Come to the Vaughan International Music Festival this weekend!

This weekend, a first-of-its-kind music festival is coming to Vaughan’s downtown core – and you’re invited! On Saturday, June 11 and Sunday, June 12, the Vaughan International Music Festival will showcase music from cultures worldwide in the heart of the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (VMC), located at 100 New Park Place. 

The free weekend-long event will take place rain or shine and include live performances from emerging local artists, cultural groups, renowned bands and world-class entertainers. It will conclude on Sunday evening with a special performance by multi-platinum award-winning super group, The Tenors. 

Everyone is encouraged to dress according to weather conditions, including wearing hats and sunscreen, and bring lawn chairs. Food trucks will be operating on-site throughout the weekend. 

There will also be open mic sessions held on Saturday, June 11 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday, June 12 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Are you a Vaughan-based artist who wants to showcase your musical talent? Send a direct message to @vimf_vaughan on Instagram to register for one of the two timeslots!

A complete lineup of scheduled entertainment is below, subject to change:

Day one: The grand opening

Saturday, June 11

6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

• Pan Fantasy Steelband: A talented Toronto-based steelband group with a reputation for delivering high-energy performances by engaging youth in the community while preserving Caribbean culture.

• Eugene Cheung: A young and well-respected singer who has grown under the guidance of Lal Dayaram, a renowned promoter/manager for more than six decades of some of the most famous Asian singers, like Teresa Teng and Wong Fei.

• Maya Maunet: With a mission to work through a stutter that Maya grew up with, she found the only way to communicate freely was through singing. At the age of 22, Maya redefined herself with a renewed confidence through music and songwriting.

• Nagata Shachu: A professional not-for-profit Japanese taiko drumming and music group led by Kiyoshi-san enthralls audiences with their mesmerizing and heart-pounding performances of Japanese taiko drums. Their playing combines unbounded spirit and passion with the highest level of musicianship and discipline. They have toured widely throughout Canada and performed at major engagements in Lebanon and Mexico.

• Katharine Reyes: A first-year business management student at Toronto Metropolitan University whose love for singing and dancing continues to dominate her life.

• Imah: Imah is a Senegalese singer/songwriter. Her music is inspired by Afro-beats, Afro-house, RnB, pop, hip hop and more. She is proud of being multilingual, which comes through in her music, with a mix of French, English and Wolof. Audiences can hear her culture and experiences through her songs.

• Toronto Chinese Orchestra: Established in 1993, the Toronto Chinese Orchestra, currently under the leadership of Patty Chan, is the largest and longest-running Chinese orchestra, displaying traditional Chinese instruments, with a range of musicians from 18 to 73 years old.

• Roberta Battaglia: A dynamic, up-and-coming young singer from Toronto. Born in 2009 into a musical family, Roberta began her singing career at age three, alongside her dad, Alexander Battaglia. Over her short lifespan, she has graced many stages, from local community events to galas to charitable events to singing for dignitaries. Petit as she is, her voice is powerful, armed with a diverse repertoire of music in both English and Italian, from ballads to top-40 hits to high-octane pop. Most recently, she received the Golden Buzzer on America’s Got Talent, Season 15, coming in fourth place overall.

Day two: The grand finale

Sunday, June 12

2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

• Philippine Heritage Band and vocalists: A Vaughan-based cultural marching band that has entertained communities worldwide, winning many awards throughout North America.

• Clyde Ababa: A Toronto-based professional vocalist dubbed “The Walking Jukebox,” who has performed with many famous Filipino celebrities.

• Gee: A Toronto-born hip hop and RnB recording artist, music producer and DJ.

• ABF “April's Best Friend”: A new band group of eight Toronto-based musicians, focusing on multi-genre songs from the 1990s up to present day.

• The Liberty Band and singers: A world-renowned, sought-after Vietnamese cultural band that has performed across North America for more than 20 years with a flair in Vietnamese, French and English.

• Grenville Pinto: A talented Canadian violinist, recording artist, entertainer and composer who performs professionally across North America and internationally for special events and concerts.

• Nicolina Bozzo: A 19-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter from Vaughan who became the first Canadian to make it to the Top 5 on Season 20 of American Idol in 2022. She wrote and released her first EP in 2021, entitled “Moving On.” Her recent single, “Glitter,” shot to number 1 on the Singer-Songwriter charts on iTunes. With more than 310,000 TikTok followers and dubbed as the “TikTok Queen,” Nicolina has wowed audiences with her powerhouse vocals and emotional story-telling.

• Royal Conservatory of Music Cecilia Zhang Memorial Scholarship recipients: The Cecilia Zhang Memorial Scholarship was created in 2004 in memory of Cecilia Zhang. Each year, it is awarded to young emerging artists to support their musical education with the Royal Conservatory of Music. Pianists Jason Cheng and Natalie Yu are scholarship recipients who will perform at the Vaughan International Music Festival, along with Dayou Kim. All three performers are students at The Taylor Academy for gifted young musicians.

• Lincoln Haggart-Ives: Lincoln is a provincially ranked violinist who made his Toronto Symphony Orchestra debut as a soloist in April 2022. He was inducted into CBC’s annual “30 under 30” list of classical musicians in 2021. Lincoln has performed across Toronto as both a soloist and as a member of ensembles and youth orchestras. He is currently the student of Aaron Schwebel.

• The Tenors: Multi-platinum award-winning super group, The Tenors will be capping off the weekend with a special performance. They have performed around the world, and are excited to be bringing their powerful harmonies, their humour, and their songs of hope to the audience from across Vaughan and beyond.

To learn more, visit vaughaninternationalmusicfestival.com.

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