As we wade to knee-depth in this 2026, it must be said that the remainder of the year will be suitably brimming with musical experiences. As we patiently await the release of the Calgary Folk Music Festival’s slate, and sink our teeth into the Sled Island lineup that is steadily trickling out (and you will be able to read on that in this space in due time, so stay tuned), the bevy of other musical enjoyments that will be hitting our the city shouldn’t be shrugged off. Specifically, Werklund Centre’s eclectic forthcoming agenda deserves a spotlight, so here’s a taste of what we can all look forward to this Spring/Summer:
One of the most acclaimed and awarded Jazz vocalists of our lifetime will be blessing the Jack Singer Concert Hall stage on April 21. Since her debut in 1992, the Canadian singer and pianist has steadily collected hardware and global renown for her elegant brand of neo-traditionalism and respect to the Great American Songbook, which she has played no small part in revitalizing and modernizing. Her last album, This Dream of You, was released in 2020 and was her final collaborative effort with longtime co-songwriter Tommy LiPuma, who passed away in 2017, ending one of the most successful contemporary writing partnerships on a masterful note.
The TD Amplify series has been among 2026’s most refreshing new premises. Performed at the Engineered Air Theatre — which, as an echo of the historic Empress Theatre, has in some form or another hosted performances for over 100 years — the TD Amplify series operates as a sort of multi-disciplinary jam, incorporating local musical and performance art, old and new, in a sensory experience where the vibe is the message. The series' mission is to find a je-ne-sais-exactly what type of alchemy in bridging disparate forms to a communal meeting ground. The artistic talent being called upon for Episode 4 will be provided by Ashley Velvet, Timothonius, and Miarlequin. The former’s output is itself an original enchantment of UK Garage and modern R&B, through the eyes of a Mexican-Korean Joe Hisaishi acolyte. Timothonius is a jazz pianist by trade, but philosophically a Hip-hop producer steeped in the gospel tradition. And the latter, Miarlequin, brings whimsical pop to inter-dimensional travel. An energy will seed, build and be thus danced upon. And THAT is when DJ toshiinlove begins running the 1s and 2s.
On May 2, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra will venture from the depths of the deep blue to the rings of Saturn in what is sure to be among the most grandiose offerings in their history. For The Planets, our own 200-something-person orchestra will be interpolating John Luther Adams’ Pulitzer-winning Become Ocean (2013) and Gustav Holst’s legendary The Planets (1914-1917), capturing the magnitude and sheer power of nature, both terrestrial and cosmic. The pieces have been referred to as “the loveliest apocalypse in musical history” and “original in conception, in its philosophical implications, in its scoring, and in its harmonic and rhythmic idiom” respectively. Without hyperbole, you should expect to stare into the great unblinking eye of the universe.
The Classic Albums Live series is returning for its final performance of the season, swerving from the psychedelic storm of Pink Floyd into the more whimsical, decidedly more British art-rock stylings of Supertramp’s mega-cult opus Breakfast in America. With many of its hits having entered the zone of cultural ubiquity decades past, it’s important to reframe just how progressive these songs were when released back in 1979, and speaks to the enduring legacy of one of the great (and easiest to listen to) prog-rock bands of all time. Werklund Centre will be publishing a deeper dive into Breakfast In America next month, so we will keep you, dear reader, in anticipation.
(And keep an eye out for Blackbyrd Myoozik peddling vinyl and yapping about prog-rock in the lobby the night of the show!)
Visit our What's On page to discover everything happening at Werklund Centre, and sign up for our Concert & Events list to be the first to hear about pre-sales and upcoming shows.