Musicians of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra will not only play – but slay – on Friday as part of the Downtown Diva Ensemble showcase.
The unique collaboration on the steps and in the lobby of the Centennial Concert Hall features local drag performers and vocalists accompanied by the musicians.
“It's a nice way to welcome people back to the concert hall,” says WSO oboist Robin MacMillan.
Though the formal concert season begins in earnest next week for the musicians, roughly 30 players – led by Armand Birk – are looking forward to creating a welcoming and dynamic environment in the space they so often call home, explains MacMillan.
“We want to make this as welcoming and open to everybody as possible because we know sometimes people might be a little bit intimidated by the idea of a symphony or the concert hall.”
It was at the Academy Street Fair earlier this summer that the idea for a musical event was hatched, born out of a conversation between WSO flute player Alex Conway and NDP MLA Mike Moroz.
“He was excited to talk to me as a musician of the WSO,” says Conway. “By the end of the conversation, we were planning a concert and we realized that: I'm a musician. He's a politician. We need somebody to help us.”
Synonym Art Consultation was brought in to help curate the free event.
Founded over a decade ago, the collective and small arts business builds community through programs, mentorship, events, and initiatives, often uplifting artists in under-supported communities.
‘Something we've been really working on in the past couple of years is bringing in drag and the queer arts to the public,” says co-founder Chloe Chafe. “Something like this project, with the musicians of the WSO and taking over the lobby of the Centennial Concert Hall with queer arts programming is a dream come true.”
Curated by Synonym’s Prairie Sky, the event features her in performance alongside Feather Talia, Artemyst, Izabell Silver, and Lady Muse.
Vocalists Sheena Rattai and Ami Cheon will also be involved in the event singing with the musicians of the WSO.
Produced by Synonym Art Consultation, the Musicians of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Manitoba NDP Caucus and the Exchange District Biz, the event on Friday, September 6 is free to the public with no tickets required.
Doors to the Concert Hall open at 6 p.m. with the first drag performances happening at 6:30 before symphony musicians join at 7.