Arts & Culture

The highly anticipated Desautels Concert Hall has officially opened its doors at the University of Manitoba's Fort Garry campus, marking a significant milestone for the province's arts community.

The state-of-the-art venue, designed with "acoustic perfection and versatility in mind," is set to become a cornerstone of Manitoba’s cultural life.

The concert hall opened on Sept. 5 at a special grand opening event hosted by Classic 107's Simeon Rusnak. It featured a number of special guests and performances, headlined by UM alum William Prince.

A fire at a historic French church destroyed nearly everything in its path including an organ over 150-years-old.

With summer in the rearview mirror and cooler fall weather on the way, it's the perfect time to stock up on some new reads for the upcoming cozy season. 

Find the latest picks from McNally Robinson's Chris Hall in the September edition of "What to Read"! 

Musicians of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra will not only play – but slay – on Friday as part of the Downtown Diva Ensemble showcase.  

The unique collaboration on the steps and in the lobby of the Centennial Concert Hall features local drag performers and vocalists accompanied by the musicians. 

“It's a nice way to welcome people back to the concert hall,” says WSO oboist Robin MacMillan.  

This Sunday, September 8th at 7pm, Jazz Winnipeg will be kicking off another great season of Sunday night Jazz at the Fort Garry Hotel. Some of the country’s best musicians will be taking to the stage to bring Winnipeg audiences the absolute finest in live music. 

The first concert of the season features former Winnipegger and guitarist Aaron Shorr.  

Concert season has officially arrived!   

Over the next few weeks, musical organizations of all shapes and sizes will open their 2024-25 programs.  

Towards the end of the month of September, Winnipeg’s premiere chamber music series, Virtuosi Concerts, begins their year – one which looks to provide plenty of refreshing and inspiring musical encounters.   

“I always think of it as beautiful music any curious listener can enjoy,” says Thiessen, when asked about programming a Virtuosi season.   

Tune in every day at 1:00 this week as we feature the fantastic symphonies of Anton Bruckner, in honor of Anton Bruckner’s 200th birthday. 

Innovative Journeys: GroundSwell explores the Canadian musical soundscape with their 2024-25 Season 

This summer is almost over, and things are beginning to rev up again for the fall. Students and teachers will be heading back to school, people will soon be closing their cottages for the season, and the days of soaking up the sun will soon be over. 

Longtime WSO Concertmaster Gwen Hoebig has announced that the 2024/25 WSO season will be her last. 

In a press release, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra announced that the esteemed concertmaster will conclude her remarkable tenure at the end of the season. 

“In May 2025, I will step down from the Concertmaster position of the WSO, a position I have held for 37 years! It has been an honour to have been in this position since September 1987,” says Hoebig in the press release. 

Intermezzo at 1 p.m.: Music from Broadway Musicals in honor of Rainbow Stages production of Mary Poppins 

This summer has been a busy and very vibrant one for Canada’s largest and longest running outdoor theatre, Rainbow Stage. From June 27th to July14th they presented Mabuhay! A brand-new musical written by Joseph Sevillo and Joshua Caldo.