Two years since his last visit to Halifax, pianist and podcaster Luke Welch returns to the Music Room with an eclectic and entertaining program, including music by Scarlatti, Chopin, and African-Canadian composer Nathaniel Dett, whose works are showcased on Luke's new CD.

ON THE PROGRAM

Domenico Scarlatti: Three Sonatas

Frederic Chopin: Scherzo No. 3, Op. 39

R. Nathaniel Dett: Magnolia; Inspiration Waltzes; In the Bottoms

Luke Welch, piano

Presented by Scotia Festival of Music, The Music Room Chamber Players Series brings 21 delightfully varied chamber and classical music concerts to Halifax from September to May, showcasing a wide range of local and visiting performers.

Robert and Clara Schumann are one of classical music's "power couples", inspiring each other both as pianists and composers over two decades during their courtship and married life. Tonight, we will hear music from various points in their professional and family lives, including Clara's piano trio, known to have influenced Robert's works in that genre, and Robert's piano quartet, with its piano part inspired by Clara's virtuosity.

ON THE PROGRAM

Robert Schumann: Märchenbilder (Fairy Tale Pictures) Op. 113

Clara Schumann: Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 17

Robert Schumann: Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, Op 47

Roman Fraser, violin
Carolyn Farnand, viola
Thomas Beard, cello
Philip Chiu, piano

Presented by Scotia Festival of Music, The Music Room Chamber Players Series brings 21 delightfully varied chamber and classical music concerts to Halifax from September to May, showcasing a wide range of local and visiting performers.

As part of their cross-Canada tour, the Lemańczyk / Golicki / Sarnecki Trio will promote their debut album “NYC Session”. During the Canadian tour, the band will be joined by an outstanding Canadian trumpeter - Jacques Kuba Séguin. The tour takes place as part of the international JAZZ PO POLSKU “Around the World” project.

The trio was formed in 2023 and consists of acclaimed, award-winning Polish musicians recognized on international stages: Rafał Sarnecki (electric guitar), Piotr Lemańczyk (bass guitar), and Adam Golicki (drums). During the Canadian tour, the band will be joined by an outstanding Canadian trumpeter - Jacques Kuba Séguin. His expressive style perfectly complements the trio’s European sensibility and modern sound. The artists will perform repertoire from the album “NYC Session” as well as Séguin’s original compositions.

Lemańczyk / Golicki / Sarnecki Trio music can be described as mainstream jazz, often drawing from rock expression and sophisticated harmony. In addition to Mike Stern, the trio has collaborated with artists such as Randy Brecker and Grażyna Auguścik, performing a dozen concerts in Poland and the USA. In January 2024, the trio recorded an album in New York, featuring Mike and Leni Stern. Spring 2025 saw the band perform a JAZZ PO POLSKU “Around the world” concert tour in China and Japan, consisting of 21 concerts in biggest cities.

Tickets are $40-50, and can be purchased via Eventbrite.

The Scotia Festival String Quartet - playing together since 2022 - have been busy at every festival in recent years, giving us many memorable performances. These four principal players from Canadian orchestras will be back with us for the 2026 festival, and tonight they will bring a preview of what to expect! 

ON THE PROGRAM

Joseph Haydn: String Quartet in C Major, Op 20, No. 2

Edvard Grieg: String Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 27

Gwen Hoebig and Mark Lee, violins
Isaac Chalk, viola
Blair Lofgren, cello

Presented by Scotia Festival of Music, The Music Room Chamber Players Series brings 21 delightfully varied chamber and classical music concerts to Halifax from September to May, showcasing a wide range of local and visiting performers.

The ensemble Les Idées heureuses draws inspiration from Johann Sebastian Bach, who frequently adapted his own works for different instruments. Recorder virtuoso Vincent Lauzer and harpsichordist Dorothéa Ventura present Bach Reinvented: a program in which you’ll be delighted to hear various solo dance suites (originally composed for harpsichord, lute, and violin) reimagined and reinterpreted as duos. It’s a wonderful opportunity to discover - or rediscover - these Bach masterpieces in a playful and captivating new light.

