Winnipeg New Music Festival

We're still buzzing from the amazing WNMF! So, on this , we're looking back at some of the festival's most memorable moments. What was your favourite WNMF moment?

Thank you for making WNMF 2024 a success, whether you attended, performed, composed, volunteered, donated or sponsored. We hope to see you next year at WNMF 2025!

We were delighted to welcome Judith Lavitt, a Shanghai Jewish survivor born in 1941, to our recent WNMF 4: Dialogues concert. The performance showcased an orchestral adaptation of Wu Fei's "Hello Gold Mountain," inspired by the stories of Jewish refugees finding sanctuary in Shanghai during World War II.

Faith Beckerman Goldman, a music fan from Los Angeles, shared "Hello Gold Mountain" with Judith and has a personal connection to the work. Faith's commitment to preserving and sharing history, combined with her appreciation for the music, highlights the lasting impact of music in building connections. We are grateful to be part of this journey.

Julia Wolfe’s music is distinguished by an intense physicality and a relentless power that pushes performers to extremes and demands attention from the audience. She draws inspiration from folk, classical, and rock genres, bringing a modern sensibility to each while simultaneously tearing down the walls between them.

Capping off the festival, Maestro Daniel Raiskin leads the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in the Canadian premiere of “Pretty,” a raucously celebratory and irreverent new work by Julia Wolfe in “WNMF 5: Building Bridges.”

Tickets and passes are available now at https://www.wnmf.ca.

Composer Courtney Bryan’s music is in conversation with various musical genres, including jazz and other types of experimental music, as well as traditional gospel, spirituals, and hymns. Focusing on bridging the sacred and the secular, Bryan’s compositions explore human emotions through sound, confronting the challenge of notating the feeling of improvisation.

Bryan presents her expressive work “Bridges,” an elegant symphonic tapestry that considers the physical and societal connections between the disparate communities of a single city through the symbol of its interconnecting bridges in “WNMF 5: Building Bridges.”

Tickets and passes are available now at https://www.wnmf.ca.

In “WNMF 4: Dialogues,” Kamancello takes the stage with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra to weave together a rich sonic tapestry with their semi-improvisatory “Convergence Suite,” an expansive outgrowth of the repertoire they will perform at The Leaf in “WNMF 2: Kamancello.”

Watch Kamancello perform their Convergence Suite in “WNMF 4: Dialogues.” Tickets and passes are available now at https://www.wnmf.ca.

The 104-year-old Assiniboine Park Conservatory in Winnipeg closed, and the plants took over. Helga Jakobson recorded the plants using an arduino sensor that read their electric impulses. The recording was used to create "Entropic Symphony," which will be played at The Leaf's biosphere as ambient sound before and after Kamancello's performance in WNMF 2 on January 28. Limited tickets are available at https://buff.ly/3NuBfup.

A kamānch is an Iranian bowed string instrument. Shahriyar Jamshidi, the masterful Kurdish kamānche player, composer, and vocalist, embodies the rich heritage of Kurdish music. From Iran to Canada, his captivating kamānche performances have graced prestigious venues worldwide, earning him numerous accolades and international recognition.

Kamancello returns to the WNMF stage with both Shahriyar Jamshidi and Raphael Weinroth-Browne to weave together a rich sonic tapestry with their semi-improvisatory “Convergence Suite,” an expansive outgrowth of their repertoire heard three nights earlier at The Leaf in “WNMF 4: Dialogues” on January 31. Tickets and passes are available now at https://www.wnmf.ca.

Anna Clyne is one of the most in-demand composers today, working with orchestras, choreographers, filmmakers, and visual artists worldwide. Clyne was named the eighth most-performed contemporary composer in the world and the most-performed living female British composer in 2022.

Enjoy Clyne’s “Restless Oceans,” a work that deploys the orchestra in both familiar and unconventional ways in celebration of the power of women in “WNMF 1: Rites & Passages.”

Tickets and passes are available at https://www.wnmf.ca.

New York City-based virtuoso guitarist Jay Sorce is celebrated for his unique blend of refinement, intensity, and virtuosic technique. As a soloist and chamber musician, he champions living composers and has premiered numerous new works internationally.

Jay Sorce will play “(RE)volution” composed by JUNO nominee Andrew Staniland in “WNMF 5: Building Bridges” on February 2. Tickets and passes are available now at https://www.wnmf.ca.

New York City-based composer Haralabos Harry Stafylakis - Composer is the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s composer-in-residence and co-curator of the WNMF.

In “WNMF 5: Building Bridges,” Harry reprises his epic tone poem “Holocene Extinction,” a work that mines the sweeping symphonic language of romanticism and cinema alongside the propulsive drive of modern metal as it ruminates on humanity’s unprecedented impact on the geological evolution of the planet and of its biosphere.

Tickets and passes are available now at https://www.wnmf.ca.

Wu Fei, the master of the guzheng (a Chinese plucked zither), has mesmerized audiences worldwide with her innovative blend of classical and Chinese musical traditions. From prestigious international venues to acclaimed collaborations, her profound musical journey continues to captivate and inspire.

Wu Fei is joined by oud specialist Shanir Blumenkranz in the orchestral adaptation of her monumental “Hello Gold Mountain,” in “WNMF 4: Dialogues” On January 31. Tickets and passes are available now at https://www.wnmf.ca.

Supported by Dr. Jens Wrogemann.

Luminescent, sonic, and experimental! All aspects of the event have been curated to envelop guests in a multisensory atmosphere. Distinct spaces, two floors and suspended semi-translucent fabrics will display Tracy Maurice’s analog projections - which are both live microscopic chemical reactions and pre-filmed reactions designed to complement Tommy Crane’s musical performance. The evening is divided into two “experiments” - one at 9 pm and a second at 10 pm, each presenting a new artistic material for the delight of all LAB guests.

