Here’s what I’m looking forward to in February plus a few gigs I can’t make:

• February 1st and 2nd the Chicago Symphony and Riccardo Muti are performing at Koerner Hall.  It’s a rare opportunity to hear a top orchestra in the wonderful Koerner acoustic but it’s probably sold out already.
• On February 3rd the COC opens a run of Richard Strauss’ Salome with Ambur Braid in the title role and a stellar supporting cast.  Hard core Braid fans (and that includes me) know that this is a role she was born to sing.  It’s an Atom Egoyan production and he’ll likely tweak it but here’s a link to my review of the 2013 run.
• February 6th sees the return of the Quilico Awards; a competition for the singers of the Ensemble Studio.  That’s at 5.30pm in the RBA and it’s free.

The 11th is a busy day.  The NAC Orchestra is in town with Joshua Hopkins and a programme that includes Jake Heggie and Margaret Atwood’s Songs for Murdered Sisters.  That’s at Roy Thomson Hall at 8pm.  Also that night Opera Revue have an opera/burlesque night.  Debauchery at the Dakota is at 7pm and details and tickets are here.

Moving on…

• On the 19th at 2.30pm at the St. Lawrence Centre VOICEBOX are doing Cherubini’s Médée with Nalalya Gennadi in the title role.
• And on the 22nd at 8pm at Koerner Hall it’s Emily D’Angelo in recital.  It’s an interesting programme with some material from her enargeia album, some Schoenberg, lots of female composers and plenty of CanCon.  Emily marches to her own drum!

Besides the Quilico awards the following free lunchtime concerts in the RBA may be of interest:

• February 7th: Luca Pisaroni
• February 14th: Carolyn Sproule
• February 21st: Les Adieux from Alex Halliday and Midori Marsh.

I’m sure there will be more in the back half of the month. but that’s it for now.