Presented by Scotia Festival of Music, The Music Room Chamber Players Series brings 21 delightfully varied chamber and classical music concerts to Halifax from September to May, showcasing a wide range of local and visiting performers.

REAL STORIES. REAL CONVERSATIONS. REAL IMPACT.

Join us for the Talk With Dr. Agnes Show — an evening of meaningful dialogue, insight, and community connection.

This special episode features Dr. Laniyi Ogunsanya, a Family Physician who will share his powerful personal journey of parenting a son with Autism. His story raises awareness, fosters understanding, and offers hope to families and communities.

Expect honest conversation, inspiration, and moments that prompt reflection, learning, and growth.

Complimentary Seats Available - reserve your seats through the link below.

Trio Timia is a vibrant young ensemble from Montreal. In 2025, they made a detour to Halifax to perform for our Scotia Festival Young Artists, and when they played, it was clear that they needed to return! This concert will be a delight.

ON THE PROGRAM

Franz Schubert: Piano Trio No. 2 E-flat Major, D. 929

Bochuslav Martinů: Piano Trio No. 2 in D minor, H. 327

June Lee, violin
François Lamontagne, cello
Itamar Prag, piano

Presented by Scotia Festival of Music, The Music Room Chamber Players Series brings 21 delightfully varied chamber and classical music concerts to Halifax from September to May, showcasing a wide range of local and visiting performers.

Blending voices, strings and piano, Blue Lobelia's album release invites the audience to excavate emotion through sound and movement.

Blue Lobelia’s latest ensemble project [Blanche Israël (cello / voice) // Joss MacNeil (voice) // Mat Hughes (piano / voice)] titled, 'cloud strawberry mermaid pink', presents as a lush interactive ritual rooted in her background as a music therapist.

This dreamy, embodied performance unravels us from our conditioning, guiding audiences through portals of somatic memory and emotional excavation with opportunities for simple repetitive guided movements and written reflection.

Her new songs rely on the belief that time spirals and that gut feelings are guiding whispers from our future selves, echoing backward into now.

Through movement, journaling, breathwork and sound, cloud strawberry mermaid pink blurs the line between concert and ceremony, music and theater, inviting you to feel, remember, and unravel. It is a spell for intuition and the unending act of becoming.

The concertmaster and principal string players of Symphony Nova Scotia bring you a majestic classic from Johannes Brahms, a little-known work by Alessandro Scarlatti (one of the first ever string quartets), and works by two of the most popular classical composers working in North America today.

ON THE PROGRAM

Johannes Brahms: String Quartet No. 1 in C minor, op. 51 No. 1

Alessandro Scarlatti: Sonata a Quattro in F minor

Jessie Montgomery: Source code

Caroline Shaw: Blueprint

Renaud Lapierre and Isabelle Fournier, violins
Carolyn Farnand, viola
Rachel Desoer, cello

Presented by Scotia Festival of Music, The Music Room Chamber Players Series brings 21 delightfully varied chamber and classical music concerts to Halifax from September to May, showcasing a wide range of local and visiting performers.

Experience an intimate evening of richly blended harmonies and expressive jazz stylings as CANVAS, a captivating vocal quartet from Halifax, takes the stage at The Peggy Corkum Music Room. Featuring four amazing voices — Fran Farrell (Soprano), Amelia McMahon (Alto), Ryan Billington (Tenor), and Kurt Sampson (Bass & Vocal Percussion) — this performance presents a curated program of vocal jazz favourites, inventive arrangements, and heartfelt interpretations.

PROGRAM includes songs from a variety of artists ranging from Nat King Cole, Charlie Chaplin, The Beatles, Prince, and even Johannes Brahms!

Over the course of a one-hour concert, CANVAS explores the textures and interplay of close harmony singing, bringing both classic and contemporary works to life in this beautiful, 105-seat venue. Audiences are invited to enjoy the nuance, artistry, and engaging musicality that define the group’s approach.

