Toronto is getting a star-studded music fest in support of mental health
The inaugural World Congress on the Social Impact of Music is coming to town—and it’s bringing a healthy dose of star power
The name Viggo Mortensen tends to conjure images of his very naked knife fight in Eastern Promises and his sword-swinging in The Lord of the Rings, but it turns out that acting isn’t his only talent—with three jazz albums and a number of film score credits, he’s also a serious music buff. He’ll be headlining a new music-video-slash-conference coming to Toronto next week, meant to celebrate music’s power to support mental well-being.
The inaugural World Congress on the Social Impact of Music is bringing over 550 orchestra performers and some serious star power. Mortensen himself will emcee the opening-night celebration (with a keynote speech by former senator and leading peacekeeper Roméo Dallaire) and later provide narration for Wild Symphony, an immersive concert composed by bestselling author Dan Brown and featuring over 145 youth musicians from across Canada.
Other highlights in the lineup include performances by Grammy-winning pianist Chilly Gonzales, music legend A. R. Rahman and Memphis-born dancer Lil Buck. There will also be talks by producer and Canadian music mastermind Bob Ezrin, physician and bestselling author Gabor Maté, and author and filmmaker Jamie Bernstein, Leonard Bernstein’s daughter.
Related: A bunch of Canadian music legends are coming to Toronto, but they won’t be getting awards
Each day of the festival, dubbed “the Promise of Music,” will offer music-themed film screenings and nightly shows from orchestras across the globe, such as Paraguay’s Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, who play instruments originally destined for landfills.
The events are taking place all across the city, from Toronto Metropolitan University downtown to Lula Lounge in the west and Koerner Hall and the Aga Khan Museum farther north. The Promise of Music runs from October 6 to 10, and most tickets go for about $40 to $60 a pop. Not too shabby for a melodic pick-me-up.
Lindsey King is a Toronto-based writer and editor whose work can be found in Toronto Life, Maclean’s, Canada’s 100 Best and more. She is interested in arts and culture, food and drink, architecture, design, and real estate stories
