Dragonfly Imagery

06/04/2026

Tuesday, June 23 at 7:00 PM - Free concert in Little Ave Memorial Park!

06/01/2026

Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing the IronFlower Drummers in Toronto’s beautiful Lee Lifeson Art Park as part of Toronto Arts Council’s Arts in the Park series.

More than a performance, this was a celebration of community. Through rhythm, tradition, and shared experience, the IronFlower Drummers brought people together in a way that felt both joyful and deeply meaningful. Audience members gathered in the sunshine while generations of performers shared music, culture, and connection.

A special highlight was the participation of young drummers from Avondale Public School, demonstrating how traditions continue to grow when they are shared across generations.

Thank you to Charles Hong, Soojung, and everyone involved for creating such a welcoming and vibrant community experience.

📸 Photographs by Karen E. Reeves | Dragonfly Imagery
Opera • Orchestra • Choir • Community

05/30/2026

🎵This Week at the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre🎶

The final Showcase Series concert of the 2025/2026 season invited audiences on a remarkable musical journey through the rich cultures, traditions, and stories of the Middle East.

Walking into the Middle East, presented by the Hasht Cello Octet, transformed the Canadian Opera Company's Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre into a landscape of memory, migration, and cultural connection. Drawing inspiration from folk traditions across Afghanistan, Iran, Türkiye, Armenia, and beyond, the ensemble reimagined melodies passed down through generations through the warm, resonant voice of eight cellos.

Founded to celebrate and amplify Middle Eastern composers and musical traditions, Toronto-based Hasht Cello Octet (“hasht” meaning eight in Farsi) brought together history, storytelling, and contemporary artistry in a performance that reflected the diversity of both the region and Canada’s musical community.

As the final Showcase Series presentation of the season, the concert was a fitting conclusion to a year of extraordinary performances that highlighted the many voices, cultures, and communities that make Toronto’s artistic landscape so vibrant.

For me personally, it also marked my final afternoon photographing in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre before returning in late September. While the summer months will be filled with other musical adventures, there is always something special about closing the season in this space...a place where world-class artists, emerging voices, and curious audiences gather together through the shared experience of live performance.

📸Photographs by Karen E. Reeves | Dragonfly Imagery
Opera • Orchestra • Choir • Community

05/28/2026

Last night I had the pleasure of photographing “Memory Lane” with The Local Vocals Choir - Etobicoke, a wonderfully community-centred pop-up choir founded by soprano Mary Bella here in South Etobicoke.

What began as a local group bringing people together through music has grown into something truly special: an ensemble filled with nostalgia, laughter, singalongs, jazz, and the kind of warmth that only happens when a community gathers simply for the joy of making music together.

From Irving Berlin and Gershwin to California Dreamin’ and Bridge Over Troubled Water, the programme travelled through generations of music and memories...and the audience was right there along for the ride!

One of my favourite things about photographing events like this is seeing how music quietly builds connection. Friends, neighbours, families, former strangers… all sharing the same room, the same songs, and the same moment.

Thank you to Mary and the entire Local Vocals community for having me there to capture it. 💙

📸 Photographs by Karen E. Reeves | Dragonfly Imagery
Opera • Orchestra • Choir • Community

05/26/2026

🎵This Week at The Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre🎶

Last Friday at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, the Canadian Opera Company’s Showcase Series welcomed Moments of Inner Echoes, an exploration of Korean dance where tradition and contemporary expression converged.

Presented by Heerin Kim and members of the Navillera Korean Performing Arts Development (NKPAD), the program journeyed through Jijeon Dance, Hwawol, Pansori (Sarangga), Seonipmu, Dosalpuri, Taepyeongmu, and a dynamic fusion of Sogo and K-pop…blending deep tradition with contemporary energy.

Throughout the performance, audiences were invited into the emotional and philosophical heart of Korean aesthetics: Heung (vital joy), Meot (refined beauty), Han (deep sorrow and resilience), and Shinmyeong (ecstatic release).

A visually stunning and emotionally resonant afternoon in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre.

📸 Photographs by Karen E. Reeves | Dragonfly Imagery
Opera • Orchestra • Choir • Community

05/22/2026

🎵This Week at the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre 🎶

The Canadian Opera Company’s Free Concert Series closed out its 2025/26 season on Wednesday evening with excerpts from "Empire of Wild"…a lush and compelling new opera by Canadian composer Ian Cusson, based on the celebrated novel by Cherie Dimaline.

