Music-making magic

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/06/2023 (1066 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Happy official first day of summer, everyone! In the blink of an eye, another jam-packed arts season has drawn to a close, with many highlights along the way.

While this is certainly not an exhaustive list, here are some personal favourite picks of what we’ve seen and heard since last fall. And the biggest bravo to so many of our beloved arts groups for marking milestone anniversaries all season long — there were many birthday candles to blow out this year!

Top 10 of 2022-23 (listed mostly in chronological order)

1. The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra marked its diamond anniversary with a full slate of stellar artists this year. One of those, internationally renowned Brandon-born violinist James Ehnes, dazzled the opening night crowd with Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61, led by Daniel Raiskin on Sept. 17.

2. After three-plus years of COVID-friendly pivots, the now-50-year old Manitoba Opera roared back to life with two full-scale productions this year — both directed by Winnipeg’s Robert Herriot. Rossini’s La Cenerentola, held November 12, 15 and 18, featured the MO debut of Winnipeg mezzo-soprano Lizzy Hoyt in the title role. April 22, 25 and 28, the company presented its second opera buffa, Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte, billed as a “Canuck Cosi.” Its cast included two local treasures: acclaimed colouratura soprano Tracy Dahl appearing as Despina and bass-baritone David Watson reprising his role of Don Alfonso.

3. The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s Violins of Hope, presented with the support of the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba, brought many in the crowd to tears on Dec. 3. The deeply moving program featured WSO concertmaster Gwen Hoebig and first violinist Sonia Lazar performing on two precious fiddles once belonging to Jewish musicians who perished during the Holocaust.

4. World renowned Canadian/Ukrainian opera star Andriana Chuchman returned to her roots on Dec. 10 with her own curated program for Virtuosi Concerts, Vinok: The Ukrainian Wreath, showcasing traditional and contemporary music from her ancestral homeland. And Handel’s Hallelujah chorus will never quite sound the same again, after hearing it sung entirely in a Slavic tongue by the radiant singer, joined by the loud ‘n’ proud Hoosli Ukrainian Male Chorus.

5. The venerable Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir, under the baton of Yuri Klaz, also embarked on its second century with Christmas with the Phil on Dec. 11. — the exact date its inaugural concert was held back in 1922. Hearing several rarely performed works resurrected from that original program sent shivers down this writer’s spine, like long-ago voices emanating from the past that also spoke to continuity of the ages.

6. OK, this show was the sleeper hit of the year. Finland’s Rajaton gave a sold-out crowd the time of its life as part of the Live at the WSO series on April 15, with the a cappella vocal group channelling the infectious spirits of Swedish super-group ABBA. Maestro Julian Pellicano led the rafter-raising show that had the entire house partying like it was 1974 and literally dancing in the aisles.

7. Local music buffs are still buzzing about this one. The Winnipeg Singers, celebrating their 50th anniversary this year, joined forces with the “Phil” for Rachmaninoff’s Vespers, held in the glorious St. Boniface Cathedral on May 14.

8. Another golden group, the now 50-year-old Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, also featured Ehnes in a pair of intimate shows held at the Crescent Arts Centre on May 16-17, with the artist performing Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major, K. 219, “Turkish,” led by music director Anne Manson.

9. Canadian pianist Marc-André Hamelin received a hero’s welcome on that same stage on May 23. The award-winning artist enthralled with his sublime interpretation of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat Major, K. 271, “Jeunehomme,” including a particularly stunning central Andantino movement in which you could have heard the proverbial pin drop.

10. A special nod this year goes to the Agassiz Chamber Music Festival, which ran June 4-10. Grappling with multiple last-minute “surprises,” including unexpected illness among its lineup of guest artists, the fest’s unflappable artistic director, Ottawa-based cellist Paul Marleyn, and his merry band of musicians rose to the challenge each time, cobbling together revised programs with often only a few hours’ notice. An early, electrifying highlight became Dvorak’s ‘Dumky’ Piano Trio, heard June 5, with guest pianist John Novacek, violinist Cathy French and Marleyn leaving nothing on the stage.

So there you have it — a veritable cornucopia of music as our arts organizations continue to rebuild during these “new normal” times. Music Matters now goes on hiatus until the fall. Support live (or livestreamed) music everyone, and see you in September!

holly.harris@shaw.ca