Arts & Culture

10 Classical Music Picks to Add Sizzle to Your Cinco de Mayo 

Cinco de Mayo is here — and while many celebrate with tacos and tequila, why not turn up the volume on your cultural appreciation with a classical twist? This May 5, we're bringing you ten classical works that add heat, heart, and a whole lot of rhythm to your day. From mariachi-infused masterpieces to bold orchestral dances, these pieces are perfect for your Cinco de Mayo playlist. ¡Vamos! 

When you step into the latest exhibit at Video Pool in the Exchange District, you are immediately wrapped in a euphoric delirium of dance sounds and pulsating lights. Archival footage of queer dance spaces in Chicago and New York flow around you, and you cannot help but be swept up in the energy. 

This week on Classic 107, we’re unwrapping a very special birthday present—except it’s for you, not Brahms. To mark Johannes Brahms’ birthday on May 7, we’re devoting our 1 p.m. feature hour from May 5 to 9 to some of his finest chamber works with piano. It’s the perfect way to celebrate the master of romantic intensity, warm textures, and those deliciously rich harmonies.

On March 28, the Analekta record label unveiled a stunning two-volume set featuring the complete violin concertos of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Trump budget slashes NEA funding, wiping out grants and sparking nationwide arts backlash

Arts organizations across the United States are reeling after a late-night email blitz from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) abruptly revoked funding for dozens of projects—some just days before they were set to begin. The cancellations follow former President Donald Trump’s renewed push to eliminate the NEA entirely as part of his 2026 discretionary budget proposal.

April showers are bringing in May flowers, and that includes the amazing books that are blossoming on the shelves at McNally Robinson Booksellers. Co-owner Chris Hall joined us once again in the Classic 107 studios for this month’s edition of What to Read! 

The next generation of Manitoba musicians will be descending on Portage la Prairie this weekend for the Provincial Music and Arts Festival, the first of two that will take place in the province this month.  

Jazz lovers can expect an evening of classic swing with a fresh twist when saxophonist John Greene and the Winnipeg Swing Project take the stage at the Fort Garry Hotel this Sunday, May 4 at 7 p.m.

A century of music-making will be celebrated this coming weekend at the Crescent Arts Centre in Osborne Village. 

The Winnipeg Boys Choir will be celebrating their 100th anniversary with a concert that honours their musical legacy. That concert, titled All the Way Home, will feature current singers and alumni of the choir as well as displays of memorabilia and old recordings so audiences can relive the songs and stories shared by the choir over the decades. 

A new documentary is shaking up the history of jazz—by rewriting it.