Led by COC Music Director Johannes Debus, the special 5:30 p.m. performance filled the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre to capacity, with audiences gathering to experience an early glimpse of this highly anticipated new Canadian work. Featuring the full COC Orchestra, an outstanding cast of singers, and the composer himself in attendance, the concert had the feeling of a true occasion.

Set in Métis communities of Northern Ontario, "Empire of Wild" blends Indigenous storytelling, spirituality, love, loss, and resilience into a powerful contemporary opera. The music was rich, cinematic, and emotionally immediate…full, lush, and deeply atmospheric.

Judging by the audience response, many of us left eager to hear more when the opera receives its full premiere.

Thank you to everyone who made this season of the Free Concert Series so memorable. The Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre returns in late September for the 2026/27 season.

Artists appearing this week:

Johannes Debus, COC Music Director

Elisabeth St-Gelais, soprano
Alex Hetherington, mezzo-soprano
Queen Hezumuryango, mezzo-soprano
Ariana Maubach, mezzo-soprano
Gordon Bintner, bass-baritone

Artists of the COC Orchestra

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📸Photographs by Karen E. Reeves | Dragonfly Imagery
Opera • Orchestra • Choir • Community

05/21/2026

05/21/2026

On Sunday afternoon, the historic rooms of Gibson House Museum were once again filled with music as musicians from the Canadian Golha Orchestra gathered for the final instalment of this season’s Music in the Museum series, presented by Second Sleep Stage Productions and producer Charles Hong.

Performed in the intimate setting of the museum’s parlour, the quintet offered audiences a rare opportunity to experience traditional Iranian classical music up close. The afternoon featured an extraordinary collection of instruments and textures, from the resonant warmth of the kamancheh and tar to the rhythmic pulse of percussion and the rich depth of cello and violin.

One of the joys of photographing this series has been witnessing how naturally music inhabits the Gibson House space. The golden wallpaper, wood trim, afternoon light, and close audience seating all contribute to a sense that these performances are less “events” and more gatherings — a reminder that music has long lived in homes, salons, and shared community spaces.

A heartfelt congratulations to Second Sleep Stage Productions and Charles Hong on another thoughtful and beautifully curated season of Music in the Museum, and to the musicians of the Canadian Golha Orchestra for bringing such artistry, nuance, and generosity to the final performance of the series.

📸Photographs by Karen E. Reeves | Dragonfly Imagery
Opera • Orchestra • Choir • Community

05/19/2026

🎵This week at the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre🎶

The Canadian Opera Company’s Showcase Series continued its celebration of Asian Heritage Month with a compelling recital by Toronto-based bass Matthew Li and pianist Ivan Jovanovic at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.

Making his solo Showcase Series debut, Matthew Li presented an eclectic and deeply personal program spanning Mozart, Rachmaninoff, and contemporary Chinese art songs, beautifully honouring both the operatic tradition and his cultural heritage. Audience members were also treated to the presence of composers Alice Ping Yee Ho, Ka Nin Chan, and Kevin Zi-Xiao He, whose works were featured on the program.

The afternoon highlighted the remarkable versatility and artistry of these performers while celebrating the richness and diversity of Asian voices in classical music today.

Artists this week:
Matthew Li, bass
Ivan Jovanovic, piano

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📸Photographs by Karen E. Reeves | Dragonfly Imagery
Opera • Orchestra • Choir • Community

05/17/2026

🎵This Week at the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre🎶

The Canadian Opera Company’s Free Concert Series at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts presented Les Adieux…a moving farewell recital celebrating graduating Ensemble Studio artists Emily Rocha, soprano, and Duncan Stenhouse, bass, joined by Head of Music Liz Upchurch at the piano.

The afternoon showcased the artistry, warmth, and individuality of two singers concluding an important chapter of their musical journeys with the COC Ensemble Studio. From French mélodie and opera favourites to traditional folk songs from Ireland, Scotland, Newfoundland, and beyond, the program balanced intimacy, humour, storytelling, and heartfelt reflection.

A particularly touching moment came at the close of the concert, as the audience rose in a standing ovation to celebrate both artists and the remarkable work of the Ensemble Studio program that has helped shape generations of Canadian opera talent.

Artists this week
Emily Rocha, soprano
Duncan Stenhouse, bass
Liz Upchurch, piano

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📸Photographs by Karen E. Reeves | Dragonfly Imagery
Opera • Orchestra • Choir • Community