WSO New Music Festival 2009 Program Info

WSO 2009 New Music Festival Spotlights Musical Innovation

December 11, 2008 - The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’Äôs New Music Festival, sponsored by IMRIS Inc, is sure to heat up Winnipeg stages January 31 to February 6, with the theme: Extase.

Passion and ecstasy are perfect words to describe this year’Äôs NMF concerts, which will include several world premieres, fantastic Canadian and internationally-renowned talent such as cellist Matt Haimovitz, filmmaker Guy Maddin, pianist Pascal Gallet, and percussion group Scrap Arts Music and the use of newly invented and unusual instruments.

"Innovation is a major sub-theme of the festival this year," said Vincent Ho, WSO Composer-in-Residence and NMF curator, who will also premiere two of his own pieces during the festival. "I am so excited about the vast amount of creative energy and amazing talent we’Äôve been able to put together for this year’Äôs festival lineup. Every one of the seven concerts offers something different and engaging,"

The opening night concert on Saturday, January 31 sets the tone for the festival, with Turangalila-symphonie by Olivier Messiaen. Inspired by the legend of Tristan and Isolde, the epic ten-movement symphony speaks to themes of romantic love and loss. The symphony also features soloist Jean Laurendeau on ondes Martenot, an early electronic instrument, whose eerie and wavering sound has been used in such recent film scores as Amˆ©lie and There Will Be Blood.

An interesting use of instruments highlights two other concerts in the festival. On Thursday, February 5, Scrap Arts Music excites the senses with intricate rhythms, raw energy, athletic choreography and the hottest and most inventive reuse of materials on stage today.

The Festival closes on Friday, February 6 with a blast of innovation as musical Renaissance man (and member of Scrap Arts Music) Greg Kozak unveils his latest invention, The Chariot of Choir. The 32-foot stainless steel percussion instrument will be used in the world premiere performance of Kozak’Äôs CBC-commissioned Composition for Chariot of Choir and Strings.

Another notable concert will be the presentation of the 1928 film The Passion of Joan of Arc, performed live with the score Voices of Light, written in 1994 by Richard Einhorn for choir, soloists and orchestra. Guy Maddin hosts this special event on Wednesday, February 4, to offer his insight into the film, which is considered a cinematic landmark.

Tickets for the 2009 New Music Festival are on sale now. Pass prices are: $69.00 (regular), $59.00 (seniors), and $39.00 (students). Single tickets are $16.50 (regular) and $10.00 (students). Single ticket prices do not include the opening night concert (regular Masterworks pricing applies) and the closing night concert (regular Musically Speaking pricing applies). NMF programs will be available for purchase at a cost of $2.