Live music is back big-time in Vancouver this spring with a wide range of in-person performances presented by companies like the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Early Music Vancouver, Music on Main, the UBC School of Music, the Friends of Chamber Music, and the Vancouver Recital Society.

Queering the Air: Mignon at the SUM Gallery, February 25. Mignon, a non-binary icon of German Romanticism, is brought to life through the music of Zelter, Schubert, Schumann, and Wolf, performed by soprano Sarah Jo Kirsch and pianist Tina Chang.

VSO/Chooi Plays Mendelssohn at the Orpheum Theatre, February 25 and 26. Music director Otto Tausk leads the VSO and violinist Nikki Chooi in a program of works by Mendelssohn (Violin Concerto, Op. 64, E Minor), Linda Catlin Smith (Tableau, VSO Commission 2021), and Robert Schumann (Symphony No. 2, Op 61, C Major).

Rhapsody and the Blues at the Kay Meek Arts Centre, February 26. Vancouver premiere of a new arrangement of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with Jazz Big Band, plus music of Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson, and Nat King Cole.

Safia Nolin at Studio 16, February 26. As part of the Nouvelle Scène concert series, Le Centre culturel francophone de Vancouver presents Québecoise indie-folk singer-songwriter.

Inhale/Exhale at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, February 26 and 27. The Turning Point Ensemble presents major new works by composers Taylor Brook and Nova Pon, plus music by Arcade Fire multi-instrumentalist Richard Reed Parry.

Rufus Lin at Lulu Island Winery, February 27. International jazz concert pianist Rufus Lin performs as part of the Live Jazz at the Winery recital series.

Sisters in Jazz Day at the VSO School of Music, February 27. Jazz workshops and jam sessions with Jodi Proznick, Amanda Tosoff, Laura Anglade, and Virginia Frigault-MacDonald.

Cellobration! at the Anvil Centre, February 27. The Vancouver Chamber Music Society presents Israeli-American cellist Amit Peled performing with pianist Noreen Polera.

Kits Classics + Worlds Beyond at Mel Lehan Hall at St. James, February 27. Clarinetist Johanna Hauser, cellist Olivia Blander, and pianist Anna Levy perform works by Brahms, Sumera, and Bloch.

Castalian String Quartet at the Vancouver Playhouse, February 27. The Vancouver Recital Society presents London-based quartet in a program of works by Haydn (String Quartet in D minor, Op. 76, No. 2 “Fifths”), Fanny Mendelssohn (String Quartet in E-flat major), and Schubert (String Quartet No. 15 in G major, D. 887).

VAMSO: Brahms Symphony No. 3 at the Orpheum Theatre, February 27. The Vancouver Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra presents performances of Wagner’s symphonic poem Siegfried Idyll, Sibelius’ Violin Concerto in D minor, and Brahms' Symphony No. 3, conducted by Ian Parker.

Benewitz Quartet at the Vancouver Playhouse, March 1. The Friends of Chamber Music present a program of works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (String Quartet No. 4 in C major, KV157), Felix Mendelssohn (Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Opus 13), and Antonín Dvořák (String Quartet No.13 in G major, Opus 106).

VSO/Peer Gynt at the Orpheum Theatre, March 3. Conductor Anna Rakitina and host Christopher Gaze join the Vancouver Symphony in Edvard Grieg’s charming suite from the Ibsen play.

Aljoša Jurinić at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, March 2. Croatian classical pianist performs works by Ludwig van Beethoven (Sonata No. 21 in C major “Waldstein”) and Frédéric Chopin (Ballade in F major, Op. 38; Nocturne in D flat major, Op. 27, No. 2; and Ballade in G minor, Op. 23).

VSO/Prokofiev & Grieg at the Orpheum Theatre, March 4. Conductor Anna Rakitina and violinist Blake Pouliot join the Vancouver Symphony in Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 2 and Grieg's Peer Gynt: Incidental Music (selections).

Women of Note at Christ Church Cathedral, March 4. Director Alexander Weimann and the Pacific Baroque Orchestra perform musical gems by women composers.

