Culture Days with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra

Don’t miss a sneak peek of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s Opening Night!

You are invited to the Opening Night: Mark O’Connor & Mahler 1 rehearsal, in partnership with Culture Days, on Friday, September 24 at 11:30 a.m. This rehearsal is open to the public, free of charge and will include a sneak peek of the WSO’s 2010-2011 season opener, happening later that evening at 8 pm and again on Saturday, September 25 at 8 pm.

Click here for a clip of Mahler 1, which will be performed at the open rehearsal.

Single tickets for the 2010-2011 season are on sale September 7, 2010 at the WSO box office (555 Main), (204) 949-3999 or at wso.ca .

September 24, 25  8:00 pm

“…a double violin concerto that prompted the kind of mid-performance applause usually heard in a jazz club.”
- Chicago Sun-Times

“…a work that leaps, sighs and bounces with unstoppable energy.”
- The Rocky Mountain News

Acclaimed in classical, country, bluegrass and indigenous American realms, virtuoso violinist and composer Mark O’Connor performs his Double Violin
Concerto with the WSO’s own Karl Stobbe. A product of America’s rich aural folk tradition as well as classical and flamenco music, Mark O’Connor has melded and shaped multiple influences into a new American classical music.

WSO associate concertmaster Karl Stobbe’s diversity has allowed him to collaborate with many exceptional conductors and enabled him to record with
many of Canada’s finest musicians.

Alexander Mickelthwate conducts the orchestra for Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 - presented in the 150th anniversary year of Mahler’s birth - one of the most
remarkably original works ever written for a first symphony. This melody-rich piece with biting parody and a triumphant close is a true orchestral showcase!

Alexander Mickelthwate, conductor
Mark O’Connor, violin
Karl Stobbe, violin

John Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine
Mark O’Connor: Double Violin Concerto No.1
Mahler: Symphony No. 1 in D major

PRE -CONCERT CHAT: Hosted by music director Alexander Mickelthwate or guest conductors on the Piano Nobile Level at 7:15 pm.

For more info, click here.

September 26  3:00 pm

“…a double violin concerto that prompted the kind of mid-performance applause usually heard in a jazz club.”
- Chicago Sun-Times

Acclaimed in classical, country, bluegrass and indigenous American realms, virtuoso violinist and composer Mark O’Connor performs his Double Violin
Concerto with the WSO’s own Karl Stobbe. A product of America’s rich aural folk tradition as well as classical and flamenco music, Mark O’Connor has melded and shaped multiple influences into a new American classical music.

WSO associate concertmaster Karl Stobbe’s diversity has allowed him to collaborate with many exceptional conductors and enabled him to record with many of Canada’s finest musicians.

Alexander Mickelthwate conducts the orchestra for Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 - presented in the 150th anniversary year of Mahler’s birth - one of the mostremarkably original works ever written for a first symphony. This melody-rich piece with biting parody and a triumphant close is a true orchestral showcase!

Alexander Mickelthwate, conductor
Mark O’Connor, violin
Karl Stobbe, violin

John Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine
Mark O’Connor: Double Violin Concerto No.1
Mahler: Symphony No. 1 in D major

PRE -CONCERT CHAT: Come and enjoy the inside stories about our soloists, symphony musicians, composers and conductors of these fabulous concerts  at 2:15 pm.

For more info, click here.

October 8  10:30 am

Brahms’ warm, amiable Second Symphony shows this lyrical master at his best.

Alexander Mickelthwate, conductor
Brahms: Symphony No. 2 in D major

For more info, click here.

October 8  8:00 pm

“And once he started in on the Dvorák, mouths dropped…There was such force and feeling in that opening improvisatory flourish [Dvorák Cello Concerto].”
- The Times (London)

Alban Gerhardt makes his WSO debut with Dvorák’s Cello Concerto, the most famous and beloved cello concerto in the literature. Born in Berlin, Gerhardt is one of the world’s most sought-after cellists. With an extensive repertoire of almost 60 concerti, his spellbinding performances have been with many of the top orchestras in the world.

Brahms’ warm, amiable Second Symphony is a perfect pairing for this late Romantic program of true masterworks.

Alexander Mickelthwate, conductor
Alban Gerhardt, cello

Dvorák: Cello Concerto in B minor
Brahms: Symphony No. 2 in D major

MASTERWORKS C: Listen to various local schools and student groups perform on the Piano Nobile Level at 7:15 pm, then enjoy the inside stories about our soloists, symphony musicians and composers with short presentations during the concert.

For more info, click here.

October 9  8:00 pm

“And once he started in on the Dvorák, mouths dropped…There was such force and feeling in that opening improvisatory flourish [Dvorák Cello Concerto].”
- The Times (London)

Alban Gerhardt makes his WSO debut with Dvorák’s Cello Concerto, the most famous and beloved cello concerto in the literature. Born in Berlin, Gerhardt is one of the world’s most sought-after cellists. With an extensive repertoire of almost 60 concerti, his spellbinding performances have been with many of the top orchestras in the world.

Brahms’ warm, amiable Second Symphony is a perfect pairing for this late Romantic program of true masterworks.

Alexander Mickelthwate, conductor
Alban Gerhardt, cello

Dvorák: Cello Concerto in B minor
Brahms: Symphony No. 2 in D major

MASTERWORKS B: Pre-Concert Chat hosted by music director Alexander Mickelthwate or guest conductors on the Piano Nobile Level at 7:15 pm.

