Beyond festival and was joined by an all-star orchestra led by Canadian concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Martin Chalifour.

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No. 6 | Vienna Piano Trio Farewell Tour

Over a distinguished career spanning more than three decades, the Vienna Piano Trio was internationally acclaimed as one of the world’s finest classical music ensembles. Admired for its superb musicianship, stylistic elegance, and rich, unified sound, the Trio toured extensively, recorded award-winning albums, and earned a reputation for insightful interpretations of both the classical canon and contemporary repertoire. The trio quickly became Music and Beyond favourites, performing for many seasons in a row and often offering at least three different programs each year. In April 2022, the trio played their farewell tour. By this point the renowned cellist Clemens Hagen had joined them, and Ottawa audiences were treated to the only Canadian performance on their final tour of North America.

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Marcus Roberts

Marcus Roberts is one of the most influential jazz pianists of his generation, celebrated for his extraordinary improvisational brilliance, deep mastery of jazz traditions, and groundbreaking work reimagining the piano trio format. A longtime collaborator of Wynton Marsalis, he has performed with major orchestras around the world and is widely recognized as a leading voice in modern jazz. At Music and Beyond, Marcus Roberts delivered unforgettable performances in two different years, that showcased both his virtuosity and his unique ability to blend classical sophistication with jazz innovation. His appearance was a highlight of the festival, offering audiences a rare opportunity to experience his visionary artistry in an intimate setting.

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Kronos

The Kronos Quartet is a truly revolutionary ensemble, unlike anything ever seen in the classical world before. With the cultural profile of a major rock band and a fearless commitment to innovation, they have commissioned more than 1,000 works and collaborations, reshaping the string quartet tradition and transforming the global landscape of contemporary music. Their appearance at the 2017 Music and Beyond festival was one of the highlights of Ottawa’s summer music season!

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No. 7 | B Min Mass

On October 28, 2023, Music and Beyond presented the Canadian premiere of one of the great early music choirs and orchestras in the world – the Monteverdi Choir and the English Baroque soloists in a performance of Bach’s monumental Mass in B Minor. The concert sold out in eight days and all who attended will never forget this glorious afternoon of superb music making!

Ottawa Life: Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists

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Peter Robinson

Peter Robinson was one of Canada’s most celebrated crime and mystery writers, best known for his internationally acclaimed Inspector Banks series. With more than ten million books sold worldwide, his novels — praised for their psychological depth, vivid characters, and atmospheric storytelling — established him as a master of contemporary detective fiction. He was also a huge fan of classical music, which inspired much of his writing. In 2010, he joined Music and Beyond for a riveting concert of music inspired by his works.

Ottawa Citizen: Murder, mystery and music

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Family Music Expo

Music and Beyond has always had a strong commitment to young future generations, and offers many events each year that connect young people and music. The Ottawa Family Music Expo is a vibrant, hands-on celebration of music designed to engage audiences of all ages. The Expo brings together performers, educators, and instrument makers for a day filled with live performances, interactive workshops, and opportunities for children to try instruments from around the world. The event combines fun and discovery, inspiring a lifelong love of music in an inviting, family-friendly atmosphere.

Watch: Ottawa Family Music Expo

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No. 8 | PDQ Bach

P.D.Q. Bach is the satirical creation of composer and humorist Peter Schickele, who imagined him as the “oddest and least talented of J.S. Bach’s 20-odd children.” Through brilliant parody and musical wit, P.D.Q. Bach combines scholarly precision with outrageous comedy, offering both musicians and audiences a hilarious send-up of classical music’s traditions and pretensions. In 2013, we were delighted to welcome Peter Schickele for two unforgettable concerts — one featuring his hilariously inventive P.D.Q. Bach program, and another showcasing some of his superb “serious” compositions.

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Miloš

Miloš is one of the world’s leading classical guitarists, celebrated for his extraordinary artistry, expressive depth, and ability to bring the guitar to mainstream international audiences. A best-selling recording artist and frequent soloist with major orchestras, he has redefined the modern image of the classical guitar through his virtuosity, charisma, and innovative programming. Milos appeared twice at Music and Beyond - once in 2019 when he performed with a group of Canada’s top musicians led by violinist Marc Djokic, and then an unforgettable solo recital in 2024.

