390 King St. West
The Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts is a must-see destination for anyone passionate about music, drama, or design. It was built with a dual mission: to serve both Queen’s University students, faculty, and staff and the wider community as an artistic and cultural hub.
"It’s a destination where students come to study, take classes, rehearse, and perform. And it’s also a wonderful performing arts venue," says Gordon Smith, the Isabel’s director.
As you approach the Isabel, you’ll notice that the upper levels are clad in textured steel — a choice inspired by the way sunlight dances on the waves of Lake Ontario. Step inside, and you’re greeted by soaring glass walls that flood the space with light and offer views of the St. Lawrence River. The soft, diffused glow of the lighting bounding off the ceiling creates an almost ethereal ambiance as guests wait to watch their show.
The Isabel pays homage to its roots as it incorporates historical elements from the 19th-century distillery and military hospital and headquarters once housed in the original building. During construction, original pine, hemlock, and spruce flooring from the old building was carefully removed, restored, and later repurposed in the building’s lobby.
You’ll see reclaimed wood from the old Stella Buck building in the lobby,” Smith says. “This place tells a story—from the stone walls to the lake views.
Beyond its historical and contemporary architecture, the performance spaces in the Isabel host international touring artists, professional ensembles, and local performing artists, and Queen’s University students. The acoustically superb 567-seat performance hall is a particular draw, both for artists and audiences. The Kingston Symphony presents nine concerts a year in the performance hall.
This year’s season is inspired by the Haudenosaunee concept, “Extending the Rafters," which Smith explains “refers to the longhouse and the idea of making room—expanding the place—for others to participate.“ It’s about inclusion, growth, and transformation, which reflects our values around Indigenization, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.”
Whether you’re a classical music aficionado or a theatre lover, the Isabel invites you to visit this wonderful venue to experience one of Kingston's true treasurers.
What to check out this fall:
Tom Wilson is a musician, visual artist, and writer. At the age of fifty-three, it was revealed to him that he was adopted, and his parents were Kahnawake Mohawk. Since then, Wilson has explored what his white upbringing means against the juxtaposition of his family and culture. Portraying a colonial classroom, the exhibit includes nine rebuilt residential school desks with photographs of children’s families inside. Free to attend. Learn more.
Kingston group Oakridge Ave features a lineup of four dynamic musicians—Harrison Stewart-Juby, Thomas Draper, Joe Kenny, and Sean Patterson. With Patterson's melodic vocal hooks and stacked choruses, the band's lyrics are familiar but distinct, establishing themes that tap into deeper questions of humanity and what binds people together despite their differences. Through the band’s strong musical craftsmanship with Draper’s masterful guitar riffs, Kenny’s driving bass, and Stewart-Juby’s heavy percussion, Oakridge Ave. creates a vivid and fresh sound with maximum colour saturation. Tickets on sale now.
Five-time JUNO Award winner, Jane Bunnett has been nominated for three GRAMMY Awards. With Maqueque, Bunnett has created a new and phenomenal ensemble in the world of jazz. What started out as a project to record and mentor young brilliant Cuban female musicians, Maqueque has become one of the top groups on the North American jazz scene. Tickets on sale now.