Leonard Sumner at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, March 5. Indigenous musician from Little Saskatchewan First Nation performs a fusion of hip-hop, spoken word, roots, and rhythm & blues.

Shahram Shabpareh at the Orpheum Theatre, March 5. Toranj Media presents a performance by one of the most famous Persian pop singers, songwriters, and composers.

Music on the Point: Stephen Chatman 70th Birthday Celebration at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, March 6. The Canadian Music Centre, Vancouver Chamber Choir, and the UBC School of Music present performances by the Vancouver Chamber Choir, under conductor Kari Turunen, and Vetta Chamber Music.

Isata Kenneh-Mason at the Vancouver Playhouse, March 6. The Vancouver Recital Society presents British pianist in a program of works by Mozart (Sonata No. 14 in C minor, K. 457), Beethoven (Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 2, No. 1), and Rachmaninov (Excerpts from Études-Tableaux, Op. 39).

David Hazeltine & Cory Weeds at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, March 6. Local jazz saxophonist Cory Weeds and his trio perform with New York City pianist David Hazeltine.

Digital Salons online at musiconmain.ca, March 8 to 10. Music on Main presents three nights of free music and conversation featuring composers Keiko Devaux, Alfredo Santa Ana, and Sabrina Schroeder; flutist Mark Takeshi McGregor, and violin/electronics duo Sapphire Haze (Cindy Kao and Aysha Dulong).

musica intima at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, March 9. Vancouver vocal ensemble presents a selection of choral works by Kathleen Allan, Andrew Balfour, Lane Price, and Leslie Uyeda.

Queering the Air: Sex Lives of Vegetables--Music of Leslie Uyeda at the SUM Gallery, March 11. Music of Leslie Uyeda performed by soprano Heather Pawsey, clarinetist AK Coope, and pianist Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa.

Elisapie at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, March 11. Montreal-based Inuk singer, songwriter, film director, and activist Ellisapie Isaac explores folk music, textural indie rock, poetics, and contemporary Indigenous culture.

Bach and Martines at Heritage Hall, March 11. Symphony 21 presents Paul Hung performing CPE Bach's Flute Concerto No. 2, along with the Canadian premiere of Marianna Martines' Sinfonia in C.

Sonic Boom at the Orpheum Annex and Pyatt Hall, March 11 to 13. Vancouver Pro Musica presents its annual festival of new works by B.C. composers, performed by B.C. musicians.

Marin Patenaude and Just a Season at the Hollywood Theatre, March 12. Double bill celebrating the release of Just A Season's Leave To Come Home and Marin Patenaude's Sight Unseen.

Stephen Page with the VSO at the Orpheum Theatre, March 12 and 13. Canadian singer-songwriter Steven Page joins the Vancouver Symphony for a performance of his solo works and hits from his Barenaked Ladies days.

UBC Opera: Shadow Catch at the UBC Old Auditorium, March 12 and 13. The UBC School of Music presents a chamber opera in four acts, directed by Nancy Hermiston.

Music on the Point: Trio Canada at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, March 13. Violinist David Gillham, cellist Eric Wilson, and pianist Chiharu Iiluma perform works by Antonin Dvořák (Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor, Op 90 Dumky) and Dmitri Shostakovich (Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op 67).

Pavel Haas Quartet at the Vancouver Playhouse, March 13. The Friends of Chamber Music present Czech string quartet in a program of works by Franz Joseph Haydn (Quartet in G major, Opus 76, No.1), Bohuslav Martinů (Quartet No.7, “Concerto da Camera”, H. 314), and Franz Schubert (String Quartet No. 15 in G major, D887).

Canadian Guitar Quartet: On a Different Note at the Kay Meek Arts Centre, March 15. A collection of new works for guitar quartet, including a triptych homage to composers Chopin, Piazzolla, and Bach by Canadian composer Patrick Roux.

Chatman, Chopin & Schumann at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, March 16. Pianist and UBC faculty member Patricia Hoy performs a program of music by Stephen Chatman (Etudes Book 1), Frédéric Chopin (Four Mazurkas, Op. 24), and Robert Schumann (Carnaval, Op. 9).

