Confluence Concerts

Meet the 2026-2027 Young Artistic Associates!

Anika Venkatesh is a genre-defying artist hailing from Coast Salish Territories currently based in Tkarón:to. Anika bridges art forms as a solo vocalist, choral professional, theatre performer, and opera singer. They are an early-career artist passionate about contemporary music (and) theatre. Select performances include “The Cheshire Cat” and “Red Queen/Ruby” understudy Alice in Wonderland on tour (Bad Hats Theatre); Glimmer (Thierry Tidrow, New Music Concerts); Sky in a Small Cage (Mahogany Opera, Barbican Centre, Copenhagen Opera Festival); Universal Child Care (Quote Unquote Collective, Canadian Stage); “The House” in Rocking Horse Winner (Tapestry Opera, Crow’s Theatre). Anika is a founding member of Silver Thread, a Toronto-based professional chamber choral ensemble that garners a wide musical expertise ranging from renaissance to contemporary. Anika is also an R&B musician, amongst other contemporary genres. Through musical storytelling, they hope to garner curiosity, play, connection, tenderness, and strength.

Audiences will recognize Anika from Wound Turned to Light and Sighs Too Deep For Words: A Canadian Valentine.

Last chance! See you today at 7:30 (6:45 for the pre-concert chat). Tickets available at the door or confluenceconcerts.ca

👑Final concert of the season!

May 22 & 23, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Pre-show chat at 6:45 p.m.
Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Avenue, Toronto

A neo-classical take on 20th and 21st centuries’ musical queens, divas and icons including epic songs made famous by Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Amália Rodrigues, Tina Turner, Nina Simone, Mercedes Sosa, Freddy Mercury, Cher, Kate bush, k.d. lang, and more........with the Confluence Concerts team and special guests.

Curated by Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野

Performers:
Larry Beckwith (voice & violin)
Máiri Demings (voice)
Natalie Fasheh (voice)
Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野 (voice)
Patricia O’Callaghan (voice)
Morgan-Paige (piano)
Suba Sankaran (voice)
Lucas Silveira (voice)

Tickets available at confluenceconcerts.ca

"Tonight is all about celebrating the incredible queens, divas and icons we’ve grown up with (and continue to discover) in all their splendour. I wanted to recognize the endless beauty and power of these songs, but also acknowledge the risks a lot of these musicians took by performing this music as many of them were/are women, racialized, q***r, gender fluid, and politically outspoken. I’m so inspired and grateful to them for the paths they have paved for me and my fellow artists to be able to take up their torches and also carve out our own. In addition to the Confluence team, I’m so thrilled to be celebrating the diva-energy that lives in each of us (including you, our dear audience!) and especially in our immensely talented local artists such as Morgan-Paige and Lucas Silveira. Much like the Sinéads and Mercury’s of the past, these two musicians continue to take risks being who they are in order to bring their incredible talents, whole selves, and unique gifts to a very fractured, dangerous world that seeks their erasure. As you listen, please linger on the question: What messages were these artists and songs making back then and how do they still reverberate today?" - Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野

Confluence Concerts presents:
May 22 & 23, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Pre-show chat at 6:45 p.m.
Heliconian Hall
Tickets available at confluenceconcerts.ca