• Downtown Diva Ensemble

    Downtown Diva Ensemble will launch on September 6th, 2024 in the heart of the Exchange District.

    “THE DOORS AT THE CENTENNIAL CONCERT HALL OPEN FOR A FIRST EVER COLLABORATION FEATURING DRAG PERFORMERS AND VOCALISTS ACCOMPANIED BY THE MUSICIANS OF THE WSO FOR THE DOWNTOWN DRAG ENSEMBLE”

    On September 6th, The Centennial Concert Hall lobby will be filled with sound and movement for the first ever Downtown Diva Ensemble! This unique collaboration will feature local drag performers and vocalists accompanied by Musicians of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. 

    Mike Moroz, MLA for River Heights said, "I'm thrilled to work with musicians from the WSO, the phenomenal Winnipeg Drag community, Synonym Art Consultation and the hard working team from the Exchange District Biz to produce this incredible event."

    Read more: Downtown Diva Ensemble

  • Gwen Hoebig

    Gwen's journey with the WSO began in 1987 when she was unanimously chosen by the audition committee to lead the orchestra - a pivotal moment in her career. At just 27 years old, she had already established herself as a distinguished violinist, following her studies at Juilliard and notable performances with orchestras across Canada, the United States, and Europe. Her time with the WSO has been marked by an unwavering commitment to both the music and her colleagues, setting a high standard for the role of Concertmaster.

    Read more: Gwen Hoebig

  • Weekly concert update

    We are so excited to share the stage again with Manitoba's one and only James Ehnes on September 14th for the opening concert of our WSO season!

    He will be performing the Brahms Violin Concerto as well as a piece entitled "Harold in Italy" by Hector Berlioz, for orchestra and solo viola! 

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Our educational shows are some of the most important concerts we do.

Our in-school program "Up Close and Orchestral" gives us the opportunity to share our music with the younger generation by bringing our whole orchestra to students around the city in their very own schools!

Our other in-school program called "Bach to School" involves small chamber groups within the orchestra that can appeal to every age from preschool to grade 12!

We love to be up close, meet the students and answer any questions they have about the different instruments we play, or our lives as musicians. 

Both of these programs are in jeopardy due to funding restrictions. 

We love hearing the buzz of excitement from all of the students in the audience when they come to our school shows at the Centennial Concert Hall!

There are generally many student groups that get up onstage and perform with us at these concerts, which is exciting for them and inspiring for the students in the audience! 

We are the full-time professional musicians and members of the WSO, who perform at the Centennial Concert Hall. We are honoured to be the orchestra for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and the orchestra for the Manitoba Opera, and we also teach and perform in your community in a variety of ways including as faculty at University of Manitoba, and Brandon University.
 
We hold advanced degrees in music performance and have been honing our crafts since early childhood. Most of us have moved far away from home to study and perfect our skills and we're so pleased to be able to bring them to you right here in Winnipeg. We believe that the power of music can change lives and we strive to do that every week, whether we're bringing to you the classical masterworks of Beethoven, Mozart, and Strauss, the score to one of your favorite movies, or as collaborative partners to our artistic colleagues at the Manitoba Opera and Royal Winnipeg Ballet. We are your hometown orchestra and we're proud to serve in that capacity in our community.

 

Downtown Diva Ensemble will launch on September 6th, 2024 in the heart of the Exchange District.

“THE DOORS AT THE CENTENNIAL CONCERT HALL OPEN FOR A FIRST EVER COLLABORATION FEATURING DRAG PERFORMERS AND VOCALISTS ACCOMPANIED BY THE MUSICIANS OF THE WSO FOR THE DOWNTOWN DRAG ENSEMBLE”

On September 6th, The Centennial Concert Hall lobby will be filled with sound and movement for the first ever Downtown Diva Ensemble! This unique collaboration will feature local drag performers and vocalists accompanied by Musicians of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. 

Mike Moroz, MLA for River Heights said, "I'm thrilled to work with musicians from the WSO, the phenomenal Winnipeg Drag community, Synonym Art Consultation and the hard working team from the Exchange District Biz to produce this incredible event."

Read more: Downtown Diva Ensemble