Class acts of the classical music season

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/01/2026 (219 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Happy New Year! As temperatures plummet, Winnipeg’s ever-lively classical music scene continues to heat things up with an all-new lineup of world-class performances.

Here is a list of 10 concerts that have caught my eye until the end of the season, listed (mostly) in chronological order:

1. The 35th Winnipeg New Music Festival roars back to life on Friday, Jan. 23 with its first of five programs, WNMF1: Sunrise, showcasing the music of American guest composer Christopher Theofanidis. In addition to his haunting Rainbow Body inspired by medieval mysticism, the cutting-edge program runs to Jan. 29 featuring works by Jennifer Higdon, Polina Nazaykinskaya and James MacMillan. For more info, see wnmf.ca.

2. If there were awards for most novel concerts offered all year long, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s Brawl at the Hall would take the belt. The WSO, led by guest conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, pulls no punches with a knockout bill of feisty works featuring wrestling stars from Winnipeg Professional Wrestling (WPW). Check it out at the Centennial Concert Ring, er, Hall, on Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m. See wso.ca.

3. Dead of Winter (formerly Camerata Nova) commemorates Black History Month with This is Who I Am at the Crescent Arts Centre on Sunday, Feb. 22 at 3 p.m. Led by guest conductor Melissa Morgan, this next instalment of the vocal ensemble’s ongoing Storytelling Series explores “culture, migration, identity and belonging.” Works range from Caribbean folk songs to spirituals to traditional choral art songs from the Regina-based artist’s West Indian ancestry, as well as new music by Black Canadian composers. Want to know more? See deadofwinter.ca.

4. GroundSwell presents Montreal-based saxophone quartet Quasar during its penultimate concert GS3: Vestigial Structures. The program taking place at the Winnipeg Art Gallery on Thursday, March 5 at 7:30 p.m. features audio-visual and surround-sound works written specially for the quartet, including the world première of new works by curator Gordon Fitzell and GroundSwell’s 2025 National Emerging Composers Competition winner Takuto Fukuda. Check out gswell.ca.

5. Another can’t-miss concert is renowned Iranian-American harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani, appearing as featured soloist during Manitoba Chamber Orchestra’s Teal Rainbows. The diverse program led by MCO music director Anne Manson takes place at the Crescent Arts Centre on Wednesday, March 11 at 7:30 p.m. with works by Grant, Emami and Stravinsky, as well as J. S. Bach’s perennially popular Harpsichord Concerto BWV 1054 in D Major. Visit themco.ca.

6. The celebrated Winnipeg Bach Festival that has grown leaps and bounds since its inception goes for baroque as it presents its fifth season from March 29 to April 18, featuring another full lineup of 17th and 18th century works. Stay tuned for more particulars, with this year’s featured groups including Dead of Winter, Fidem in Fidibus and the Nonsuch Ensemble. Visit winnipegbaroquefestival.com for updates.

7. Manitoba Opera ends its season on a high note when it stages Mozart’s opera buffa The Marriage of Figaro, April 18, 22 and 24 at the Centennial Concert Hall. The madcap comedy set on the eve of Figaro and his fiancé Susanna’s nuptials is interim artistic director Larry Desrochers’s final show after 25 years at the helm as general manager and CEO, with his successor to be named later this season. For more info, visit mbopera.ca.

8. The biennial WMC McLellan Competition the jewel of the Women’s Musical Club of Winnipeg’s crown is back with its final round slated for Sunday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m. at the Jubilee Place Concert Hall. Witness three of Manitoba’s rising classical stars performing with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, with cash prizes totalling $20,000 awarded. More details available at wmcwpg.ca.

9. The Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir in partnership with the Winnipeg Singers and members of the WSO celebrates the 270th anniversary of the wunderkind’s birth with With Love, Wolfie: Letters from Mozart at the Desautels Concert Hall on Sunday, April 26 at 3 p.m. Laura Kolisnyk, appearing as Mozart’s older sister Nannerl, and soloist Ellen Wieser bring the composer’s letters to life, inviting listeners to step back into Mozart’s world with his works still so resonant today. For further information, visit thephil.ca or winnipegsingers.com.

10. And speaking of birthdays, world-renowned violinist James Ehnes is celebrating his own 50 trips around the sun when the MCO caps its season with Threads of Gold: James Ehnes in Recital at Knox United Church, 400 Edmonton St. The Brandon-born artist promises to enthrall his legions of fans with eclectic works by Sinding, Brahms and Bartok, with the one-night-only concert on Friday, May 8 at 7:30 p.m. sure to sell out. See here for further information themco.ca.

This is only the tip of the iceberg so get out there and support live music — the arts are waiting for you.

winnipegfreepress.com/hollyharris