October in Victoria: Il trovatore, a restored organ, and Ghibli at the Royal

A city this size shouldn't have this much music happening in one month, but here we are — these are the highlights.

Christ Church Cathedral's restored organ gets a proper introduction in the first days of October: a lunchtime recital on the 2nd, then a talk from Juget-Sinclair's Alex Ross on how the renewal was done and an evening concert by German organist Jan Liebermann on the 3rd. The next afternoon at the Farquhar, Victoria Symphony concertmaster Terence Tam plays The Lark Ascending.

Mid-month belongs to Pacific Opera Victoria, whose Il trovatore plays the Royal Theatre from October 16. Around it are the Katarina String Quartet's UVic debut, Octet Victoria singing Bach motets, the Cheng² Duo with clarinettist James Campbell at the Alix Goolden on the 24th, and Sophia Liu in Liszt's First Piano Concerto with the Symphony on the 25th. The month ends at the Royal with Joe Hisaishi's Studio Ghibli music on the 30th.