Arts & Culture

Banff International String Quartet Competition names 2025 finalists

The mountains are alive with music this week as the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity hosts the 2025 Banff International String Quartet Competition (BISQC) in Banff, Alberta. After a thrilling week of performances by nine exceptional ensembles from around the globe, the competition has narrowed down to three standout quartets.

🎻 The 2025 finalists are:

Alison Balsom to retire after final performance at Last Night of the Proms

Trumpeter Alison Balsom has announced that she will retire from the stage following a farewell performance at the Last Night of the Proms on September 13, 2025.

A musical feast: a three-course meal on air this Saturday morning

This Saturday at 9 a.m., we’re setting the table for something delicious on air: a musical three-course meal complete with hors d’oeuvres, wine, main course, coffee, and dessert. It’s our way of celebrating the return of A Taste of Manitoba, the food and drink festival happening all long weekend at Fort Gibraltar in St. Boniface.

Heading back into the routine of music lessons is a little bit more daunting for those teaching music outside of Manitoba’s largest urban centres. Concerns around mileage, scheduling and venues are just some of the challenges these music educators face on top of the typical recital organization and examination preparation. 

While back-to-school is an exciting time for students and families, it’s also a season associated with nerves and new experiences. This is also the case for teachers heading into the classroom environment for the very first time.  

Joshua Bell makes the case for orchestras in TED Talk performance

GRAMMY Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell believes the future of classical music depends on keeping orchestras alive—and making them as common in communities as little league teams.

The celebrated violinist brought that message to Vancouver during a recent TED Talk, hosted by the newly formed Chamber Orchestra of America, an ensemble Bell helped establish in New York.

The first day of school is an exciting time for students, teachers and families alike, but some students will hold bittersweet feelings as they march back into the classroom next week. For them, it will be the last first day before contemplating the daunting question that they will be asked ad nauseum: what’s next? 

Joseph Bologne International Violin Competition launches in Guadeloupe

A major new international music competition is set to debut this fall in the Caribbean, celebrating the legacy of French violinist and composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges.

The sweet sounds of the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra will be floating from the porch of one of Winnipeg’s most historic sites this weekend as they share their annual Concert on the Veranda at the Seven Oaks House Museum. 

For more than thirty years, Winnipeg’s GroundSwell has both delighted and challenged audiences with an adventurous mix of everything that makes new music compelling.  With its boundry pushing sounds and immersive concert experiences, the organization has earned a reputation as one of Canada’s premier new music presenters.