Truly one of the world’s most stunningly brilliant lyric sopranos, Kathleen Battle’s unwavering musicianship and natural vocal beauty are simply thrilling. She seems to possess an almost magical ability to capture her audiences with a voice that is both luminous and vulnerable. Her pure emotional power in undisputable: this is the sound of operatic royalty.

From the inaugural season of the International Vocal Recitals series in 1997, we’ve seen Cecilia Bartoli mature in a most extraordinary way. Her hauntingly beautiful voice — an astonishing instrument of amazing flexibility — and her deep musical insight have made her one of classical music’s true superstars. Each time we see her we are reminded of the pure joie de vivre she brings to her performances, and why The New York Times calls her “…an authentic and rarely found phenomenon.”

The career trajectory of this incredibly gifted soprano can only be described as meteoric. Since winning the BBC Singer of the World Competition in Cardiff in 2005, she is on the fast track to becoming opera’s next superstar. Last season she wowed audiences at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Royal Opera House and Covent Garden and is currently planning her debut at New York ’s Metropolitan Opera. But she’ll wow you first, in recital, at Roy Thomson Hall.

Lambent sound. Brilliant stage presence. Superb artistry. A calm and transcendent mastery of her craft. Renée Fleming has it all. Revered at all the great opera houses of the world, and nominated for two 2008 Grammy Awards this year, we love this soprano for her creamy notes and honeyed-phrasing. She made her Toronto recital debut on our stage, and we’re honoured to have her return to Roy Thomson Hall as part of the 2008/09 season.

Exhiliarating. Incredible. Exhausting! That’s what it feels like seeing Lang Lang perform. One of the most viscerally expressive and charismatic artists to arrive on the international scene in decades, he’s progressed from one triumphant appearance to the next, performing with some of the world’s greatest orchestras. But watch the sparks fly as he sets the solo recital stage on fire with his phenomenal technical fireworks, passion and astonishing musical imagination.

Inspired by her first trip to her ancestral home of Armenia , Isabel Bayrakdarian—along with members of the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, traditional folk musicians, and pianist Serouj Kradjian—celebrates the music of Gomidas (1869–1935), Armenia ’s national composer. The program also features music by Grieg and Bartók, two other composers inspired by the rich musical traditions of their homelands.

The Silk Road Project has been a catalyst for a new kind of conversation, opening avenues of inter-cultural communication and collaborative thinking. Since its inception ten years ago, the Silk Road ensemble has traveled the globe, reaching new audiences, educating young and old, and highlighting the music and cultures of the Silk Road .

"Yo-Yo Ma is part modern Marco Polo, an explorer of cultures far beyond his own; part musical missionary, eager to share ideas and make vital connections between peoples." - Chicago Tribune

Presented in association with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra