Arts & Culture

Winnipeg jazz lovers are in for a treat this Sunday, March 16, at 7 pm when the Pacific Prairie Jazz Quintet takes the stage at the Fort Garry Hotel. The performance promises an evening of soulful, high-energy jazz, led by the dynamic saxophone duo of Anna Blackmore and Tristan Martinuson. Their unique blend of their Prairie roots and West Coast influences creates a sound that will captivate audiences in their hometown once again. 

Aspiring singers in Winnipeg have a new opportunity to join their voices with others, regardless of their ability. 

The Sick & Twisted Choir, an offshoot of Sick & Twisted Theatre, has officially begun rehearsals at the Prairie Theatre Exchange at Portage Place. The local theatre company has long been a leader in creating performance spaces for people with disabilities, and the choir represents a continuation of that mission. 

The next generation of Manitoban composers will be on display this week at Canadian Mennonite University’s Laudamus Auditorium.  

Composition students at CMU’s School of Music will showcase their latest works on March 12 at 11:30 a.m. as they continue to discover their musical voices and the ways in which they want to utilize it. 

On February 28, the Halifax-based label Leaf Music released Unbroken: Music from Ukraine, a powerful album featuring works by Ukrainian composers, performed by Ukrainian-Canadian violinist Viktoria Grynenko.

One of the most famous and influential artists in Manitoba’s history is being put under the microscope for a new exhibit at the University of Manitoba’s School of Art Gallery. 

Jon Sasaki’s I Contain Multitudes, presented in conjunction with the Flash Photographic Festival, can be seen as a responsorial exhibit to the works of Lionel LeMoine Fitzgerald, the former director of the School of Art and member of the iconic Group of Seven. 

March is International Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the contributions of women across all fields—including classical music. This week, our 1 p.m. feature spotlights the works of Swedish composer Alfrida Andrée (1842–1929), a pioneering musician who shattered barriers in a male-dominated industry. Join us daily as we showcase some of her finest compositions. 

Celebrating the women who composed history—one note at a time. #InternationalWomensDay

This International Women’s Day, we’re highlighting the voices and compositions of women who shaped classical music across the centuries. From medieval mysticism to Romantic-era brilliance and modern innovation, this playlist showcases the depth and beauty of music written and performed by women.

For up-and-coming musicians in the city, the Winnipeg Music Festival has long been a place to test the waters with their skills. That remains true in 2025 as the festival has gotten underway with performances and adjudications across the city.  

“They’ve been really fun so far,” says executive director Dawn Bruch-Wiens on the first couple of days. 

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, commonly known as the Kennedy Center, was opened in 1971 and is located on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. It was named in honor of President John F. Kennedy, who had championed the idea of a national cultural center before his assassination in 1963. The center was established as a living memorial to Kennedy’s commitment to the arts and culture, and it has since become one of the premier cultural institutions in the United States.

While March might have come in like a lion, the weather in the next little while is promising to be a lot more lamb-like. If your spring reading list isn’t quite where you’d like it to be, our friends at McNally Robinson Booksellers have you covered with the latest edition of 'What to Read'!