UBC Symphony Orchestra at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, March 18. Conductor Jonathan Girard leads the orchestra in a program of works by Sergei Rachmaninoff (Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor, Op. 1) and Jean Sibelius (Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43).

An Evening with Suzie Ungerleider & Stephen Fearing at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, March 18. Canadian folk-roots singer-songwriters perform on a double bill.

VSO/Rocketman Live in Concert at the Orpheum Theatre, March 18 and 19. Screening of the 2019 film Rocketman, about the life and music of Elton John, with the Vancouver Symphony performing the score live.

Khari Wendell McClelland at the Kay Meek Arts Centre, March 18 and 19. Vancouver singer and songwriter integrates the rhythms and folklore of early African-Americans with contemporary sounds and stories of struggle.

UBC Choirs: Colour & Light at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, March 19. Performances by the University Singers under conductor
Graeme Langager and the Choral Union under conductor Caroni Young.

The Joe Cocker Experience at the Massey Theatre, March 19. Nine-piece band featuring vocalist Larry Brennan performs its tribute to legendary blues-rocker Joe Cocker.

Dixit Dominus at the Orpheum Theatre, March 20. The Vancouver Chamber Choir presents performances of Bach and Handel’s early choral works.

Jakub Józef Orliński at the Vancouver Playhouse, March 20. The Vancouver Recital Society presents Polish countertenor in a program of works by Purcell, Schubert, Handel, Naginski, and Copland.

Esmé Quartet at the Vancouver Playhouse, March 22. The Friends of Chamber Music present young Korean quartet performing works by Soo Yeon Lyuh (Yessori, A Fantasia for Haegeum), Claude Debussy (String Quartet in G minor, Opus 10), and Ludwig van Beethoven (String Quartet No.8 in E minor, Opus 59, No.2 “Razumovsky”).

Morning and Afternoon Ragas at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, March 23. David Trasoff and Sunny Matharu play a concert of Hindustani classical music performed on the sarode and the tabla.

VSO/The Magic Toyshop at the Orpheum Theatre, March 24. Vancouver Symphony associate conductor Andrew Crust and host Christopher Gaze join the VSO in the ballet score by Ottorino Respighi, inspired by a set of Rossini piano pieces.

VSO/The Celtic Tenors at the Orpheum Theatre, March 25 and 26. The Celtic Tenors join associate conductor Andrew Crust and the Vancouver Symphony in a program of Celtic songs, classics, a capellas, and popular contemporary songs.

Moe Clark: Feast of the Invisible at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, March 26. Métis 2Spirit singer blends jazz, folk, trance, and têwêhikan (hand drum) songs.

Opera Excerpts Concert at the UBC Old Auditorium, March 26 and 27. The UBC School of Music presents excerpts of works from Handel, Mozart, Massenet, Puccini, Verdi, Richard Strauss, Dvořák, Johann Strauss, and Gilbert and Sullivan.

VSO/The Composer is Here at the Orpheum Theatre, March 27. Vancouver Symphony principal percussionist Vern Griffiths returns as conductor and host for a kids' concert exploring composers who aren’t dead.

Stephen Waarts and Gabriele Carcano at the Vancouver Playhouse, March 27. The Vancouver Recital Society presents violinist Waarts and pianist Carcana in a program of works by Debussy (Sonata for violin and piano in G minor, L. 140), Schumann (Violin Sonata No. 2 in D minor, Op. 121), Sibelius (Four Humoresques, Op. 89, complete), and Enescu (Sonata No. 3 in A minor, Op. 25).

Leslie Dala: Philip Glass Etudes for Piano at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, March 30. Pianist Leslie Dala perform selections from the 20 Glass etudes that he recorded on the Redshift Label during the pandemic.

Yuja Wang at the Orpheum Theatre, March 30. The Vancouver Recital Society presents a performance by Chinese classical pianist.

Ndidi Onukwulu at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, March 31. B.C. blues singer-songwriter performs tunes from latest album These Days.