Tickets: $20.00

Tickets are available online and at the door. Seating is limited — advance purchase is recommended.

The great Canadian mezzo-soprano Allyson McHardy has performed at the Paris, Chicago and San Francisco Operas, and with conductors including Johannes Debus, Seiji Ozawa, and Trevor Pinnock. With the extraordinary pianist Carson Becke, she brings a seasonally appropriate program celebrating the joys and challenges of winter, showcasing a brand-new song cycle by Ottawa composer Robert Rival.

ON THE PROGRAM

Aaron Copland: Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson (selections)

Rebecca Clarke: Binnorie

Florence Price: Piano Sonata in E minor

Cecilia Livingston: Penelope

Robert Rival: Winter Songs

Allyson McHardy, mezzo-soprano
Carson Becke, piano

Presented by Scotia Festival of Music, The Music Room Chamber Players Series brings 21 delightfully varied chamber and classical music concerts to Halifax from September to May, showcasing a wide range of local and visiting performers.

Nuovo is a contemporary concert series co-founded and co-directed by composers Shanti Sivarulrasa and Benjamin Fraser.

Our Winter 2026 concert features new works by emerging Atlantic-Canadian composers Kip Johnson, Stephen Deturbide, Benjamin Fraser, Garrett Horne, Shanti Sivarulrasa, and Hsiu-Ping Patrick Wu.

The concert showcases performances by Shanti Sivarulrasa and Amelia Parker (violins), Gabriel Galvis Rangel (viola), Elizabeth Ruxton and Emily Domet (sapranos), Corrine James (mezzo soprano), Graham Doyle (tenor), and Ria Kim (piano).

Alkali Collective continues its sixth concert season with TRACE, a program exploring the marks music leaves on memory, perception, and human experience. The concert features works by Rebecca Adams and Garrett Niall, selected through Alkali Collective’s annual Call for Scores, highlighting bold and distinctive voices from early-career composers connected to Atlantic Canada.

Tickets: $25/adults, $20/students, $15/ages 12 and under.
Live-Stream Tickets: $15/household.

Fifty years ago, the great pianist and composer Frederic Rzewski premiered his epic set of variations on the Chilean protest song, El pueblo unido jamás será vencido. It is an hour-long journey that invites comparison with Bach’s famous “Goldbergs”. Tonight, the brilliant Canadian pianist Corey Hamm takes on this monumental challenge. Corey’s recording of this piece was praised by the composer as one of the very finest: “Excellent! Bravo! This may be the best recording.”

Presented by Scotia Festival of Music, The Music Room Chamber Players Series brings 21 delightfully varied chamber and classical music concerts to Halifax from September to May, showcasing a wide range of local and visiting performers.

Blending voices, strings and piano, Blue Lobelia's album release invites the audience to excavate emotion through sound and movement.

Blue Lobelia’s latest ensemble project [Blanche Israël (cello / voice) // Joss MacNeil (voice) // Mat Hughes (piano / voice)] titled, 'cloud strawberry mermaid pink', presents as a lush interactive ritual rooted in her background as a music therapist.

This dreamy, embodied performance unravels us from our conditioning, guiding audiences through portals of somatic memory and emotional excavation with opportunities for simple repetitive guided movements and written reflection.

Her new songs rely on the belief that time spirals and that gut feelings are guiding whispers from our future selves, echoing backward into now.

Through movement and sound, cloud strawberry mermaid pink blurs the line between concert and ceremony, music and theater, inviting you to feel, remember, and unravel. It is a spell for intuition and the unending act of becoming.

Praised for their “effortless musicianship” by the London Times, the Busch Trio began performing together over ten years ago as students at the Royal College of Music in London. Based in Amsterdam, they have performed in major halls in Europe and North America, including London’s Wigmore Hall, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and Berlin’s Konzerthaus. Very active as recording artists, their current project is the complete Beethoven trios.

