Why Locals Are Not Missing Winnipeg’s New Music Festival This January 2025 and Why You Shouldn’t Too
Mark your calendars because the Winnipeg New Music Festival (WNMF) is back this January 21–25, 2025. They’ve prepared a week-long celebration of art, music, and thought-provoking conversation.
Opening this year’s festival is Canadian conductor Samy Moussa, a festival favorite who has graced the WNMF stage twice before. Moussa will lead the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in a mesmerizing light-and-shadow-themed performance.
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On Day 2 of the festival, Greek composer Konstantia Gourzi and trumpet soloist Simon Hofele will perform Symphony No. 6 by Christopher Rouse. His works always carry an emotional weight, so I’m eager to hear how they’ll bring their unique artistry to this gripping composition.
But for me, Day 3 is the most exciting because performances will take place in the new Desautels Concert Hall for the very first time. There, the Grammy Award-winning group Attacca Quartet will be playing a few Caroline Shaw songs and more.
The festival’s grand finale on the last day promises to close the week on a powerful note. Daniel Raiskin and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra will perform nature-themed works, particularly Nic Bay’s Spruce and Keiko Devaux’s Listening Underwater.
To conclude the festival, the Attaca Quartet will join the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra with a performance of Absolute Jest by John Adams. It’s a bold, electrifying piece, the perfect send-off to an already groundbreaking festival.
For $89, you can buy a WNMF pass, which includes admission to all Centennial Concert Hall and Desautels Concert Hall performances. You can also buy single tickets to the shows that you only want to watch.
Visit wnmf.ca for more information on the upcoming shows.