WINNIPEG – Winnipeg is going to experience a music-blitz June 16 and 17 thanks to Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.
The musicians of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO) will Pop-Up in parks and other public hot spots throughout Winnipeg for a blitz of 20 performances in eleven locations on June 16 and 17 as part of Symphony in the City, presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries.
“At the WSO, we are passionate about the transformative power of music, and this summer’s Pop-Up concerts are one just one of the ways we are sharing that experience with Winnipeggers,” said Brent Johnson, Education & Community Engagement Manager. “We hope we can brighten someone’s day and inspire them through music. Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries has made that possible for us and for people to have the opportunity to encounter some of Canada’s finest musicians. Our city really comes alive during the summer and we hope hearing exceptional, live performances becomes part of everyone’s summer bucket list.”
The bite-size concerts feature a variety of WSO ensembles, from strings to brass, from woodwinds to harp and more, and will reach many different areas of the city including Transcona, North Kildonan, The Forks, Assiniboine Park, Downtown, St. Vital and St. Boniface. Each group has put together a program of classical selections tailored to their ensemble; for example, the string group performing in St. Boniface will perform music by French composers.
WSO in the City Pop-Up Blitz
Date Time Location
June 16 11 am – 1 pm Manitoba Children’s Museum
June 16 2 pm – 4 pm Manitoba Children’s Museum
June 16 11 am – 1 pm The Forks (outdoors & in The Forks Market)
June 16 2 pm – 4 pm The Forks (outdoors & in The Forks Market)
June 16 2 pm – 4 pm Transcona Centennial Square
June 16 2 pm – 4 pm Assiniboine Park (by the Duck Pond)
June 17 2 pm – 4 pm Manitoba Children’s Museum
June 17 2 pm – 4 pm The Forks (outdoors & in The Forks Market)
June 17 2 pm – 4 pm Assiniboine Park (by the Duck Pond)More Pop-Ups to come.
Symphony in the City also includes three full orchestra concerts from June 19-27.
The whole community is invited to a FREE concert at the Centennial Concert Hall on June 19. Community Celebration highlights rising talents and community leaders, such as Dr. Edmund Dawe and philanthropist Gail Asper, in a diverse showcase that also includes sneak-peeks from the upcoming season. This rare opportunity is a great way to take in the excellence of the orchestra in a light-hearted program for no cost. If you’ve never attended a WSO concert, this evening is a must have on your summer to-do list!
JUNO Award-winning, Canadian roots-rockers The Bros. Landreth make their symphony debut on June 20, presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries. The concert features songs from their debut album “Let it Lie,” Joey Landreth’s solo EP “Whiskey,” and brand new music from their forthcoming record, all arranged by Manitoba composer Chris Byman.
“This collaboration with the WSO is a bucket-list aspiration come true,” said Dave Landreth. “Winnipeg has supported us from the very beginning and has helped us live our dream, carrying us from the smallest clubs in town to our debut at the most prestigious venue in the city, the Centennial Concert Hall.”
The WSO then travels to the historic Knox United Church in Central Park on June 27 to perform with the World Village Gospel Choir, and WSO principal cellist Yuri Hooker as soloist in Camille Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1. With Knox’s cultural roots in the Philippines, Japan, Bhutan/Nepal, Chad, Sudan, Nigeria, Jamaica, and First Nations, this concert will celebrate the diversity of the over 150-year-old church and the beauty of the World Village Gospel Choir, backed by a full orchestra.
“The building has been known to ‘sing back’ at times,” says Neil Wiesensel, co-director of the World Village Gospel Choir. “If you enjoy the symphony in the Concert Hall, you owe it to yourself to come and experience it in this wonderful performance space.”
Additionally, the WSO will continue its summer-time tradition of offering free performances at The Lyric Theatre in Assiniboine Park (June 28), the Kenora Harbour Front in Ontario (June 30), and Canada Day at The Forks (July 1), which will be Maestro Alexander Mickelthwate’s final engagement as WSO Music Director before starting at the Oklahoma Philharmonic this fall.
For more information on WSO performances this summer, including Noon Hour concerts, visit wso.ca/in-the-city