ON THE PROGRAM

Joseph Haydn: Piano Trio in C Major, Hob. XV No. 21

L. van Beethoven: Piano Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 70 No. 2

Dimitri Shostakovich: Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67

Mathieu van Bellen, violin
Ori Epstein, cello
Omri Epstein, piano

Presented by Scotia Festival of Music, The Music Room Chamber Players Series brings 21 delightfully varied chamber and classical music concerts to Halifax from September to May, showcasing a wide range of local and visiting performers.

Port City Church presents “Hope Alight”—a seventy-minute production rich with traditional Christmas carols and a weaved story of Hope that all should hear. This gathering will bring back those nostalgic Christmas memories as we sing together, hear stories, scripture and poetry of Hope Alight.

Admission is free with the donation of one or more food items for Feed Nova Scotia.

Port City Church presents “Hope Alight”—a seventy-minute production rich with traditional Christmas carols and a weaved story of Hope that all should hear. This gathering will bring back those nostalgic Christmas memories as we sing together, hear stories, scripture and poetry of Hope Alight.

Admission is free with the donation of one or more food items for Feed Nova Scotia.

Port City Church presents “Hope Alight”—a seventy-minute production rich with traditional Christmas carols and a weaved story of Hope that all should hear. This gathering will bring back those nostalgic Christmas memories as we sing together, hear stories, scripture and poetry of Hope Alight.

Admission is free with the donation of one or more food items for Feed Nova Scotia.

Port City Church presents “Hope Alight”—a seventy-minute production rich with traditional Christmas carols and a weaved story of Hope that all should hear. This gathering will bring back those nostalgic Christmas memories as we sing together, hear stories, scripture and poetry of Hope Alight.

Admission is free with the donation of one or more food items for Feed Nova Scotia.

Beloved across Canada and beyond, Duo Concertante are always welcome visitors to the Music Room. Their program includes one of the most popular violin sonatas of all, composed as a wedding present for Franck’s colleague, the violinist Eugène Ysaÿe, as well as a brilliant sonata by J.S. Bach, a specially commissioned work by Mexican-Canadian Luis Ramirez, and a richly expressive sonata by the 19th-century virtuoso Amanda Maier.

ON THE PROGRAM

César Franck: Sonata in A Major

J.S. Bach: Sonata in E major for violin and keyboard, BWV 1016

Luis Ramirez: Iridescence (2024)

Amanda Maier: Sonata in B minor

Nancy Dahn, violin
Timothy Steeves, piano

Presented by Scotia Festival of Music, The Music Room Chamber Players Series brings 21 delightfully varied chamber and classical music concerts to Halifax from September to May, showcasing a wide range of local and visiting performers.

Flux features Pierre-Yves Martel (Montreal), Norm Adams, Jacinte Armstrong, D'Arcy Gray, and guests

Two duos perform: Jacinte Armstrong and D'Arcy Gray with pieces by John Cage, and Pierre-Yves Martel and Norm Adams with peaceful, long tones for synthesizer and cello.

Tickets are available online or at the door.

Catch Mat Hughes on December 6 on the grand piano at the Music Room in their beautiful venue for an intimate concert. Mat will be joined by his full band and Adina for an opening set. Doors at 7pm.

Tickets are $25.

Alkali Collective launches its sixth concert season with FORM: a program of vivid texture, detail, and transformation. Featuring guest percussionist Nathan Petitpas and a world premiere by Paolo Griffin, plus works by Nova Pon and Gabriella Smith.

Tickets: $25/adults, $20/students, $15/ages 12 and under.
Live-Stream Tickets: $15/household.

Tickets available online and at the door.

“Why hurry over beautiful things? Why not linger and enjoy them?” So pondered Clara Schumann, remembered as one of the finest pianists of all time.

In “Wonder Women!”, pianist and humorist Sarah Hagen delves into the remarkable stories and piano music of female composers from the classical repertoire. This recital will highlight piano works by 18th and 19th century composers, including Clara Schumann, Cécile Chaminade, Agathe Backer Grøndahl, and others. Included will be stunningly gorgeous music by Marianna Martines, who lived in the same circles as Haydn and Mozart, and often joined Mozart in piano duets at the musical soirées she and her sister held in their Viennese home.

