Best Concerts of 2022

There was such a return to concert activity, that I found that quite often there were very interesting concerts occurring on the same day.  What a dilemma.

These are some of the highlights for me:

Feb.:

Angela Hewitt plays Bach & Mozart (TSO)

April:
Dvořák's New World Symphony (TSO)

Amici Schubert's Octet

The Magnetic Fields (Queen Elizabeth Theatre) (a solid setlist, though I would have loved to have heard "God Wants Us to Wait" and "'92 Weird Diseases")

(Joshua) Redman · (Christian) McBride · (Brian) Blade: A MoodSwing Reunion (Actually Brad Mehldau was ill and didn't make the gig, but it was still a great show)

May:
Tafelmusik: Bach's Brandenburg Concertos (presented in Koerner Hall for a change)

Joshua Bell (TSO)

June:
Celebrating R. Murray Schafer (a free concert presented by Soundstreams at Grace Church-on-the-Hill)

The Watchmen w/ Skye Wallace as the opening act (Lee's Palace)

July:
Orford String Quartet performing Antonín Dvořák: “American” String Quartet in F 

Mendelssohn's Octet at TO Summer Music Festival

Sarah McLachlan (Budweiser Stage)

August:
Spoon & Interpol & Metric (Budweiser Stage) (The Spoon lead singer says the next time through Toronto will be a real show not just as an opening act, so I'll keep my eyes open for that.)

Barenaked Ladies & The Ginblossoms & Toad the Wet Sprocket (Budweiser Stage)  (Apparently, Kim Mitchell joined them for the Toronto show but wasn't part of the tour.  I didn't grow up with him on the radio and am not that familiar with his work, but I did think he played a mean guitar.  I'm glad I showed up early as Toad started before the official start time!  And they were one of the main reasons I went out to Budweiser Stage!)

Sept.:
Tafelmusik: Handel's London

Tomson Highway delivered his 5th Massey lecture on the Trickster at Koerner Hall.  (The lectures should be available here.)

Oct.:
Tafelmusik: Mendelssohn's Octet and Louise Farrenc's Nonet

Emerson String Quartet - Their farewell tour and final concert in Toronto (Koerner Hall)

Nov.:
Skye Wallace (headliner for first time at Lee's Palace)

Yo-Yo Ma performing Dvořák's Cello Concerto.

Esprit Orchestra: Violinissimo

Dec.:
Itzhak Perlman and Friends (Roy Thomson Hall)

The Lowest of the Low (Lee's Palace)

Two separate concerts by Kronos Quartet at Koerner Hall, including one where they were playing live accompaniment to a documentary film about Kronos.  Apparently, the cellist will be leaving Kronos soon, and this was her last Canadian performance!

Generally these were all great, though a few things didn't work as planned.  I somehow missed the pre-show concert in Oct. when Yefim Bronfman came through, and to be honest, the rest of the concert didn't click for me (largely because I was so mad at myself for getting my wires crossed).  Also, Tinariwen was supposed to play the Danforth Music Hall but cancelled without any explanation.  A few concerts or rather tours that were cancelled due to COVID were simply never rescheduled or at least Toronto was skipped, which was super aggravating.  While Maxim Vengerov's concert was postponed again, it should take place in just a few more weeks, so something to start off January on a strong note.  In general, concert tickets, particularly for rock shows, are completely out of hand, and there are several concerts I passed on due to exorbitant prices; that is certainly not likely to change in 2023 sadly. 

I don't know that I have any real favourites, but I certainly had never expected to see The Magnetic Fields live, so in that sense it was a highlight.  I suppose the two Kronos Quartet concerts and seeing Emerson Quartet on their farewell tour were also quite special.  And of course, I need to give a shout out to Yo-Yo Ma, who always is so enthusiastic in all his musical ventures (and an amusing cameo in the film Glass Onion).  I've seen him at least a couple times previously.

Edit: I should have mentioned that more informal music was back as well.  I never did get around to going to see anything at The Rex, but Streetcar Crowsnest had musicians, mostly jazz acts, come in for Crowsnest Corner on Thurs-Sat once the curtain fell on the plays, at several times over the year.  There was no cover for those shows, but I always bought lemonade from the bar.  I saw Alison Au a couple of times there and once at the Only Café up on Danforth.  (I hope this initiative returns.)   I also saw a couple of free lunchtime concerts at St. Andrew's, which I had always been meaning to but never done previously.  In 2023, I will continue to seek out these opportunities and perhaps make a bigger effort to get out to the jazz fest this summer.