Music Niagara plans to continue its popular At Home concert series this summer and hopes to be able to include some live audiences for the shows.

The annual festival, marking its 23rd season, will launch on the summer solstice on June 20 and continue through the last day of summer on Sept. 22.

The At Home concerts were created last summer when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Niagara-on-the-Lake festival to pivot and stage only virtual shows.

Music Niagara also plans three major fundraising events, starting with the Big Auction, with online bidding on a variety of items, including: a one-week vacation in Costa Rica, sunset cruise on Lake Ontario, golf packages at Peninsula Lakes and the Toronto Golf Club, and a magnum of 1996 Chateau Lafite Rothschild.

The season will celebrate the 300th anniversary of Bach’s Brandenburg concertos, along with music of Vivaldi. 

Astor Piazzolla’s 100th birthday also will be marked with the nuevo tango and the French Connection jazz/classical series will continue.

In collaboration with actors from the Shaw Festival, “Soldier’s Story” will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of Igor Stravinsky.

And the festival's young violin virtuosos will perform Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's five concertos in celebration of the 265th anniversary of his birth.

In July, the Great Debate is planned. The festival promises a “surprise cast of characters will face off in a lively debate on a favourite topic” – Mozart.

There also will be a chance to win a tower of 40 bottles of wine.

As well, Music Niagara and the Miller Group realtors have teamed up again to hold a fundraising tournament Aug. 4 at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club, featuring live musical performances on the course.

Registration for the alternate-shot tourney is limited to 54 players.