Presented by Scotia Festival of Music, The Music Room Chamber Players Series brings 21 delightfully varied chamber and classical music concerts to Halifax from September to May, showcasing a wide range of local and visiting performers.

Each year, to coincide with the Department of Psychiatry Research Day, the department hosts a public discussion on an important topic for researchers and the local community.

Psychedelics in Psychiatry: Innovation, Risks, and Realities

Join our guest speaker and a panel of local experts for an informative discussion and bring your questions!

With guest speaker: 
Dr. Joshua Rosenblat
Psychiatrist and Researcher, University of Toronto

Panelists:

• Dr. George Robertson, Professor of Psychiatry & Pharmacology, Dalhousie University (moderator)

• Dr. Joshua Rosenblat, Psychiatrist and Researcher, University of Toronto

• Dr. Abraham Nunes, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Computer Science, Dalhousie University; Psychiatrist, Nova Scotia Health Central Zone

• Dr. Ahmed Saleh, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University; Head of Psychiatry, Nova Scotia Health Western Zone

FREE and open to the public. No registration required.

Space is limited and is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Halifax is so fortunate to have the Conservatory! Once again, we are thrilled to bring you a delightfully varied program featuring some of the remarkable musicians on the MCPA’s Music Faculty.

ON THE PROGRAM

Robert Schumann: Violin Sonata in A minor, Op. 105

Frédéric Chopin: Prelude in D minor, Op. 28 No. 24

Francis Poulenc: Sonata for Trumpet, Horn and Trombone

Vivian Fung: Bird Song, for Violin and Piano

Paul Hindemith: Sonata for Trumpet and Piano

Gillian Smith, violin
Matt Richard, trumpet
Rod MacGillivray, trombone
Mary Lee, horn
Maximilian Fleischman, piano
Cindy Thong, piano

Presented by Scotia Festival of Music, The Music Room Chamber Players Series brings 21 delightfully varied chamber and classical music concerts to Halifax from September to May, showcasing a wide range of local and visiting performers.

Discover the artistry of Symphony Nova Scotia’s new generation of principal woodwind players! They have prepared an evening of passionate music from the Romantic era.

ON THE PROGRAM

Ferenc Farkas: Serenade

Theodor Blumer: Wind Quintet, Op. 52

Ludwig Thuille: Sextet in B-flat Major for Piano and Winds, Op. 6

Casey Granofsky, flute
Danielle Johannes, oboe
Timothy Yung, clarinet
Gabe Azzie, bassoon
Carys Sutherland, horn
with Simon Docking, piano

Presented by Scotia Festival of Music, The Music Room Chamber Players Series brings 21 delightfully varied chamber and classical music concerts to Halifax from September to May, showcasing a wide range of local and visiting performers.

Join Lauren Sullivan for an evening of music on the Music Room's 9-foot Steinway. Featuring the timeless brilliance of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, this exclusive performance will journey through a range of styles.

The evening opens with the ethereal artistry of harpist Kate Gref Leger, setting the stage for Act I—a journey through classical masterpieces and jazz-infused rhythms. After a brief intermission, Act II brings bold contemporary works and an inspired mix of vocal selections, drawing on the beauty of maritime traditions and the vibrance of pop.

With a Decca recording contract, tours across Europe and North America, and over 65 million views on her online platforms, UK guitarist Alexandra Whittingham is an exciting and innovative musician. Please don’t miss the Halifax debut of this superb artist!

ON THE PROGRAM

Heitor Villa-Lobos: Five Preludes

Edith Piaf: La Vie en Rose and La Foule

Napoléon Coste: Fantaisie Dramatique: “Le Départ”, Op. 31

Ernest Shand: Three Pieces

Traditional: Four Celtic Pieces

Alexandra Whittingham, guitar

Presented by Scotia Festival of Music, The Music Room Chamber Players Series brings 21 delightfully varied chamber and classical music concerts to Halifax from September to May, showcasing a wide range of local and visiting performers.