Terminal YYZ

A new musical about Toronto

When was the exact moment
choosing Toronto broke your heart?

Living in Toronto is beautiful, but longing is the price we pay for choosing a bigger world. Composer Rafael Santos is building a new stage musical from real stories told right here in the city. Leave an anonymous voice note, and your words will shape the handwritten score.

↓ Read the full letter from Rafael

A note from the composer

Why I’m building this.

Hi, I’m Rafael Santos. I’m a composer and storyteller living right here in Toronto. With over a decade of experience creating narrative-driven works — including the musical Father Ernetti and the Holy Lie and the audio drama Haunted Melodies — I know the power of a shared truth.

Terminal YYZ is my new stage musical about the silent choices we make in this city. Living here is a beautiful privilege, but longing is the price we pay for choosing a bigger world. I am composing the score for this project using your real memories. By leaving a voice note above, your story and the rhythm of your words will serve as the direct inspiration for the songs.

“Your story won’t just be heard. It will be sung.”

Three questions that live at the heart of this project:

01

Have you ever looked at the skyline and wondered if the future you are building is worth the people you left behind?

02

Have you ever cried on the TTC because a phone call from home felt too short?

03

Have you ever had to choose between the city you love and the people who love you?

Consider sharing your specific moment using the buttons above, or simply follow the journey of this project. Either way — thank you for being here.

— Rafael Santos

Composer & Storyteller · Toronto, 2026

byrafaelsantos.com ↗