Here’s what’s coming up of note in the next few weeks.

There are some interesting things coming up at the UoT Faculty of Music.  On January 17th at 7.30pm there’s an opera double bill in Walter Hall featuring Toshio Hosokawa’s The Raven and The Maiden from the Sea (Futari Shizuka).  Kristina Szabó features in the first piece with Xin Wang in the second.  The composer conducts.  See Wallace’s comment below for more information. Then at 2.30pm on January 20th in the MacMillan there’s the Student Opera Collective show.  The libretto, as ever, is by Michael Patrick Albano.  This time it’s a black comedy whodunnit about the death of Adriana Lacouvreur.

The COC winter season gets underway with Strauss’ Elektra.  Opening night is January 26th and it runs until February 22nd with the big draw being Christine Goerke in the title role.  It’s a revival of the James Robinson production directed this time by the young Israeli director Omer Ben Seadia.  Johannes Debus conducts.  The companion piece is also a revival.  It’s Atom Egoyan’s take on Mozart’s Così fan tutte.  It runs February 5th to 23rd with Bernard Labadie conducting.  There’s also the “season reveal” on February 4th.  All of this at the Four Seasons Centre of course.

The Confluence season continues on January 26th at 8pm with Centuries of Souls at St. Thomas’ Anglican (Huron Street).  The program includes works by Hildegard von Bingen, Johannes Ockeghem’s Requiem, Josquin des Prez’ Nymphes des bois: La Déploration de Johannes Ockeghem and selected organ works by Messiaen.

On January 27th at 2 pm in Mazzoleni Hall it’s the latest in the Songmasters series.  It’s a show called Winter Words featuring mezzo-soprano Lucia Cervoni and tenor Michael Colvin in works by Britten, Mahler and others.

On January 31st and February 2nd the TSO is doing a concert version of Act 1 of Wagner’s Die Walküre.  Andrew Davies conducts with Simon O’Neill and Lise Davidsen as the Walsungs and Brindley Sherratt as Hagen.

Also on February 2nd at 7.30pm there’s the Glenn Gould School Vocal Showcase in Mazzoleni Hall.  Or, alternatively, there’s French Squeeze at 8.30pm at Hugh’s Room.  That’s tenor and accordionist Jacques Arsenault with mezzo Marjorie Maltais in popular French rep.

In free  lunchtime concerts in the RBA there’s the Ensemble Studio with instrumentalists of the COC Academy on the 22nd in a program called Opera Through the Ages while on the 29th Michael Schade is joined by Sandra Horst and Marie Bérard in a tribute to Irish tenor John McCormack and violinist Fritz Kreisler.

I’m going to be out of the country from Feb 8th to the 17th but there a couple of things on at the TSO that I’ll be sorry to miss.  On the 13th and 14th Barbara Hannigan is singing and conducting.  If you have never seen her do this, do yourself a favour and go.  On the 15th and 16th they are screening Casablanca with Evan Mitchell conducting the music.  Sad to miss both of these but there you go.

And finally, if you have ever had the urge to see La Traviata in Iceland (and who hasn’t) here’s your chance.  Iain Scott of Opera-IS is organising a trip to opera.is in March.  Details.