MUSIC | Toronto Summer Music Festival
The Toronto Summer Music Festival is a classical music festival that launches its seventh season tonight with an opening performance at Koerner Hall. During its three-week run, the festival features not only performances, but also lectures and master classes, all of which will take place in a variety of venues, including Koerner Hall, Walter Hall and Hart House. Tonight's event is a piano recital by AndrĂŠ Laplante that will feature compositions by Liszt and Ravel.
Koerner Hall (273 Bloor Street West) 7:30PM $26

BOOKS & LIT | Christine Sismondo
The Gardiner Museum offers a special event today at noon for the literary-minded who like to get away from work for lunch. Author Christine Sismondo holds a "lunch and learn," discussing her book America Walks into a Bar. This interesting non-fiction work, published by Oxford University Press, traces the origin of the bar and tavern in America, and discusses its cultural and historical relevance in our society. This event includes a "bag lunch" put together by Jamie Kennedy Kitchens, and will run until 1:30pm.
Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art (111 Queen's Park) 12PM $25 (incl. lunch)

MUSIC | Maps + Atlases + Chang A Lang + A Lull
A much anticipated triple bill that was supposed to go down back in May, but got canceled, finally takes the stage tonight at The Horseshoe. Chicago's Maps & Atlases are touring on their latest release, "Beware and Be Grateful," and will deliver a set of their usual energetic and slightly experimental sounds. A Lull, also from Chi-town, fill the middle spot on the bill, and T.O.'s own Chang-A-Lang open the evening: these guys have been at it for a while, and their compact and clever tunes have plenty of humour and a lot of rock energy!
The Horseshoe Tavern (370 Queen Street West) 8:30PM $13

ART | Life-Like Drawing Returns to the Sky Yard
The Summer is a great time to indulge your 'inner Matisse.' We all, at some point in our lives, have tried our hand at sketching, or even trying to take our doodles as far as they can go, but tonight, The Drake Hotel offers you an awesome after work art class--for free. Every Tuesday through August 28th, the place to be will be the Drake's rooftop patio, the Sky Yard, where Tisha Myles and Andrew William Finlay Stewart will be your instructors, with a live model. Your draughtsmanship will be taken to a higher level, and there will be some excellent beverages to help get your creative juices flowing.
The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen Street West) 5PM

OTHER EVENTS ON OUR RADAR

'Infinite Jest' Reading Group
The Treble, Elos Arma and Matthew Winkler!

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Photo by DesignmojoPlusCamera in the blogTO Flickr pool