Spanish Folly and Suave Melody Thursday, February 26th at 11:00 am Alix Goolden Performance Hall A perfect opportunity to appreciate the distinctive sounds of Spanish baroque music, which blended the music from El Siglo de Oro, Spain’s Golden Century, with the diverse cultures that emerged from the global Spanish Hapsburg Empire along with the musical trends from 17th-century Italy. The baroque guitar was an essential element in the music of Spain during the baroque period,

Iberian Splendour Wednesday February 25 7:30pm Christ Church Cathedral, Victoria With ringing bells, distant drums, lavishly ornamented motets, and ancient plainsong, organist Abraham Ross will present an evening of diverse pieces from one of the most distinctive corners of the organ repertory: baroque organ music of Portugal and Spain. In a period marked by a trove of treatises and sources, the invention of new pipework and case designs, and the presence of the organ in both

The 2026 Pacific Baroque Festival is just a few days away! We begin with a recital of Spanish organ works played on the mighty Hellmuth Wolff instrument in Christ Church Cathedral on Wednesday, February 25th and continue for the following three days with music of Baroque Spain for strings, guitar, keyboard and voice in concert at Alix Goolden Performance Hall of the Victoria Conservatory of Music. The Iberian Peninsula was heavily influenced by the musical trends of 17th Cent

When the 2026 Pacific Baroque Festival begins in just over a week’s time, we’ll discover just how apt a title “Spanish Connections” is for this year’s Festival. Not only will our ears be opened to the unique and beguiling sounds of Spain in the 17th and 18th centuries, but we’ll also discover the rich results of encounters with Iberian culture among composers from many different parts of Europe. Case in point: Saturday evening’s program with the Pacific Baroque Festival Ensem

Friday’s concert is sure to generate much interest and excitement from Victoria music lovers, since it marks a welcome return to her native city by soprano Rachel Allen, who is enjoying a blossoming career from her current base in London, England. The program will showcase Rachel, with the Pacific Baroque Festival Ensemble directed by Marc Destrubé, performing sacred and secular cantatas by composers of the Spanish Baroque era. The music is florid, fervent and fantastical, o

An enlightening world of music with sublime harmonies and vibrant rhythms will brighten up Victoria this coming February during Pacific Baroque Festival 2026 “Spanish Connections”. From 27 February to 1 March 2026 take advantage of this rare opportunity to appreciate this distinctive Spanish baroque music, one shaped by traditional folk and dance music from across the Spanish realm as well as influenced by the Italian Stile Nuovo. Join us in February for another creative Paci

Friendship Friday, February 21st at 7:30 pm Alix Goolden Performance Hall Allow Pacific Baroque Festival 2025 bring some warmth into your winter – a rare opportunity to discover some musical gems performed by one of the world’s foremost interpreters of north German baroque music – Dorothee Mields (soprano). This concert is inspired by three Hamburg composers, Dietrich Buxtehude, Johann Reincken and Johann Thiele, whose music revitalised Hamburg as a center of music while the

Toronto-based organist Aaron James visits Victoria to play two contrasting organ concerts to open the 2025 Pacific Baroque Festival, showcasing the richness of the beautiful instruments in the city. “Home” and “Abroad” will explore domestic and public organ practices respectively through the music of Baroque Germany. [James'] recital concluded with a Muffat toccata played, as required, with dramatic flair and calm sensitivity. Throughout the recital, the little details that

The acclaimed German soprano, Dorothee Mields, returns to Victoria for 3 unique concerts during Pacific Baroque Festival 2025. With her enchantingly beautiful soprano voice, she brings the sound of this era back to life - no vibrato, yet extremely versatile, flawless in sound and immensely transformative. - GK, Crescendo, 2021 Much sought-after for performances in Europe and with a far-reaching discography, Mields is pleased to be returning to the west coast to feature in

Your 2025 Festival journey takes you to northern Germany in the time of the Thirty Years’ War, a period of immense creativity inspired by the stile nuovo of Italy. Johannes Voorhout's painting Allegory and friendship provides a convenient portal to "Peace, Friendship and Joy." It presents a remarkable image of three friends, Hamburg's leading composers - Johann Reinken, Dietrich Buxtehude, and Johann Thiele. The wealthy port of Hamburg, a free city sheltered from war, not