Fall Arts Guide

www.CanstarNews.com FALL ARTS GUIDE | SEPTEMBER 2014 3 The unofficial theme of Manitoba Cham- ber Orchestra's upcoming season is that of welcoming world class artists who have yet to visit Winnipeg. Flutist Sharon Bezaly, pianist Inon Bar- natan and guitarist Sharon Isbin will all make their Winnipeg debuts this season as part of MCO's nine-concert season at Westminster United Church. "One of our goals this season was to introduce new soloists to Winnipeg," said MCO artistic director Anne Manson. In April, the MCO will celebrate its own musicians at a concert titled Chamber Night. "This is a chance for people who love the MCO to come and hear individual players playing chamber music together," Manson said. MCO concertmaster Karl Stobbe will be on hand that evening to play selections from his recording of the six sonatas for solo violin by the late violinist Eugène Ysaÿe. "This is a concert not to miss," Manson said of the Stobbe performance. "The recording has received fabulous reviews." The season will be capped off on June 3, 2015 with a familiar friend to the MCO, pianist Jan Lisiecki. Lisiecki, a Canadian with Polish origins, has played at the Royal Albert Hall and Carnegie Hall. "I think he was 14 the first time he played with us," Manson said. "He's very well known in Canada, and throughout the world. Our venue is always sold out, so get a ticket soon for it." The University of Winnipeg's Virtuosi Concerts series is implementing some- thing completely new for their latest season. Piano in the Sky will feature a panoramic view of the pianists' keyboards, vis- ible in each and every seat at the Eckhardt- Gramatté Hall. "We will have a camera on the keyboard and it will show up on two monitors in the corners of the hall," artistic director Harry Strub said. "It will make the key- board closer than anyone can get from even the best seats in the house." Strub said he is looking forward to two of Virtuosi's concerts in particular. "The first is the Great War: 1914-1918, commemorating the 100th anniversary of World War I," Strub said of the two per- formances slated for Nov. 8 and 9. "This is piano music written during World War I, which culminates in Ravel's Le tombeau de Couperin, with its six movements that evoke the memory of a friend Ravel lost in the war front. "The second is My Favourite Key, a uniquely designed show that pianist Michael Kim has designed for us, which describes the reasons behind composers key signatures." Manitoba Opera will is offering two shows this season — Beethoven's Fidelio and Puccini's Turandot. Fidelio, which runs on Nov. 22, 25 and 28, is Beethoven's only opera and will be Manitoba Opera's way of com- memorating the opening of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. "This was specifically programmed to celebrate the opening of the Canadian Museum of Human Rights, this opera has not been performed in Manitoba before," said Darlene Ronald, director of market- ing at Manitoba Opera. "What is interest- ing, too, is that we are inviting former refugees that have moved to Winnipeg to be a part of the final scene of the opera." Turandot, on Apr. 18, 21 and 24, is consid- ered one of opera's greatest hits, includ- ing one of the most profoundly beautiful scores in all of opera. "It's filled with lots of breathtaking pag- eantry," Ronald said. For more information on these and other Winnipeg music groups and organizations, visit: www.cameratanova.com www.canzonachoir.com www.gswell.ca www.themco.ca www.manitobaopera.mb.ca www.virtuosi.mb.ca www.wcms.mb.ca www.winnipegjazzorchestra www.winnipegphilharmonicchoir.ca www.winnipegsingers.com www.womensmusicalclubofwpg.ca Musicnet is a marketing group comprised of 11 Winnipeg music organizations. Information on most of the organizations above can be found online at: www.musicnet.mb.ca By SCOTT BILLECK Special to Canstar Michael Kim (main photo, with wife Kyung Kim) will bring My Favourite Key to Virtuosi Concerts, while pianist Maxim Bernard (inset) will play Great War: 1914-18. Photos courtesy Virtuosi Concerts MUSIC: LOCAL MUSIC COMPANIES { } "One of our goals this season was to introduce new soloists to Winnipeg,"

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