Confluence Concerts

More big news as we end the 2025-2026 season…

-After seven seasons with Confluence, our Managing Director Jennifer Collins is retiring from the day-to-day operations. You won't see her at concerts in the coming season while she and her husband embark on some extended travel, but she will be working behind the scenes on our grant activities. We are tremendously grateful to Jennifer for the expert guidance she has shown, for her kind leadership and we wish her well on her travels!

-Máiri Demings, our Marketing and Production Manager, will move into the role of Operations Manager. We've been working with Mairi since her participation in Side-by-Side in 2024. She has become an invaluable member of the artistic and administrative team, and we are thrilled to welcome her into her new, expanded role.

-Artistic Producer Larry Beckwith is retiring this month from his position at Unionville High School after a deeply rewarding teaching career. He looking forward to ramping up day-to-day work with Confluence, offering more regular episodes of our podcast, other enrichment material and events, doing some longer-range planning and working closely with Máiri to keep the organization moving forward in new and exciting ways.

📸: Andrew Obtinella and Dahlia Katz

We are very pleased to announce not one but TWO Young Artistic Associates for our upcoming season, and they are artists who will be familiar to Confluence audiences: singer and theatre artist Anika Venkatesh and pianist and composer Michael Spiroff.

Stay tuned to learn more about these impressive young artists.

There’s still time to apply!

🚨Side-by-Side applications due this Sunday!

Program dates: August 11-20, 2026

Calling all musicians between the ages of 18 and 28 who want to learn more about program curation, repertoire selection, music arranging, approaches to collaboration and networking. We are seeking between 8 and 14 young musical artists to spend a week and a half with the Confluence Concerts’ Associate Artists and special guests to learn, collaborate and create.
Between August 11th and 20th, you will have the opportunity to engage in workshops, coachings, repertoire prep and collaboration with the Confluence Team (Larry Beckwith, Andrew Downing, Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野, Patricia O’Callaghan, Suba Sankaran and Máiri Demings) and participate in a culminating concert at Heliconian Hall on the evening of August 20th.
The workshop will consist of a combination of in-person and online sessions.
There is no cost for this program and an honorarium will be provided for each participant.

If you are interested in participating in Side-by-Side, please send a resume, cover letter and example of your work to Marketing and Production Manager Máiri Demings at [email protected] by May 31st, 2026.
______________________________
Confluence Concerts is a collaborative company of diverse creative artists dedicated to personal, thought-provoking and moving presentations of high quality. This is the second iteration of Side-by-Side, building on the tremendous success of our first program in February, 2024.

🚨Side-by-Side applications due this Sunday!

Program dates: August 11-20, 2026

Calling all musicians between the ages of 18 and 28 who want to learn more about program curation, repertoire selection, music arranging, approaches to collaboration and networking. We are seeking between 8 and 14 young musical artists to spend a week and a half with the Confluence Concerts’ Associate Artists and special guests to learn, collaborate and create.
Between August 11th and 20th, you will have the opportunity to engage in workshops, coachings, repertoire prep and collaboration with the Confluence Team (Larry Beckwith, Andrew Downing, Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野, Patricia O’Callaghan, Suba Sankaran and Máiri Demings) and participate in a culminating concert at Heliconian Hall on the evening of August 20th.
The workshop will consist of a combination of in-person and online sessions.
There is no cost for this program and an honorarium will be provided for each participant.

If you are interested in participating in Side-by-Side, please send a resume, cover letter and example of your work to Marketing and Production Manager Máiri Demings at [email protected] by May 31st, 2026.
______________________________
Confluence Concerts is a collaborative company of diverse creative artists dedicated to personal, thought-provoking and moving presentations of high quality. This is the second iteration of Side-by-Side, building on the tremendous success of our first program in February, 2024.

SIDE-BY-SIDE DEADLINE EXTENDED TO MAY 31ST!