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Sam Roberts

Sam Roberts is one of Canada’s most acclaimed rock musicians and songwriters, known for his powerful voice, poetic lyrics, and dynamic performances with the Sam Roberts Band. In addition to his celebrated rock career, he is also an excellent classical violinist — a rare combination that reflects his deep musical roots and broad artistic range. Sam appeared at Music and Beyond’s Ottawa Family Music Expo in 2015, performing two free concerts that delighted audiences with a mix of popular and classical music. In 2017, he joined a group of performers from Music and Beyond for a similar performance at Canterbury High School, inspiring students with his insight, versatility and artistry.We have had the great pleasure and privilege of welcoming both composers to Music and Beyond, where their works were showcased in concerts dedicated exclusively to their music.

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No. 9 | Music of the Cold War

On two separate and unforgettable occasions, Music and Beyond partnered with one of Canada’s most fascinating landmarks — the Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum — to create a truly immersive experience that captured the public’s imagination.
Beyond the Bomb: Music of the Cold War transformed the four underground levels of the Diefenbunker into a living soundscape, with more than 75 short performances in 15 unique spaces. The event became one of the most talked-about highlights of the summer festival season, earning an Award of Excellence from the Ontario Museum Association.

Beyond: Cold War Tunes in Carp

Read the article

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Ben Heppner

Ben Heppner is one of Canada’s most celebrated tenors, renowned internationally for his powerful yet lyrical voice and his commanding interpretations of Wagner, Strauss, and other heroic operatic roles. A multiple Juno and Grammy Award winner, he sang at the Closing Gala of the 2012 Music and Beyond festival. He was also the host of our 2021 virtual Viennese Winter Ball.

Read: Ben Heppner pleases, Music and Beyond festival soars

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Ola Gjeilo & Morten Lauridsen

Ola Gjeilo and Morten Lauridsen are two of the most influential contemporary choral composers, each bringing a luminous, deeply spiritual quality to modern vocal music. Lauridsen’s radiant harmonies and timeless lyricism, exemplified in works like O Magnum Mysterium, and Gjeilo’s cinematic blend of classical, jazz, and ambient styles have both inspired choirs around the world and revitalized interest in contemporary choral composition.
We have had the great pleasure and privilege of welcoming both composers to Music and Beyond, where their works were showcased in concerts dedicated exclusively to their music.

Read: Music for the Masses - Composer aims to ‘reach, as many people as possible

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No. 10 | Branford Marsalis

Branford Marsalis is one of the most versatile and accomplished musicians of his generation, celebrated both as a master jazz saxophonist and a distinguished classical performer. A multiple Grammy Award winner, he gave his first-ever concert combining both classical and jazz in a single program at the 2014 Music and Beyond festival. Audiences were treated to two classical concertos with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, followed by a thrilling second half featuring the Branford Marsalis Quintet.

Ottawa Citizen: The Classical Side of Branford Marsalis

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Beverley Johnston

In 2021, when live concerts had come to a standstill, Music and Beyond quickly pivoted to an ambitious series of virtual productions. Among them was a complete performance of The Carnival of the Animals. The “Fossils” movement portrays a lively dance of dinosaur bones and skeletons springing to life in the night. Featuring Canadian percussion superstar Beverley Johnston, the video has now been viewed more than 78,000 times by audiences around the world!

Click here to see the video

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Festival by Request 2025

The 2025 festival reached unprecedented levels of audience satisfaction — 100% of attendees said they were satisfied with Music and Beyond, and 96.1% reported a very high level of satisfaction. For many, the highlight of the entire festival was our Closing Gala, a program entirely chosen by our audiences. Thanks to their many inspired suggestions, it was a truly wonderful concert and a tremendous success! Best of all, the entire performance was filmed and is now available to enjoy on our YouTube channel and on Music and Beyond Presents.

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No. 11 | Douglas Cardinal

Douglas Cardinal is one of Canada’s most visionary and influential architects, celebrated for his flowing organic forms that harmonize with nature and Indigenous philosophy. His groundbreaking designs — including the Canadian Museum of History — have reshaped modern architecture through a deep integration of art, culture, and spirituality. He has a profound love of music, and many of his buildings were inspired by music. In 2024, we celebrated his 90th birthday with a concert featuring music personally selected by Mr. Cardinal, accompanied by awe-inspiring projections of architecture inspired by those very works.

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Igudesmann and Joo

Igudesman & Joo are an internationally acclaimed duo known for blending brilliant musicianship with comedy, bringing classical music to life through wit, parody, and virtuoso performance. By breaking down barriers between classical and popular culture, they have introduced millions to classical music in a fresh, engaging, and hilarious way. They appeared at Music and Beyond in 2011 and 2014, performing twice to full houses on both occasions.