Tickets are available at https://buff.ly/427Ao9e.

Born in Lebanon in 1967, Houtaf khoury is a renowned composer of symphonies and large-scale works, having written six symphonies and 17 concerti for various instruments. He has studied and worked extensively in Ukraine, with his music performed on four continents and recordings highly praised.

Listen to “Mirror of Eternity,” performed by your Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and WSO’s principal flutist Jan Kocman in “WNMF 4: Dialogues.” Tickets and passes are available now at https://www.wnmf.ca.

Renowned cellist and composer Raphael Weinroth-Browne captivates audiences with his emotive cello performances. From viral YouTube covers to collaborating with rock icons like Leprous, his boundary-defying artistry resonates deeply. His solo album, "Worlds Within," stands as a testament to his innovative musical voice, blending ambient, post-rock, modern classical, and progressive metal influences.

Raphael will perform some of his works in a program of deeply personal, introspective musical creations, presented in the inviting and resonant Knox United Church in “WNMF 3: Worlds Within” on January 30. Tickets and passes are available now at https://www.wnmf.ca.

Composer and pianist Dejan Lazić - fanpage’s evocative compositions continue to garner acclaim. From premieres of his orchestral works to his ongoing collaboration with esteemed music publishers, Lazić’s creative journey unfolds with each captivating piece.

Enjoy Lazić’s “S.C.H.E.rzo,” composed as a tribute to Beethoven and the musical form he pioneered, replete with references to his seminal Third Symphony in “WNMF 1: Rites & Passages.”

Tickets and passes are available at https://www.wnmf.ca.

Meet Jan Kocman. He is in his 50th year as principal flutist of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. His talent and contributions to music education have left an indelible mark on Canadian audiences.

Jan Kocman will perform “Mirror of Eternity” by Lebanese composer Houtaf Khoury in “WNMF 4: Dialogues” On January 31. Tickets and passes are available now at https://www.wnmf.ca.

Paint & Play is a collaboration between the eXperimental Improv Ensemble and the UM Percussion Ensemble featuring live visual art creation featuring students from the University of Manitoba School of Art. Due to limited capacity, please register to guarantee your seat at one of these two presentations at https://buff.ly/3tiZ0ia.

Canadian iconoclast and multiple JUNO nominee Andrew Staniland Composer has established himself as one of Canada’s most essential and innovative musical voices. As a leading composer of his generation, Andrew has been recognized by election to the Inaugural Cohort of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists Royal Society of Canada.

Listen to Staniland’s concerto for electric guitar “(RE)volution,” featuring New York City-based virtuoso Jay Sorce in “WNMF 5: Building Bridges.”

Tickets and passes are available now at https://www.wnmf.ca.

Knox United Church is an impressive Late Gothic Revival building that was designed to serve multiple purposes. Its exceptional acoustics have made it a renowned performance venue. It's a must-see for anyone interested in architecture and history.

The inviting and resonant Knox United Church is the unique venue for “WNMF 3: World Within” on January 30. Tickets and passes are available at https://www.wnmf.ca.

WSO associate conductor Julian Pellicano is joined by Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s new RBC assistant conductor Monica Chen - Conductor and RBC guest conductor Serena Reuten as they lead your WSO through a set of world and Canadian premieres of new works by six gifted composers, including the winner of the Canadian Music Centre’s annual Emerging Composer Competition in “WNMF Launchpad” On January 25.

This concert is FREE but tickets must be reserved. Get yours now at https://www.wnmf.ca.

Renowned for his mastery and versatility, WSO’s associate concertmaster Karl Stobbe stands as one of Canada’s preeminent violinists. His performances, ranging from concerti to recitals, have garnered acclaim, earning him a reputation as a consummate artist. With appearances at esteemed venues including Carnegie Hall and a repertoire encompassing iconic works, Karl continues to enthrall audiences with his artistry.

Don’t miss Karl’s performance of “Violin Concerto” by WNMF’s distinguished guest composer Missy Mazzoli’s in “WNMF 1: Rites & Passages” on January 27. WNMF passes are available now at https://www.wnmf.ca.

Wu Fei’s composition for chamber orchestra, “Hello Gold Mountain,” featuring Wu Fei herself on guzheng and vocals and Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz on oud, earned her a MAP Fund award.

A guzheng is a Chinese plucked zither, and an oud is a Middle Eastern short-neck lute-type, pear-shaped, fretless stringed instrument.

The work was inspired by the stories of Jewish refugees who fled to Shanghai from Europe in World War II and built new lives in China.

Wu Fei and Shanir will perform “Hello Gold Mountain” in “WNMF 4: Dialogues” on January 31. WNMF passes are available now at https://www.wnmf.ca.

It's New Year's Eve! This is the perfect time to check out the YouTube playlist we have curated for you at https://buff.ly/3RpBQyx. The playlist features works from talented composers that will be performed at WNMF 2024.

Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz, the versatile bassist and oud player, has left an indelible mark on the music scene. An oud is a Middle Eastern short-neck lute-type, pear-shaped, fretless stringed instrument. His collaborations with renowned artists and extensive discography showcase his exceptional talent and profound impact on the global music landscape.

NYC oud specialist Shanir Blumenkranz joins Chinese-American composer and guzheng master Wu Fei in the orchestral adaptation of her work “Hello Gold Mountain” in “WNMF 4: Dialogues” On January 31. WNMF passes are available now at https://www.wnmf.ca.