There may not be a lot of opera per se in Hogtown during the summer but there’s a fair amount of music of interest to the likes of us.

Toronto Summer Music Festival has some interesting offerings.  The opening night concert, Americans in Paris, features Measha Brueggergosman in works by Gershwin, Bolcom and copland as well as instrumental pieces.  And pretty much closing the festival out is a Karita Mattila recital with Bryan Wagorn on piano, on August 7th in a recital that includes works by Strauss, Sibelius and Sallinen.  Details at www.torontosummermusic.com.

Panamania, the “cultural” side of the festival of sports you’ve never heard of currently holding the city to ransom is pretty eclectic and predictably has more world music type stuff than classical but there is a fully staged production of Nicole Brooks’ Obeah Opera.  It runs August 4th to 8th at the Young Centre at the Distillery.  I saw this in workshop last year and had mixed feelings about it but I am curious to see the finished article.

Finally, Canadian countertenor Michael Taylor has a recital of works by Handel and contemporaries in the Music Garden at Harbourfront at 7pm on July 16th.  Sadly, for me, this clashes with the Brueggergosman gig.  I rather liked Michael’s recent CD To Die, to Sleep.