Today in Toronto: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and more

Emperor Concerto Anton Kuerti, known as much for his political activism as for his brilliance as a pianist—he has frequently spoken out against war and other acts of aggression—takes the measure of Beethoven’s final piano concerto, with former TSO music director Günther Herbig at the helm. Also on the program: Shostakovich’s post-Stalin Symphony No. 10. Find out more »

Greg Payce With this Calgary-based artist’s work, you can derive pleasure from his meticulously crafted ceramics as well as from the figurative surprises that grace the spaces between them. Video and lenticular photography—images that give the illusion of depth—are part of a show that glances back over a decade of illusions. Find out more »

Love From Afar This opera by Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho premiered in 2000 but has already had productions in France, Germany, Finland, the U.S., the U.K. and elsewhere. A tale of long-distance longing between a 12th-century French troubadour and the Countess of Tripoli, the production is musically luscious, if a little dramatically static. Canadian baritone Russell Braun stars. Find out more »