Your classical summer in Victoria: James Ehnes, Beethoven in the cathedral and free Sunday recitals

Summer has arrived in Victoria, and with it some of the city's most durable classical music traditions.

The Victoria Symphony's Symphony in the Summer festival fills Christ Church Cathedral through late July — including Andrei Feher conducting Beethoven's Eighth alongside Kelly-Marie Murphy's contemporary response to the Eroica — before moving outdoors to The Butchart Gardens in August, where the concert is included with garden admission.

The Victoria Summer Music Festival opens at UVic's Phillip T. Young Recital Hall with the Poiesis Quartet, and welcomes James Ehnes back to town on August 1 as part of his 50th birthday tour, with pianist Andrew Armstrong.

If you've never been to a classical concert and would rather not commit to a ticket, summer is the easiest time of year to start. The free Sunday afternoon recitals at Christ Church Cathedral run all season — Sarah Hagen's Of Water I Sing! in mid-July is a good one to begin with, built around Ravel, Debussy, Chopin and Liszt writing about water. And out in Sooke, the Philharmonic's Philharmonic Fling is a free outdoor Pops concert by the sea at Ed MacGregor Park.

This is the same lineup that went out in the summer newsletter, adapted here in case you'd rather browse than scroll an inbox. If you're new here, Discover is the editorial side of Allegro — a little more opinionated than the full listings. Subscribe below and I'll send the next one straight to your inbox.

See you at a concert soon.