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Three Sides of Oliver Jones

Oliver Jones is one of Canada’s greatest jazz pianists and a true cultural icon, whose virtuosic playing bridges classical discipline and jazz improvisation. In 2014, we celebrated his remarkable artistry with a concert called Three Sides of Oliver Jones, featuring performances with his jazz trio, a classical-and-jazz collaboration with then-14-year-old pianist Daniel Clarke Bouchard, and a grand finale with Neil Yorke-Slader and the Nepean All-City Jazz Band, composed of exceptionally talented young musicians aged 15 to 20.

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No. 12 | Ottawa Tourism Award - Event of the Year

Each year, Music and Beyond generates millions of dollars in visitor spending while promoting Ottawa around the world with its more than 500 videos. In a single season, the Music and Beyond web site receives visits from more than 140 different countries. This was recognized when Music and Beyond was named Event of the Year at the 2018 Ottawa Tourism Awards!

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Dame Emmma Kirkby

Few artists have illuminated the world of music as radiantly as Dame Emma Kirkby — her luminous voice and pioneering spirit have made her one of the most beloved and influential figures in classical music. She has appeared at Music and Beyond twice: at the July 2011 Music and Beyond festival, and for a fundraising concert that took place in February 2014. Renowned designed Justina McCaffrey displayed two beautiful gowns that were inspired by the voice of Dame Emma. She writes, "I have always used classical music as a catalyst when designing my collections."

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No. 13 | Vikram Seth

Renowned novelist and poet Vikram Seth stands among the most celebrated literary voices of our time, bridging the worlds of literature and music with extraordinary insight and lyricism. In 2012, he came to Music and Beyond for five unforgettable events, including a concert based on his acclaimed novel, An Equal Music, and the world's first performance of a cycle of four concerts called the Rivered Earth, which he created with the British composer Alec Roth.

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Come and Sing with John Rutter

In 2023, Choral legend and the world's most performed living composer, john Rutter, came to Ottawa for the second time. He suggested that we present an event called "Come and Sing with John Rutter." The Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre was filled with singers from many different choirs who had a once-in-a-lifetime chance to sing with this world-renowned musician!

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No. 14 | Kathleen Battle

Widely considered one of the greatest sopranos of all time, Kathleen Battle has performed at Music and Beyond on two occasions. Time Magazine called her “the best lyric coloratura soprano in the world.” In 2010, she gave a recital at our inaugural festival, and in December 2013, she returned to perform as part of Christmas with Music and Beyond. Joined by a range of musicians from Ottawa and across Canada, she also performed “Silent Night” with the Ottawa Regional Youth Choir, the Capital Chamber Choir, and the Nepean High School Choir.

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Howard Shore

Howard Shore is one of today’s foremost composers, whose music is performed in concert halls around the world by the most prestigious orchestras and heard in cinemas across the globe. His scores for more than 80 films, including The Lord of the Rings trilogy, have solidified his reputation as one of the greatest film composers of all time. In 2011, Howard Shore composed a piece for Music and Beyond, which was performed by cellists Julian Armour and Denise Djokic, together with the Vancouver choir musica intima. The performance was broadcast across Canada on CBC Radio.

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No. 15 | National Gallery Soirée

Among the most ambitious and successful events in the 15-year history of Music and Beyond were our two National Gallery Soirées, held in 2015 and 2017, during which the National Gallery of Canada was transformed with more than 150 short performances throughout the building, each pairing the art of its gallery with music.These events each attracted over 1,500 people, and drew media coverage from across Canada. The 2015 National Gallery Soirée won Partnership of the Year at the Ottawa Tourism Awards. After attending the soirée in 2017 , Christophe Huss from Le Devoir called Music and Beyond “...the most creative and interesting classical festival in the country.”

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Nagamo

In May, 2024, the Vancouver-based chamber choir, musica intima, presented a very exciting program called “NAGAMO”. This was a fascinating and deeply-moving concert of early Baroque composers, William Byrd, Henry Purcell and Thomas Tallis - reimagined into Cree and Ojibway by indigenous composer Andrew Balfour. It also included original works by Balfour, and many people left the concert in tears.

Check out all of our upcoming concerts and events!

Messiah | Le Messie

Ottawa Wine Auction | Enchères de vins

Christmas with Music and Beyond | Noël avec Musique et Autres Mondes

Fifteen Highlights for Fifteen Years!

Music and Beyond 2025 Highlights

Thank you to our Sponsors

Check out all of our upcoming concerts and events!

Messiah | Le Messie

Ottawa Wine Auction | Enchères de vins

Christmas with Music and Beyond | Noël avec Musique et Autres Mondes

Fifteen Highlights for Fifteen Years!

Music and Beyond 2025 Highlights

Thank you to our Sponsors

Donation

William Snyder