Arts & Culture

An aural exploration of the latest sounds in choral music, Winnipeg’s intrepid choral ensemble, Polycoro, presents Microcosm. 

On Friday, May 27th Naxos records released the latest in their American Classics Series of recordings. Their latest CD “Summerland” features the music of a composer who is very often described as the Dean of African American composers; William Grant Still.

Head north to the Klondike with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra as they accompany the Little Tramp trying to strike it rich. 

Things are about to heat up for one Winnipeg-based theatre company. 

Winnipeg's Dry Cold Productions marks their 20th anniversary with A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder — a hilariously grim belated celebration!

Tomorrow June 14th, and this Thursday, June 16th at 7:30pm the Winnipeg Chamber Music Society (WCMS) returns to the concert stage with their annual mini-chamber music festival that they are calling “Mozart and More.” Both concerts take place at the Muriel Richardson Auditorium at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, and will feature chamber music of Mozart, Schubert, Schumann, and Khachaturian.

As the name implies, Nuovoce (a fusion of the Italian words: nuovo, meaning ‘new’, and voce, meaning ‘voice’) Chamber Choir is one of the city’s newest additions to the glorious array of voices that make up the province’s vibrant choral community. 

Founded in spring 2019 by Justin Odwak and Sarah Sommer, the ensemble provides an opportunity for young choristers to continue singing after high school. 

Since first performing in the city as a 16-year-old, Dutch recorder player Lucie Horsch has gone on to become one of the most celebrated virtuosi on her instrument. Now, six years later, the sparkling and stylish player returns to town, once again performing alongside Anne Manson and the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra. 

Though one would be hard-pressed not to be wowed by Horsch’s playing, it is the instrument itself that comes with a bit of emotional baggage.

“I think there’s positive sides and negative sides to this image of the recorder,” says Horsch. 

From rarely programmed pieces to celebrated masterworks, the 2022 Agassiz Festival’s theme is “Where Worlds Converge” and the featured guest performers this year are no strangers to genre and century hopping. 

Borrowing virtuoso violinist Joseph Joachim’s life motto as its title, the second evening concert at the Agassiz Chamber Music Festival features all three of Brahms’ violin sonatas — music written with his close friend and near lifelong collaborator in mind.