Kit Eakle's Djangosphere Project Plays Mostly Monk at the Kay Meek Arts Centre, March 31 to April 1. Violinist Kit Eakle presents the music of jazz genius Thelonious Monk.

Castille to Samarkand at the Kay Meek Arts Centre, April 1. Early Music Vancouver presents music of the Spanish Renaissance by Ensemble Constantinople and Accademia del Piacere, with musical director Kiya Tabassian.

VSO/Maisky Plays Dvořák at the Orpheum Theatre, April 1 & 3. Conductor Speranza Scappuzzi and cellist Mischa Maisky join the Vancouver Symphony in a program of works by Verdi (I Vespri Siciliani Overture & Ballet Music), Dvořák (Cello Concerto), and Schubert (Symphony No. 4 “Tragic”).

Festival du Bois at Mackin Park, April 1 to 3. The Societe francophone de Maillardville presents its annual celebration of French-Canadian culture, featuring mainstage performances by a variety of Canadian folk, Celtic, and world-music artists.

Glenn Miller Orchestra at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, April 3. World-famous orchestra performs timeless classics like “In the Mood”, “Moonlight Serenade”, and “Chattanooga Choo Choo”.

Mishka Rushdie Momen at the Vancouver Playhouse, April 3. The Vancouver Recital Society presents a performance by London-born pianist.

Jinjoo Cho at the Anvil Centre, April 4. The Vancouver Chamber Music Society presents prize-winning violinist.

UBC Early Music Ensemble at Barnett Hall, April 6. The ensemble performs music by Allegri, Rosenmüller, Vivaldi, Telemann, Bach, and Handel with the Baroque Mentorship Orchestra under the direction of Alexander Weimann.

Beethoven & Liszt: A Musical Affinity at Christ Church Cathedral, April 8. Russian historical keyboardist Olga Pashchenko explores the connection between Liszt and Beethoven.

VSO/Jane Coop Plays Mozart at the Orpheum Theatre, April 8 and 9. Music director Otto Tausk, pianist Jane Coop, and mezzo-soprano Krisztina Szabó join the Vancouver Symphony in a program of works by Mozart (Piano Concerto No. 24), Ian Cusson (Two Songs on Poems by Joy Harjo, VSO Commission & Premiere), and Schumann (Symphony No. 4).

Behind the Keys at the Orpheum Annex, April 9. Maestro Leslie Dala performs at the piano, alongside soprano and pianist Rachel Fenlon, at Chor Leoni's fundraising gala, featuring a program of works by Debussy, Messiaen, and Canadian composer Samy Moussa.

Opera Teas at the UBC Botanical Garden, April 10. The UBC School of Music presents a concert of opera arias and song favourites in a casual setting.

Vienna Piano Trio at the Vancouver Playhouse, April 10. The Friends of Chamber Music present the trio in a program of works by Franz Schubert (Notturno in E flat major, Opus 48, D897), Felix Mendelsohn (Piano Trio No.1 in D minor, Opus 49), and Franz Schubert (Piano Trio No.1 in B-flat major, Op.99, D898).

Herb Alpert and Lani Hall at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, April 10. Trumpet great Alpert and his wife, Grammy-winning vocalist Hall, lead their band in an eclectic set covering Tijuana Brass and Brasil ’66 days to Cole Porter, the Beatles, and improvisational jazz tunes.

Emerge on Main 2022 at the Fox Cabaret, April 12. Music on Main presents a performance by Sapphire Haze, featuring Cindy Kao (violin) and Aysha Dulong (electronics).

Bach Mass in B Minor at the Orpheum Theatre, April 17. Leslie Dala conducts the Vancouver Bach Choir and Sarabande Chamber Choir, with soprano Rachel Fenlon, mezzo-soprano Krisztina Szabó, tenor Benjamin Butterfield, and bass-baritone Steven Hegedus.

Path of Miracles at St. Andrew's-Wesley United Church, April 22. The Vancouver Chamber Choir presents a performance of a work by British composer Jody Talbot that describes the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, the Camino de Santiago.

VSO/Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 at the Orpheum Theatre, April 22 to 24. Screening of director David Yates 2010 fantasy film, with the soundtrack performed live by the Vancouver Symphony, under conductor Justin Freer.