Program dates: August 11-20, 2026

Calling all musicians between the ages of 18 and 28 who want to learn more about program curation, repertoire selection, music arranging, approaches to collaboration and networking. We are seeking between 8 and 14 young musical artists to spend a week and a half with the Confluence Concerts’ Associate Artists and special guests to learn, collaborate and create.

Between August 11th and 20th, you will have the opportunity to engage in workshops, coachings, repertoire prep and collaboration with the Confluence Team (Larry Beckwith, Andrew Downing, Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野, Patricia O’Callaghan, Suba Sankaran and Máiri Demings) and participate in a culminating concert at Heliconian Hall on the evening of August 20th.

The workshop will consist of a combination of in-person and online sessions.
There is no cost for this program and an honorarium will be provided for each participant.

If you are interested in participating in Side-by-Side, please send a resume, cover letter and example of your work to Marketing and Production Manager Máiri Demings at [email protected] by May 15th, 2026.

______________________________
Confluence Concerts is a collaborative company of diverse creative artists dedicated to personal, thought-provoking and moving presentations of high quality. This is the second iteration of Side-by-Side, building on the tremendous success of our first program in February, 2024.

Thanks to everyone who joined us for our final concert of the season, Queens, Divas and Icons, Oh My!

See you in September for another season of creative, joyous and inspiring music making…

Last chance! See you today at 7:30 (6:45 for the pre-concert chat). Tickets available at the door or confluenceconcerts.ca

👑Final concert of the season!

May 22 & 23, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Pre-show chat at 6:45 p.m.
Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Avenue, Toronto

A neo-classical take on 20th and 21st centuries’ musical queens, divas and icons including epic songs made famous by Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Amália Rodrigues, Tina Turner, Nina Simone, Mercedes Sosa, Freddy Mercury, Cher, Kate bush, k.d. lang, and more........with the Confluence Concerts team and special guests.

Curated by Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野

Performers:
Larry Beckwith (voice & violin)
Máiri Demings (voice)
Natalie Fasheh (voice)
Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野 (voice)
Patricia O’Callaghan (voice)
Morgan-Paige (piano)
Suba Sankaran (voice)
Lucas Silveira (voice)

Tickets available at confluenceconcerts.ca

"Tonight is all about celebrating the incredible queens, divas and icons we’ve grown up with (and continue to discover) in all their splendour. I wanted to recognize the endless beauty and power of these songs, but also acknowledge the risks a lot of these musicians took by performing this music as many of them were/are women, racialized, q***r, gender fluid, and politically outspoken. I’m so inspired and grateful to them for the paths they have paved for me and my fellow artists to be able to take up their torches and also carve out our own. In addition to the Confluence team, I’m so thrilled to be celebrating the diva-energy that lives in each of us (including you, our dear audience!) and especially in our immensely talented local artists such as Morgan-Paige and Lucas Silveira. Much like the Sinéads and Mercury’s of the past, these two musicians continue to take risks being who they are in order to bring their incredible talents, whole selves, and unique gifts to a very fractured, dangerous world that seeks their erasure. As you listen, please linger on the question: What messages were these artists and songs making back then and how do they still reverberate today?" - Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野

Confluence Concerts presents:
May 22 & 23, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Pre-show chat at 6:45 p.m.
Heliconian Hall
Tickets available at confluenceconcerts.ca

Of course, a few of our very own Queens, Divas and Icons will be performing in this weekend’s concerts! Larry Beckwith and Suba Sankaran will join curator Teiya Kasahara onstage at Heliconian Hall this Friday and Saturday evening.

Confluence Concerts presents:
Queens, Divas and Icons, Oh My!
May 22 & 23, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Pre-show chat at 6:45 p.m.
Heliconian Hall
Tickets available at confluenceconcerts.ca

Performers:
Larry Beckwith (voice & violin)
Dylan Bell (voice, chapman stick, guitar & bass)
Máiri Demings (voice)
Natalie Fasheh (voice)
Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野 (voice)
Patricia O’Callaghan (voice)
Morgan-Paige (piano & voice)
Suba Sankaran (voice)
Lucas Silveira (voice & guitar)

Curated by Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野