Arts & Culture

After three weeks of performances, adjudications and awards, the 107th Winnipeg Music Festival officially closed on Sunday afternoon. 

Artists of all disciplines, instruments and abilities were able to celebrate their accomplishments during the festival at a gala performance at St. Andrew’s River Heights United Church.  

Award-winning local musicians Erin Propp and Larry Roy are set to bring their signature blend of expressive vocals and masterful guitar work to the Rady JCC on March 25 at 2 p.m. Their concert, Circle Games and Summer Lawns: A Joni Mitchell Anthology, is part of the Music and Mavens concert and lecture series, celebrating the legendary Canadian singer-songwriter. 

The 9 o’clock hour in today’s playlist is a time-travelling journey through music history, celebrating composers whose legacies continue to shape the classical world. From Baroque to Broadway, let’s explore the significance of each selection. 

The Izzy Asper Jazz Performances takes the stage at the Desautels Concert Hall this weekend to present an ensemble with a wide-ranging musical language. 

At a press conference outside the Royal Winnipeg Ballet headquarters in downtown Winnipeg on Friday, the federal government announced new funding for performing arts organizations in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. 

How does an orchestra become an orchestra in the first place? 

That’s the question that the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra will be answering this weekend with the help of guest artists. Together, they will trace the history of the orchestra’s development and growth over the centuries in a concert called How to Grow an Orchestra with a healthy dose of comedy to boot. 

It’s a Canadian moment that many people will remember: Princess Diana visiting AIDS patients at the Casey House in Toronto in 1991. 

Thirty years later, that visit has been given a theatrical treatment in the form of Casey and Diana. The play debuted back in 2023 at the Stratford Festival in 2023, and now, it will grace the John Hirsch Mainstage at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre starting this week.  

Given the wide range of musicals featured in the annual spring showcase being presented by the University of Manitoba Musical Theatre Ensemble, the title Anything Goes! feels like an appropriate one.  

This Sunday, March 23 at 7 pm, jazz pianist Carter Graham will take the stage at the Fort Garry Hotel for Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn and Joe Henderson. The performance promises an evening of rich harmonies and musical storytelling, as Graham explores the legacies of two jazz icons. 

Manitoba Theatre for Young People (MTYP) is inviting audiences on a magical journey through the deep, dark woods as it presents The Gruffalo’s Child from March 21 to 30. In collaboration with London-based Tall Stories Theatre, this heartwarming adaptation of Julia Donaldson’