About Xenia Concerts
Xenia Concerts was launched by the internationally acclaimed Cecilia String Quartet in 2014 as a pilot program that aimed to address a barrier in the arts: people living with autism are often not welcome at concerts because they tend to express themselves in ways that are often frowned upon at traditionally organized events. After spending a year consulting with caregivers, healthcare experts, and community members, the Cecilia Quartet presented a series of three concerts designed to welcome and appeal to children and families within the autism community. These first concerts, which took place at The Sony Centre for the Performing Arts (now Meridian Hall), received enormous acclaim for their quality and accessibility.
Since becoming a registered charity in 2017, Xenia Concerts has grown significantly in both the scale and reach of its programming, with approximately 30-40 concerts presented annually in recent seasons and plans to expand to approximately 40+ concerts in 2026-27. Originally focused on creating accessible concert experiences for children and youth on the autism spectrum and their families, Xenia has broadened its programming to serve people of all ages who experience barriers to participating in live music. Today, our Adaptive Concerts welcome neurodivergent individuals, D/deaf and disabled audiences, people living with dementia, older adults, and families and communities facing financial, social, or systemic barriers to arts participation.
While Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area remain central to our activities, Xenia has steadily expanded its reach through partnerships with arts presenters, community organizations, schools, and health and social service providers across Canada. This expansion is supported by our Artist Training program, which equips musicians and presenters with the skills and knowledge to deliver inclusive concert experiences in their own communities. As Xenia continues to grow, our focus is on strengthening these partnerships, reaching underserved audiences, and advancing accessible concert practices across Canada.
Xenia Concerts Organization History
Now in its twelfth year, Xenia Concerts has established itself as Canada’s leading resource for the creation and promotion of family-friendly, accessible, and inclusive performing arts experiences for neurodiverse and disabled audiences. Having started with a three-concert series of autism-inclusive “sensory-friendly” concerts in 2014-15, Xenia has expanded its circle of inclusion and its reach to present between 40 and 45 Adaptive Concerts per year, provide accessibility training to artists and arts workers, and develop innovative accessible concert designs.
Key facts
- Xenia Concerts has grown its audience sixfold in five years, growing from under 500 attendees in 2020-2021 to over 3,400 in 2025-2026.
- Xenia trains every artist we work with in how to design and present neuro- and ability-inclusive concerts. We also deliver accessibility workshops to hundreds of musicians, music students, and arts professionals each year.
- Xenia is rooted in community engagement and co-design. We consult regularly with experts with lived experience through knowledge-building projects, and collect feedback at every event to inform future programming.
- Xenia regularly features Deaf, neurodivergent, and disabled artists on stage, including performances by ASD Band, Mattmac, and Deaf-led ASL performance group Phoenix the Fire in 2025-2026.
- Xenia has advised other presenting organizations to improve their accessibility practices and/or establish their own Adaptive Concert series across Canada, including Ottawa Chamberfest, Gallery Players of Niagara, Tuckamore Festival (St. John’s, NL), Honens (Calgary, AB), and the Regina Symphony Orchestra.
Key Partners
Xenia partners with arts presenters and disability service organizations to ensure that we reach as many people as possible who face barriers to inclusion. Our Toronto-based partners involved in youth programming include TO Live, The Canadian Opera Company Free Concert Series, Toronto Summer Music, Bloorview School Authority, Emily’s House, Flato Markham Theatre, One Health Partners (therapy dog organization), and congregated schools within the Toronto District School Board.
Milestones
2014: Xenia Concerts launched its autism-friendly series with three concerts at Meridian Hall (formerly Sony Centre).
2016: Xenia Concerts incorporated as a non-profit.
2017: Obtained registered charity status.
2020-2022: Provided accessible online concerts throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021-2022: Completed sound.colLAB, a musical composition co-creation project in which seven neurodivergent composers wrote pieces for string quartet and electronics.
2022: Created and launched the Xenia Concerts Artist Training program, which has now trained over 150 artists in how to create accessible musical programming.
2023: Xenia presented its first Deaf-friendly concert in collaboration with Phoenix the Fire and the Art Gallery of Ontario.
2023-2024: Xenia ASD Youth Advisory Council, in which five Autistic youth designed and presented a concert especially for neurodivergent youth and young adults.
2024-2025: Xenia partnered with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada to provide training workshops on accessible concert design, self-care and leadership for young musicians, and inclusive rehearsal techniques.
2024-2026: Xenia partnered with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind to incorporate new accessibility adaptations for Blind and partially sighted attendees, produce new training materials, and co-present Blind Oji-Cree rapper Mattmac.
2025-2026: Having secured operating funding at the municipal, provincial, and federal level and grown its staff team to 3.5 FTE, Xenia continues to expand its programming across the Greater Toronto Area and beyond.
Xenia’s strong commitment to accessibility, long-lasting partnerships, and dedicated team contribute to its impact on neurodivergent and disabled youth in Toronto. We envision a future where everyone can exercise their human right to access the arts.