Name: Songs of River & Fire
Start: 2026-04-30T19:30:00
Location: Desautels Concert Hall

Prepare to be swept away by the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra’s captivating series of events that bring together nature’s allure and musical virtuosity. Featuring a range of spectacular performances from renowned violinist Kerson Leong to prodigy pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, the series promises a rich tapestry of sound. From 'Season Ascending' to 'Songs of River & Fire,' each event celebrates the unique spirit of the instruments and compositions, offering audiences a vibrant and immersive experience.

A Symphony of Seasons: Manitoba Chamber Orchestra's Lively Musical Journey

The Manitoba Chamber Orchestra invites you to a spellbinding series of musical events that celebrate the beauty of nature, the expressive power of the cello, and the vibrant rhythms of life. From the innovative renditions of 'Season Ascending' with violinist Kerson Leong to the evocative 'Songs of River & Fire,' these concerts promise to explore themes of fantasy, tradition, and the human condition. With internationally acclaimed performers and breathtaking compositions, each event offers a unique auditory experience that echoes the diversity and artistry of modern classical music.

A Symphony of Seasons and Emotions: Manitoba Chamber Orchestra's Inspiring Journey

The Manitoba Chamber Orchestra's 2026 season is a vibrant celebration of music's versatility and depth. From the intertwining melodies of 'Dances of Dreams' to the evocative notes of 'In the Company of Birds', this season promises an exceptional journey through orchestral and choral landscapes. Highlights include prodigy pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason's performance and conductor Anne Manson's deft guidance across various programs. Each event, brimming with creative works from renowned composers, offers a unique exploration of themes from fantasy and natural rhythms to motherhood and joy.

Melodies in Motion: A Journey Through Manitoba Chamber Orchestra's 2026 Season

Marion Newman

Anne Manson

Melody Courage

Manitoba Chamber Orchestra

Born in Germany, trained in New York City, and now based in Canada, Juno Award–winning pianist and composer Florian Hoefner has forged a distinctive voice in modern jazz. Praised by the New York Times as a “composer-bandleader of insightful resolve” and described by Downbeat Magazine as a “harmonically daring pianist […] reaching toward new sonic territory,” he is internationally recognized for his inventive writing and expressive playing.

Award-winning musician and composer Lucas Pino has performed at some of the world’s most esteemed festivals and venues. As a tenor saxophonist and multi-woodwind player, his unique and lyrical approach make him one of the most in-demand side musicians across generations. He serves as Co-Artistic Director of the Brubeck Jazz Summit.

John Hébert (double bass) is a New Orleans-born, New York-based bassist widely regarded as one of the most versatile and in-demand voices in contemporary jazz. His most recent album, Sounds of Love (2022), pays tribute to the ensemble vision of Charles Mingus, and he performs regularly at New York's Village Vanguard, Smalls, Mezzrow, and leading festivals worldwide.

2 / The Way Of Water 

University of Manitoba

Fresh off a JUNO-nominated recording, cellist Stéphane Tétreault brings his dynamic presence to Airat Ichmouratov’s emotionally gripping Cello Concerto No. 1 — transforming paintings into sound with lush lyricism, folk colour, theatrical surprise, and virtuosic flair.

In addition to innumerous awards and honours, Stéphane Tétreault is the recipient of the prestigious 2019 Virginia Parker Prize from the Canada Council for the Arts. He is also the laureate of the 2022 Prix Opus for “Performer of the Year”, awarded by the Conseil québécois de la musique and accompanied by a Canada Council grant.

3 / Perpetual Motion 

Crescent Arts Centre

Part one of a two-concert tribute marking Philip Glass’s 90th year. A celebration of the contemporary canon, revisiting repertoire from the MCO’s acclaimed 2012 recording that helped define the orchestra’s artistic identity.

Simone Dinnerstein is an American pianist with a distinctive musical voice. The Washington Post has called her “an artist of strikingly original ideas and irrefutable integrity.” She first came to wider public attention in 2007 through her recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, reflecting an aesthetic that was both deeply rooted in the score and profoundly idiosyncratic. She is, wrote The New York Times, “a unique voice in the forest of Bach interpretation.”

4 / Glass Reflections: The Hours 

The second part of our Philip Glass celebration features the return of one of Canada’s leading violinists in the sweeping lyricism and driving momentum of the Violin Concerto No. 2, bringing The American Four Seasons vividly to life.

Kerson Leong has been described as “not just one of Canada’s greatest violinists but one of the greatest violinists, period” (Toronto Star). Forging a unique path since his First Prize win at the International Yehudi Menuhin Violin Competition in 2010, he continues to win over colleagues and audiences alike with “a mixture of spontaneity and mastery, elegance, fantasy, intensity that makes his sound recognizable from the first notes” (Le Monde).

5 / Glass Reflections: The Seasons

An immersive evening where music, movement, and memory come together through the work of Cree artist V.J. Sparvier-Wells. Blending flute, hoop dance, and chamber orchestra, this program draws on the sounds, landscapes, and experiences of the Prairies.

6 / Sky Dances

The Forks

Hailed for his athletic and virtuoso playing and for his sensitive interpretations, recorder player Vincent Lauzer leads an active career as a performer, artistic director, and teacher. He is the artistic director of the Lamèque International Baroque Music Festival, the youth development program coordinator for Arion Baroque Orchestra, and the co-artistic director of the Montreal Baroque Festival.

7 / Tilting At Windmills

Set within the ruins of St. Boniface Cathedral, this season finale features Winnipeg’s own Andriana Chuchman in a homecoming performance alongside Persian-Canadian countertenor Cameron Shahbazi. Together, they bring Pergolesi’s emotionally charged Stabat Mater into dramatic relief.

Ukrainian-Canadian soprano Andriana Chuchman has earned much acclaim for her performances in a wide range of repertoire including the heroines of Mozart and Handel, 20th century masterpieces, and the premieres of new operas and orchestral works. Born in Winnipeg, Ms. Chuchman received her Bachelor's Degree in Voice Performance from the School of Music at the University of Manitoba, where in her final year she won the Zita Bernstein Lieder Competition.

Rising countertenor Cameron Shahbazi, praised for his “full, voluminous” voice and “personal and beautiful” timbre (De Trouw), is celebrated for his acclaimed interpretations of both baroque and contemporary music. In 2023, he was awarded the prestigious Opus Klassik Award in the Innovative Concert of the Year category for his brainchild, entitled Woman. Life. Freedom: A Benefit Concert for Human Rights in Iran.

8 / Vox Sacra

St. Boniface Cathedral

Themes of motherhood, loss, and joy emerge in a program that spans opera, Indigenous voices, and folk tradition, with song and spirit rising together like flame and tide.

Songs of River & Fire

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