Harbourfront Centre to Present 22nd Annual Summer Music in the Garden

Harbourfront Centre will present the return of its beloved annual concert series, Summer Music in the Garden (SMIG), featuring 18 free concerts in the Toronto Music Garden on most Thursdays and Sundays throughout the summer, from June 21 to August 27, 2023. Featuring a wide variety of musical styles from emerging and established artists, audiences can enjoy a mix of high-energy dance to contemplative classical set in an idyllic, lakeside venue. The 22nd season launches with a special concert featuring Canada’s first Inuk professional classical singer, Deantha Edmunds, on Wednesday, June 21, in honour of Indigenous Peoples Day. SMIG is curated by Gregory Oh, an acclaimed Toronto-based pianist, conductor and teacher, with the support of Associate Curator Rebecca Cuddy, a Canadian/Indigenous (Métis) Mezzo-Soprano who has sung across Canada, the U.K. and Europe.

“Down by the lake, under a magical urban willow – with beats, bows, strings, voices, and blows – Summer Music in the Garden tells the musical stories of Toronto’s kaleidoscope of citizens,” says Gregory Oh, Curator of SMIG. “This year’s season is particularly compelling, with one of SMIG’s most diverse line-ups, from Arabic jazz and Brazilian forró to contemporary classical and soul, gospel and blues, and a long list of exciting debuts, including JUNO Award-nominated Aline Morales, Dora Mavor Moore Award winner Beau Dixon and Canadian Folk Music Award-nominated Morgan Toney, among many other incredible talents.”

“Music-making is the medicine that feeds our hearts and minds,” adds Rebecca Cuddy, Associate Curator of SMIG. “We invite audiences to join us in celebrating the incomparable artistry of these performers, to be nourished by their expressions of musical influence and cultural pride in this intimate and joyful outdoor setting.”

This year’s outdoor music series features a comprehensive line-up of free, accessible performances featuring a variety of musical disciplines – the majority of whom will make their SMIG debuts. Debut highlights include:

• Contemporary Indigenous classical concert from Inuk singer Deantha Edmunds, who shares selections from her most recent album, Connections.
• Arabic jazz from musician Ahmed Moneka, who shares his life and journey in art from Baghdad to Toronto, showcasing Iraqi melody mixed with African groove and rhythm.
• Soul, gospel, blues, reggae and jazz from music director, singer, keyboardist and harmonica player Beau Dixon, who highlights the influence African American music had on Western civilization during the Freedom Movement and civil rights era.
• Traditional forró, a percussive rhythm and dance genre from Brazil, performed by Juno Award-nominated Alina Morales, who incorporates global folkloric and jazz elements with vintage Tropicália and Brazilian pop as a bandleader and instrumentalist. 
• Traditional fiddle music from Mi’kmaq fiddler and singer Morgan Toney, who brings together the fiery fiddling of Cape Breton Island with the old songs of the Mi’kmaq People on the artist’s award-nominated debut album, First Flight.

As part of Summer Music in the Garden, audiences are invited to experience free guided tours of the Toronto Music Garden, hosted by Toronto Botanical Garden volunteers on most Wednesdays at 11am and Thursdays at 5:30pm, from June 7 to September 27, 2023.

To view the full program line-up and Toronto Music Garden tour schedule, visit HarbourfrontCentre.com.
 

CLICK HERE TO SEE SUMMER MUSIC IN THE GARDEN PROGRAMMING

About Harbourfront Centre

Harbourfront Centre is a leading international centre for contemporary arts, culture and ideas, and a registered, charitable not-for-profit cultural organization operating a 10-acre campus on Toronto’s central waterfront. Harbourfront Centre provides year-round programming 52 weeks a year, seven days a week, supporting a wide range of artists and communities. We inspire audiences and visitors with a breadth of bold, ambitious and engaging experiences, and champion contemporary Canadian artists throughout their careers, presenting them alongside International Artists, and fostering national and international artistic exchange between disciplines and cultures.