The Music and Beyond festival is one of of the most interesting events in Ottawa’s busy summer calendar.  Starting on Saturday, July 4 this two-week celebration of art and culture will present more than 75 concerts and events, with its ingenious showcase of classical music and other genres.

What makes this artistic gathering really special, however, is its focus on the word “Beyond” in its name, as many of the planned activities explore themes that go beyond music.  Among the topics that will be explored are the law, food, art and film.

In fact, there are so many events going on the souvenir program is more than 150 pages long.  (You really need to look at the full program to get a sense of how impressive this festival is).

To get a taste of what’s on offer, however, below is a short summary of some highlights:

July 5: The family music expo takes place at the University of Ottawa.

July 6: Sitar-player Irshad Khan performs Indian music at the Dominion-Chalmers Church.

July 6: Pirates on the Rideau will see musicians travelling from Dow’s Lake to the National Arts Centre and back, while playing the music of Gilbert and Sullivan.

July 7: A Tango Soirée takes place in the Shaw Centre.

July 8: The National Gallery of Canada offers a full-evening of programming that explores the link between music and visuals arts.

July 9: Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin hosts a concert at Dominion-Chalmers Church in which the legal troubles of the composers will be discussed.

July 10-11: The film Shining Night: A Portrait of Composer Morten Lauridsen will be screened at the University of Ottawa.

July 11: A choral workshop takes place at the Dominion-Chalmers United Church.

July 13: Music by Ottawa composer Jan Jarvlepp will be performed at the Dominion-Chalmers Church.

July 14: Sean Michaels, the Ottawa-raised writer whose book Us Conductors won the 2014 Giller Prize, will read from his book while Dutch virtuoso Thorwald Jorgensen plays the theremin, the electronic instrument that inspired Michael’s to write the book.

July 16: The Music and Dining: Farm to Table event takes places which combines food and music.

July 17: Closing gala looks at music and the circus.

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