Orchestra Toronto

We’re delighted to introduce our new principal trumpet player: Sam Cancellara!

Sam Cancellara holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Performance from the University of Toronto where he studied with Professor Stephen Chennette. He has studied at the Banff School of Fine Arts with the Canadian Brass, Armando Ghitalla, Robert Nagel and David Hickman as well as in Toronto with Larry Weeks. Further studies have taken him to The Aspen Music Festival in Colorado with members of The American Brass Quintet.

He has performed professionally with The Canadian Opera Company, Hannaford Street Silver Band, numerous brass ensembles and Symphony Orchestras.

We’re pleased to welcome Iranian-Canadian composer, conductor, and pianist Maziar Heidari as a judge for Orchestra Toronto’s Composition Competition.

Based in Toronto, Maziar has built a career spanning composition, conducting, performance, and music education. He has conducted with Orchestra Toronto, the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and currently serves as Music Director and Conductor for Toronto Chinese Orchestra, and previously served as a composer, pianist, and assistant conductor with Iran’s National Music Orchestra.

A co-founder and Music Director of the Iranian-Canadian Composers of Toronto (ICOT), Maziar is passionate about creating opportunities for new music and bringing Canadian and Iranian musical traditions together. His honours include an RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award, the Canada 150 Medal, and the Tirgan Festival Trophy. He has also served as a JUNO Awards juror and is an Associate Composer with the Canadian Music Centre.

We’re thrilled to have his experience and perspective on our judging panel as we celebrate the next generation of composers.

🚨Applications for Orchestra Toronto’s 26-27 Conducting Apprenticeships is NOW OPEN! Submissions close on Tuesday, October 13 at 11:59pm.🚨

More info & application link: https://www.orchestratoronto.ca/community-education/https/orchestratorontoca/orchestra/conducting-apprenticeships-in-2026-27

For conductors at the early stages of their careers, opportunities to practice their craft with a live orchestra can be difficult to come by. “Podium time” at music schools is in short supply. An apprenticeship with Orchestra Toronto offers emerging conductors the chance to work with the Orchestra throughout the rehearsal cycle for one concert, (from initial read-through to the final performance) giving each Apprentice opportunities to lead the orchestra, in order to perfect their craft. In addition, conductors receive coaching and mentoring from Music Director Michael Newnham.

A huge shoutout to RBC Foundation for sponsoring this year’s Apprentice Conductor program.

We’re thrilled to welcome acclaimed Chinese-Canadian composer Alice Ping Yee Ho as a judge for Orchestra Toronto’s Composition Competition.

Ho has built a remarkable career spanning opera, orchestral, chamber, dance, theatre, and electroacoustic music. Her work often brings together Eastern and Western musical traditions, creating a distinctive and deeply expressive musical voice.

Her many honours include the 2024 Jules Léger Prize for New Chamber Music, the 2022 Barlow Endowment Commissioning Award, the 2019 Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prize, and the 2013 Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Original Opera. She is also a three-time JUNO Award nominee, with her music performed by ensembles and orchestras across Canada and around the world.

Orchestra Toronto will be performing Ho’s “Jubilation of Spring” at ‘The Sound of Spring’ on Sunday, April 18, 2027!

We’re thrilled to have her experience and perspective on our judging panel as we discover the next generation of composers.

Join us on Sunday, November 1st at 3pm for our season premiere: TURN OF THE CENTURY - Elgar, Beach & Sibelius.

Featuring a program that centers on three remarkable works composed in 1899, a pivotal year at the threshold to a new century.

On the program:
* Elgar: Enigma Variations
* Beach: Piano Concerto
* Sibelius: Finlandia

Conducted by Michael Newnham and featuring special guest pianist Anya Alexeyev, this is one you won’t want to miss!

Single tickets and subscriptions available now!

A HUGE thank you goes out to
We’re honoured to be one of 25 organizations receiving a Toronto Vital Signs grant.

This grant supports organizations creating opportunities for people to connect, belong, and build trust across differences, values that are at the heart of what we do at Orchestra Toronto. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce that we’ll be using this grant to kickstart our Welcome Seats program.

This program provides free concert tickets to newcomers arriving in Canada. It aims to give music lovers who are new to Canada the ability to enjoy a concert without worrying about the challenges of resettling.

We’re grateful to be part of a community working to make Toronto a more connected and inclusive place.

We’re thrilled to welcome acclaimed Canadian film composer Mychael Danna as a judge for Orchestra Toronto’s Composition Competition.

Born in Winnipeg and raised in Toronto, Danna is an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Emmy-winning composer whose distinctive scores blend orchestral music with influences from around the world. His celebrated work includes Life of Pi, for which he won both the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Score, as well as Moneyball, The Sweet Hereafter, Little Miss Sunshine, (500) Days of Summer, The Breadwinner and so much more.

With a career spanning film, television, and concert music, Danna brings a remarkable depth of experience to our judging panel. We’re honoured to have his expertise helping discover the next generation of Canadian composers.

Interested composers (35 and under) can visit our website for more info and how to apply to Orchestra Toronto’s prestigious Composer Competition.

🚨 Last call! We’re auditioning for the 2026-27 season, with immediate openings for strings.

With rehearsals starting next week, we encourage all interested musicians (community or professional) to email Blerina at [email protected] to schedule your informal audition!

Season rehearsals are held in the rehearsal studio of Meridian Arts Centre, 5040 Yonge Street (between Sheppard and Finch) on Thursday evenings from 7:30 to 10:00 p.m.

Whether you’re a community musician or a professional, we want YOU to join us for our 2026-27 season, and feel the thrill of being a part of our legacy.