John Lee Trio at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, April 24. Bassist John Lee performs with pianist Chris Gestrin and drummer Jesse Cahill, with guest Ralph Moore on tenor saxophone.

Danish String Quartet at the Vancouver Playhouse, April 24. The Vancouver Recital Society presents the second concert in the quartet’s international commissioning project, Doppelgänger, which pairs world premieres from four renowned contemporary composers with the four major Schubert works that inspired them.

Rufus Wainwright at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, April 26. Baroque pop singer-songwriter and composer performs tunes from latest album Unfollow the Rules.

Imaginario: An Imaginary Songbook of Renaissance Spanish Music at Pacific Spirit United Church, April 27. Early Music Vancouver presents performances by Ariel Abramovich (Vihuela de mano) and soprano María Cristina Kiehr.

Evgeny Kissin at the Orpheum Theatre, April 28. The Vancouver Recital Society presents one of the world's most revered pianists in a program of works by Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven.

VSO/An Ode to Joy: Beethoven's 9th at the Orpheum Theatre, April 29 to May 1. Music director Otto Tausk leads the Vancouver Symphony in a program of works by Maurice Ravel (Piano Concerto in G Major, with pianist Angela Cheng), Samy Moussa (Elysium, North America premiere of a VSO co-commission), and Beethoven (Symphony No. 9, “Choral”).

Gary Hoffman & David Selig at the Anvil Centre, May 1. The Vancouver Chamber Music Society presents a journey through the musical career of Beethoven.

Nicolas Alststaedt at the Vancouver Playhouse, May 1. The Vancouver Recital Society presents a performance by German-French cellist.

OKAN at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, May 4. Women-led ensemble fuses Afro-Cuban roots with jazz, folk, and global rhythms in songs about immigration, courage, and love.

Les Plaisirs Du Louvre at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, May 6. Directed by Sébastien Daucé, the singers and instrumentalists of Lyon’s Ensemble Correspondances will lead audiences through the music that once rang out among the Louvre galleries.

VSO/Bernstein, Shostakovich, Price & Adams at the Orpheum Theatre, May 6 and 7. Associate conductor Andrew Crust and violinist Timothy Steeves join the Vancouver Symphony in a program featuring three important Americans and a singular Russian composer.

SummerSing! at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, May 8. All eight of the choruses in the Vancouver Bach Family of Choirs perform a show full of rocking, rolling, jazzy choral arrangements, featuring a trio of local musicians.

The Magic of Brahms at the Kay Meek Arts Centre, May 8. The Vancouver Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra presents an all-Brahms program for its season finale concert.

Emerson String Quartet at the Vancouver Playhouse, May 8. The Friends of Chamber Music present the quartet in a program of works by Béla Bartók (String Quartet No.1 in A minor, Opus 1, Sz40), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (String Quartet No.22 in B-flat major, K589), and Ludwig van Beethoven (String Quartet No.15 in A minor, Opus 132).

VSO/ABBA the Concert at the Orpheum Theatre, May 11 and 12. The Vancouver Symphony performs a two-hour show with an ABBA tribute act.

Nordic Sounds at Pacific Spirit United Church, May 13. The Vancouver Chamber Choir presents a concert to showcase the results of its annual Conductors’ Symposium.

VSO/Singin' in the Rain at the Orpheum Theatre, May 13 & 14. The Vancouver Symphony provides live orchestral accompaniment to a screening of the classic musical starring Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, and Debbie Reynolds.

VanMan Summit Concert at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, May 14. Chor Leoni, the Leonids, and more than 200 fellow singers celebrate the joy and power of raising voices together.

Rossini's Petite Mess Solennelle at the Vancouver Playhouse, May 14. Conductor Leslie Dala leads the Vancouver Bach Choir and artists from the Vancouver Opera Yulanda M. Faris Young Artist Program in Gioachino Rossini's opera.

Daniel Hsu at the Vancouver Playhouse, May 15. The Vancouver Recital Society presents the Canadian debut of 23-year-old American pianist.