Arts & Culture

This weekend, choristers converge on Assiniboine Park in a free outdoor festival celebrating the joys of group singing.  

First presented by the Manitoba Choral Association in 2022, “Gather” was originally thought to be a one-off opportunity for choirs and audiences to come together safely outdoors as society emerged cautiously from the pandemic.  

That is until the Winnipeg 150: City of Song initiative came calling.  

Dame Maggie Smith, the legendary British actress known for her iconic roles in Downton Abbey and the Harry Potter series, has passed away at the age of 89.

Her sons, Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin, confirmed that she died peacefully in hospital on Friday, September 27, 2024, surrounded by close friends and family.

"An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end," the statement said. "She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.

On October 4th, a recording project will be released will serve as a profound tribute to the resiliency and spirit the Ukrainian people. 

Coming up this Sunday, September 29th at 7:00pm at the Fort Garry Hotel, Jazz Winnipeg will be presenting their third installment of How to Listen to Jazz Series.  

This Sunday, September 29 at 2:30 pm at Westworth United Church, Virtuosi Concerts kicks off their 2024-25 season with a concert called Everything is Green. 

On Thursday, September 26 and Sunday September 29, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra will be joined by renowned Canadian pianist Charles Richard-Hamelin in a performance of Chopin’s beautifully expressive and virtuosic piano concerto no 2. Also, on the program, the WSO will be performing Sibelius’ single movement Symphony no 7. 

Canadian pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko has won the Leeds International Piano Competition 2024, a prestigious event held from September 11 to 21 in Bradford, England.

This weekend, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra presents the thrilling fifth episode in the Star Wars saga: The Empire Strikes Back – in concert!  

Returning to the WSO is former associate conductor Julian Pellicano, who makes his way back to Winnipeg from a galaxy far, far away... Toronto.  

“It feels unusual to be a guest,” says Pellicano. “It definitely feels strange. I have to say after, you know, a few 100 concerts over the past decade.”  

An award-winning Mezzo-Soprano vocalist from northern Manitoba was recently asked to perform at Carnegie Hall and she's bringing some special guests with her. 

Rhonda Head, who has won 41 awards, performed with the Flin Flon choir at Carnegie Hall last year. The Maestro loved it so much, that he asked her to return.  This time she is bringing four youths from the Arts for Manitoba Indigenous Youth Choir.

"One of my goals was to get them to go and perform on stage in Carnegie Hall, but I didn't think it would happen so fast," said Head.

Before closing the book on a literary-inspired season, Manitoba Underground Opera has one more tale to tell... or, more precisely, a few of them.  

A gender-bending, English adaptation of Jacques Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffman opens this week at the iconic Club 200.  

“The last show of the season is generally something that I can just have a bit of a wild card time with,” says MUO Executive Director Brendan McKeen.