Celebrating the best of the season, Sistema Winnipeg presents a varied and diverse musical offering in their winter concert.
“(The program) is a whole range of things, as is pretty typical of Sistema,” says music director Naomi Woo.
Audiences can expect to hear classical holiday music and other seasonal favourites, in addition to some movie music – including a selection from the beloved animated film The Snowman – in the Tannis M. Richardson Winter Concert.
Upwards of 150 students participate in the Sistema program – a partnership between the WSO and two school divisions, Seven Oaks School (SOSD) and Winnipeg School Division (WSD) – providing after-school music education at no cost to considered at-risk communities.
“Something that’s really special about the Sistema program – and that you’ll see in this concert – is that we have a really wide range of ages and levels that all make music together,” says Woo.
Operating out of two schools, Elwick Community School (SOSD) and King Edward Community School (WSD), the program has expanded to grow with students as they continue their music education in later years at Isaac Newton School (WSD) and St. John’s High School (WSD).
“When you have a big group of students who are all at different ages and different levels, they learn to work together but in particular they learn the importance of peer mentorship and teaching each other,” says Woo, who calls those moments some of the most special.
Sistema Winnipeg is fully dependent on the support of donors in providing this invaluable resource to students, including two major endowment donations from Tannis M. Richardson and Michael Nozick – named in Sistema’s winter and spring concerts, respectively.
“The endowment fund donation really is helpful in securing the long-term future of Sistema,” says Woo. “For being confident that we can continue offering this programming to students for many years to come.”
Join Sistema Winnipeg at their Winter Concert on Friday, December 9 at 6:30 p.m. at the Seven Oaks Performing Arts Centre (711 Jefferson Avenue).
