Arts & Culture

Locally raised, internationally celebrated opera director Michael Cavanagh has died. 

One of the nation's most sough-after directors, Cavanagh was born in Winnipeg and grew up singing with the Manitoba Opera chorus. His career took him across North America and through parts of Europe, directing more than 150 productions at more than 30 companies, including Vancouver Opera, San Francisco Opera, l’Opéra de Montréal, Kansas City Opera, Opera Philadelphia. 

The Little Opera Company is looking to make a big splash with their latest production: the Canadian premiere of Jonathan Dove’s The Walk from the Garden. 

A poignant and pertinent allegorical Adam and Eve tale, the work explores climate change, and the impact humans are having on our planet.  

“It is the actual moment when Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden,” says director Rob Herriot. “Out of Eden. Out of perfection, out of harmony, out of everything they knew to be normal and nurturing.” 

This Thursday March 14 at 2 p.m. at the Rady JCC at 123 Doncaster Street, The Music ‘N’  Mavens Concert and Lecture series is putting on a show called Groovin’ Through the 60s and 70s. The show will feature the band called the Family Planners.

Known for their fun, energetic shows that feature funk and soul music, The Family Planners is a band that is guaranteed to get people up and moving and boppin’ to the sounds of yesteryear. A time before auto-tune, drum machines, and lip-syncing.

In December the Swiss record label Prospero released a CD featuring the marvelous Israeli pianist Daniel Gortler performing selections from Edvard Grieg’s ten books of Lyric Pieces.

This week, Music ‘N’ Mavens invites listeners on a musical trip to the warmer climes of Brazil courtesy of the Nova Brasil Collective.  

The 10-piece ensemble made up of Canadian and Brazilian-born musicians, explores the vast catalogue of Antônio Carlos Jobim. Affectionately known as “Tom” amongst friends, the “Father of Brazil’s Bossa Nova” penned over 400 songs, popularizing the smooth, catchy, deceivingly simple style.  

This Friday, March 15th and Saturday, March 16th at 7:30pm the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra will be performing the film score from the sixth film in the Harry Potter series, ”Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” Sit back, relax, and take in magic and mystery of this movie, as the WSO provides the breathtaking soundtrack, written by Nicholas Hooper, using some of the iconic themes and motives originally written by John Williams.

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet recently announced their milestone 85th season.  

The 2024/25 program celebrates the company’s storied history through iconic classics and anticipates its exciting future through newer works and a Canadian premiere.  

“It’s always fun to share with everybody what we’re planning,” says Vanessa Léonard, the Anna McCowan-Johnson Aspirant Program Director.  

For over a century, International Women's Day has been celebrated each year on March 8, and today Classic 107 is celebrating in style!

As outlined by UNESCO: "it provides an occasion to celebrate the progress made towards achieving gender equality and women's empowerment but also to critically reflect on those accomplishments and strive for a greater momentum towards gender equality worldwide."

And this year's theme – #InspireInclusion – truly encourages and embraces the goals of equality and empowerment, emphasizes the importance of diversity and equity in a society. 

Paris Meets Hong Kong: Canadian pianist Philip Chiu takes listeners on a musical Voyage

On February 9th, the ATMA Classique record label released a recoding called Voyages that features the outstanding Canadian pianist Philip Chiu performing the music of Debussy and Canadian composer Alice Ho.

Join the students of the Desautels Faculty of Music Musical Theatre Ensemble as they celebrate La Vie Bohème this weekend!  

Featuring scenes from Anne of Green Gables, Hamilton, Little Shop of Horrors, Little Women, Phantom of the Opera, Something Rotten, The Sound of Music and, of course, Rent, the show features student performers from the University of Manitoba.