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The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra has shared who will be taking over its most prestigious position.
The symphony has announced that assistant concertmaster Karl Stobbe has been chosen as the orchestra’s next concertmaster. The choice was made through a blind audition process, where Stobbe was chosen unanimously by the audition panel.
Stobbe succeeds his friend and frequent collaborator Gwen Hoebig, who will be retiring from the symphony after a 37-year tenure as concertmaster. The symphony will be honouring her with a tribute concert on May 10 and 11th at the Centennial Concert Hall.
Stobbe first joined the orchestra’s ranks as assistant concertmaster in 1996 as a 23-year-old musician from Prince George, B.C., making him the youngest person in the orchestra at the time. Manitoba music audiences have grown accustomed to his high standard of play over the years, from soloist engagements across the province to performances in other ensembles such as the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra (where he has previously served as concertmaster) and the Winnipeg Chamber Music Society. Stobbe has also made impressions on the world’s greatest stages from Carnegie Hall in New York to the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.
Lauded as “an artist with soulful musicianship” by the San Francisco Classical Voice and "a master soloist, recalling the golden age of violin playing… producing a breathtaking range of tone colours” by the Sunday Times, Stobbe was also nominated for a Juno Award in 2015 for his recording, Ysaÿe: Sonatas for Solo Violin.
Stobbe’s tenure as concertmaster will officially begin at the start of the 2025-2026 season.