2025 Festival

BRASS IN THE PARK

We open the Festival with the traditional free outdoor concert.

For over twenty years the True North Brass, representing five of Canada’s most prominent orchestral brass players, has been a prominent fixture on the landscape of Canadian music life. Festival favourites, this brass quintet presents an eclectic program of music for a sunny summer afternoon.

Friday September 12 @ 7:30 pm
St.Mary Magdalene Anglican Church, Picton

THE KITCHEN REVUE

In Martinů’s witty curtain-raiser The Kitchen Revue, CBC’s Tom Allen spins a charming tale, accompanied by live music, in which a variety of cooking utensils swagger their way through a naïve episode of kitchen life. The marriage of Pot and Lid is in danger of being broken up by the suave Twirling Stick. Pot succumbs to his flattery. Dishcloth makes eyes at Lid but is challenged to a duel by Broom. Pot, however, tires of Twirling Stick and longs for Lid’s caresses, but Lid cannot be found anywhere. Suddenly an enormous foot appears from the wings and kicks him back on stage. Pot and Lid kiss and make up and, flirting once again, Twirling Stick goes off with Dishcloth. Accompanying this lovely instrumental opera are equally charming works by Mozart, Bottesini, Saint-Saens and Composer-in-Residence Dinuk Wijeratne, featuring The Swiss Piano Trio “one of the very top piano trio ensembles on today’s stage“, and Canadian icons Guy Few, Mathieu Lussier, James Campbell and Joel Quarrington.

Saturday, September 13  @ 3:00 pm
St.Mary Magdalene Anglican Church, Picton

THE DINUK WIJERATNE JAZZ TRIO

Dinuk Wijeratne’s extensive body of work encompasses piano-led and improvisation-based music, and as a pianist, he leads his own trio in heartfelt original pieces in this afternoon’s concert. Joining Wijeratne are two exceptional musicians: versatile percussionist Nick Halley, known for his collaborations with American icon James Taylor, and two-time ECMA award-winning jazz bassist Tom Easley, one of Eastern Canada’s finest musicians.

POPULAR TUNES FROM VIENNA TO THE NEW WORLD

Dubbed “Canada’s premier clarinetist” by the Ottawa Citizen, James Campbell has performed as soloist and chamber musician in over 35 countries with over 60 orchestras including the Boston Pops, Montreal Symphony and the London Symphony. Together with The Swiss Piano Trio and Young Artist and award-winning teenage violinist Justin Saulnier, he presents an attractive concert of music inspired by folk melodies from Ireland, Germany and the US.

Friday, September 19 @ 7:30 pm
St.Mary Magdalene Anglican Church, Picton

ARION BAROQUE ENSEMBLE

Well-known as one of Canada’s most celebrated Baroque ensembles, the clarity and freshness of the Arion Baroque Ensemble’s interpretations of Baroque music have been hailed by critics nationally and internationally. The Arion Ensemble presents a varied 18th Century program of music by Telemann, Vivaldi, Boismortier, Platti and Chédeville, featuring Vincent Lauzer on recorder, Mathieu Lussier on bassoon, Amanda Keesmaat on cello, Hank Knox on harpsichord and Sylvain Bergeron on guitar.

Saturday, September 20 @ 7:30 pm
St.Mary Magdalene Anglican Church, Picton

FOUR PLAY CELLO!

The cello has been described as the instrument closest to the human voice. Four cellists, colleagues and friends come together to explore and let their hair down in music from Vivaldi to The Beatles to Metallica. Artistic Director Paul Marleyn is joined by the Principal Cellist of the Canadian Opera Company Leana Rutt, Raphael Weinroth-Browne – the cellist in the iconic Norwegian progressive rock band Leprous, and talented emerging Nova Scotia cellist Jacob MacDonald.

Sunday, September 21 @ 3:00 pm
St.Mary Magdalene Anglican Church, Picton

INSPIRED BY LOVE

Join us for a memorable Sunday afternoon journey together with the Kreutzer Sonata, as it takes us on a European tour from Germany to Russia to the Czech Republic and back to Germany.
A performance of Beethoven’s Kreutzer Violin Sonata sets the scene, before CBC star Tom Allen narrates from Russian author Tolstoy’s short story entitled The Kreutzer Sonata, in which Tolstoy describes how two amateur musicians fall in love while playing the Beethoven violin sonata together. This dramatic short story in turn inspired the celebrated Czech composer Janacek to write a passionate and startlingly beautiful string quartet entitled “The Kreutzer Sonata” String Quartet, which will be played by the Penderecki String Quartet.
In the second half, a short work by Dinuk Wijeratne entitled “I will not let you go” leads us into a festival finale performance of Brahms beloved G major Sextet, inspired by the composer’s secret love for Agathe von Siebold.