Arts & Culture

Artists from a wide variety of mediums descend on the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity to gain new skills in their chosen field. Those skills extend far beyond the spotlight to the backstage roles, including lighting, sound, and, in the case of Steinbach's Lauren Peters, wardrobe. 

Face of a Nation: Statue of Liberty Mural Sparks Debate Over Immigration, Identity, and American Ideals

Michael Blais Appointed Executive Director of Manitoba Opera, Effective August 1

Manitoba Opera is turning the page to a new chapter of leadership with the appointment of Michael Blais as its next Executive Director, effective August 1, 2025.

It’s one of classical music’s most iconic moments: the first bow strokes of Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto. Exposed, simultaneously joyful and tragic, history’s greatest cellists from Jacqueline du Pré to Yo-Yo Ma to Pablo Casals have put their stamp on one of the most beloved pieces in the cello repertoire. 

Now, it’s Sung-Won Yang’s turn. 

Performers of all varieties will be descending on the West End on July 9 for a unique blend of performance art that is the beginning of a new wave of projects and collaborations. 

For Nikki Pet, the idea for animating one of Igor Stravinsky’s greatest masterworks came from her friends in her undergraduate degree at Columbia University. 

“I had a lot of non-musician friends, and they would come to my regular recitals and sort of be like, ‘I’m here to support you,’” she recalls, “and then I would make eye contact with them when I performed and the lights would not be on upstairs. They were fully there because they’re my friend – they're not there because they were particularly engaged.” 

The latest exhibit at Martha Street Studio flies in the face of typical art gallery conventions. By all means, they say, pick up a piece and get your dirty fingerprints on it.  

For Gen Xers raised on a steady diet of network dramas, alien conspiracies, and moody synths, composer Mark Snow was the man behind the music that scored our childhoods and teen years. From the stylish glamour of Hart to Hart to the sci-fi paranoia of The X-Files, Snow’s themes helped define an entire era of television.

Here are 10 of his most memorable TV themes, ranked not just by popularity, but by their pure nostalgic power.

The journey from conservatory school in Baltimore to internationally-acclaimed voice teacher began not in the practice room, but on the baseball diamond. 

“The thing I did was play a lot of Little League Baseball,” remembers Jason Ferrante, whose father was a respected coach in the community. 

Mark Snow, the veteran composer behind some of television’s most recognizable scores — most famously The X-Files theme — has died at the age of 78. He passed away Friday, July 4, at his home in Connecticut, his family confirmed.