For more info, click here.

OCTOBER 22, 23  8:00 pm
OCTOBER 24  2:00 pm

“Her performance is a virtual roller coaster of emotion, illuminating the poetry of her lyrics with an aching growl. Be prepared for the wave of tears that may come.”
- Billboard

Chantal returns to her hometown of Winnipeg to perform with the WSO in the world premiere of her all-new symphony show complete with new arrangements! Classically trained in piano, Kreviazuk has become one of Canada’s top music artists. The charming singer-songwriter began recording her luscious melodies in 1997, and her soulful sounds have garnered widespread acclaim across North America. Although she is one of Canada’s top stars, Kreviazuk is also one of Canada’s most genuine. She has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to human rights causes.

Kreviazuk’s debut album, Under These Rocks and Stones (1996), went double-platinum in Canada following its release and featured  Surrounded, the single that became her first major Canadian hit. Her second album, Colour Moving and Still (1999) includes tracks co-written by her husband and longtime musical collaborator Raine Maida (Our Lady Peace) and helped earn her two Juno Awards in 2000. Her fifth and most recent studio album, Plain Jane, was released at the end of 2009. Kreviazuk is also one of the headlining artists for the  much-acclaimed return of Lilith Fair.

Richard Lee, conductor
Chantal Kreviazuk, vocalist

For more info, click here.

MUSICIANS IN THE MAKING: Come and listen to various local schools and
student groups perform on the Piano Nobile Level at 7:15 pm.

October 28, 29  8:00 pm

“Fialkowska’s playing is noted by her flawless, dazzling technique, while her melodies are perfectly spun in a delicate singing style. With the Chopin, she was in total control, utterly secure and intensely musical.”
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer

We celebrate Chopin’s 200th anniversary with Janina Fialkowska, one of Canada’s leading pianists. Having a career that was first launched in 1974 by the legendary Arthur Rubinstein, Fialkowska has enchanted audiences with her lyrical sound, sterling musicianship and profound sense of musical integrity.

Composed in 1944 as WWII hostilities were ending, Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 has been acclaimed as one of the 20th Century’s true masterworks… and one of its most popular. It was conceived by Prokofiev as “a symphony of the greatest of the human spirit, a song of praise of free and happy mankind!”

We also salute Manitoba’s senior composer Robert Turner. Composed in 1987, Shades of Autumn is an evocative soundscape of the fall season, with its colours and hues painted in the composer’s uniquely personal style.

Alexander Mickelthwate, conductor
Janina Fialkowska, piano

Robert Turner: Shades of Autumn
Chopin: Piano Concerto No 2 in F minor
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major

PRE -CONCERT CHAT: Hosted by music director Alexander Mickelthwate or guest conductors on the Piano Nobile Level at 7:15 pm.

For more info, click here.

October 31  2:00 pm

“It was without a doubt one of the best we have ever attended! The music is always wonderful, but we so enjoyed Frank Oden.”
- Patron

Frank Oden writes and performs lyrical concert programs merging original poetry, humour, education, and theatrical production values with a live symphonic performance. He began creating this unique form in collaboration on a series of Halloween concerts, resulting in the House of Halloween. Frank Oden’s spooky Halloween poems are fun, funny and simply enchanting for even the youngest listeners. Oden performs with linguistic bravado; he is a verbal stunt man with auniquely theatrical style - combining the power of a Shakespearean actor, the presence of a great magician and the physicality of a Warner Brothers cartoon.

CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN!Come to the concert in costume and be eligible to win prizes!

PRE-CONCERT ACTIVITIESChildren can participate in musical activities such as crafts, rhythmensembles and round-singing. They can visit the Conducting Stationwhere they get the chance to conduct a group of musicians or visit theInstrument Petting Zoo for an opportunity to touch and play theorchestral instruments that they will see performed during the Sundayswith the Family concerts. Pre-Concert Activities begin at 1:00 p.m.

Richard Lee, conductor
Frank Oden, poet-narrator

For more info, click here.

November 4  8:00 PM

Join celebrated Winnipeg filmmaker Guy Maddin as he takes you on a journey of music and movies, and explores how classical music is used in Hollywood’s famous films such as: The Incredibles, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Amadeus, Apocalypse Now, Austin Powers, The Shining, Blues Brothers, Manhattan, Platoon, 10, Excalibur and Fantasia.

Guy Maddin’s most distinctive quality is his fondness for recreating the look and style of silent or early sound era films. His award-winning feature films include Tales from the Gimli Hospital, The Saddest Music in the World, Brand Upon the Brain, and My Winnipeg, to name a few.

Along with resident conductor Richard Lee, you will be surprised and mesmerized by how classical music is interwoven into popular culture.

Richard Strauss: Thus Spake Zarathustra (2001: A Space Odyssey)
Mozart: Symphony No. 25 (Amadeus)
Barber: Adagio for Strings (Platoon)
Wagner: Ride of the Valkyries (Apocalypse Now)
Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique (The Shining)
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 (Austin Powers in Goldmember)
Khachaturian: Sabre Dance (Blues Brothers 2000)
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue (Manhattan)
Ravel: Bolero (10)
Dukas: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (Fantasia)
Mozart Requiem: Dies Irae (The Incredibles)
Orff: “O Fortuna!” from Carmina Burana (Excalibur)

Richard Lee, conductor
Guy Maddin, host

For more info, click here.