Heaven Will Always Return – Trio Leonarda (with guest Lara Ciekiewicz)
April 2nd, 7:30pm, Laudamus Auditorium (CMU), 500 Shaftesbury Blvd.
The Trio Leonarda is excited to introduce itself to Winnipeg music fans, and they’ll do so with another introduction to the Italian Ursuline nun Isabella Leonarda through her jovial violin sonata. The concert also features rustic surprises by Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber and the radiant beauty of Bach’s instrumental and vocal music, where the trio will be joined by star soprano Lara Ciekiewicz.
Le Printemps – Nonsuch Ensemble
April 4th, 7pm, All Saints Anglican Church, 521 Broadway
Join the Nonsuch Ensemble as they usher in spring with Le printemps, a thaw-inspiring collection of rare French Baroque gems including Julie Pinel, Jean-Baptiste Drouart de Bousset. and the evening’s namesake work, Joseph Bodin de Boismortier’s cantata “Le printemps”. Bach’s first cello suite and Handel’s “Pensieri notturni di Filli” round out the evening.
Polyphony Meets the Prairies – Dead of Winter
April 6th, 3pm, St. John’s College Chapel, U of M, 92 Dysart Rd.
Polyphony Meets the Prairies – Dead of Winter
April 6th, 7:30pm, St. John’s College Chapel, U of M, 92 Dysart Rd.
Dead of Winter presents 14th to 18th century polyphony: Hildegard Von Bingen – (1098-1179), Alonso Lobo- (1555-1617) Manuel Cardoso- (1566-1656), including Mexican Indigenous composers, Manuel de Zumaya -(1678-1755,) and Geronimo Gonzales-(c.1633 ). Woven within is Waa Waa Steewak (Northern Lights): A Sacred Ispiciwin (Journey), Andrew Balfour’s groundbreaking Indigenous oratorio for chamber choir, viola, narrator and language keeper. A reimagining of the presentation of early music: Europe meets North America Experience this in the acoustic beauty of St. John’s College Chapel.
Solace – Manitoba Chamber Orchestra
April 9th, 7:30pm, Crescent Arts Centre, 525 Wardlaw Ave.
The Manitoba Chamber Orchestra welcomes Canada’s famous violinist-conductor Aisslinn Nosky to remind us why Bach called music “a refreshment of the soul” in this escape to the otherworldly sounds of Bach and Vivaldi, but also Krzysztof Penderecki and Manitoba’s own Jocelyn Morlock.
Buxtehude: Membra Jesu – All Saints Anglican Church Choir
Apr. 11th, 7pm, All Saints Anglican Church, 521 Broadway
For a young J. S. Bach, it was an arduous 400 km journey to hear the music of Dietrich Buxtehude and his Abendmusiken in 1705. Start your weekend with a much shorter trip to All Saints Anglican Church to hear a performance of Membra Jesu Nostri, Buxtehude’s choral masterwork, as well as his organ Magnificat, interspersed with Gregorian chant. The choir will be joined by the ensemble Fidem In Fidibus on period instruments.
La Folia – Fidem in Fidibus
April 12th, 2pm, St. Margaret’s Anglican Church, 160 Ethelbert St.
Fidem in Fidibus is back for their second season at the Winnipeg Baroque Festival performing strings focused chamber music on historical instruments. This year’s concert, La Folia, presents a variety of 17th century music including pieces by H.I.Biber, Antonio Vivaldi, Andrea Falconieri and Tarquinio Merula. Unique baroque music for viola d’amore and Baroque guitar complement the program which concludes with a masterpiece of the Italian baroque, Vivaldi’s “La Folia”.
Bed, Bach & Beyond – Canzona
April 12th, 7:30pm, Desautels Concert Hall, 150 Dafoe Rd.
The first Winnipeg Baroque Festival concert in the brand-new Desautels Concert Hall belongs to founding ensemble Canzona! At Bed, Bach & Beyond, you’ll hear a program that blends Bach masterpieces, contemporary works inspired by Baroque composers, and lullabies both old and new. From Bach to Billy Joel, we’ll explore the spaces where tradition and innovation meet.
The Seven Last Words of Christ – Winnipeg Singers & Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir
April 13th, 3pm, St. Boniface Cathedral, 180 De La Cathedrale Ave.
Under the baton of shared conductor Yuri Klaz, the combined choirs join forces with musicians from the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra to perform Haydn’s “Seven Last Words of Christ” along with Baroque music to highlight the Passion story.
The Goldberg Variations Plus – Karl Stobbe & Benjamin Moser
Apr. 14th, 7:30pm, Laudamus Auditorium (CMU), 500 Shaftesbury Blvd.
The Festival is extremely excited to share its first transatlantic collaboration with two celebrated soloists joining forces for two amazing concerts. Winnipeg’s own Karl Stobbe and Berlin pianist Benjamin Moser will be presenting two concerts centering around two of the most beloved pieces of the Baroque era. The first concert features Bach’s “Goldberg Variations”, along with other technically demanding pieces that will be dazzlingly executed.
A New Take on an Old Mystery – Karl Stobbe & Benjamin Moser
Apr. 16th, 7:30pm, Laudamus Auditorium (CMU), 500 Shaftesbury Blvd.
The second of two incredible collaborations, the second concert featuring violinist Karl Stobbe and pianist Benjamin Moser features a unique reimagining of Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber’s “Rosary Sonatas”. This piece, known for its unique temperament and stunning beauty, will leave audiences in awe.
Love & Madness – Fierbois with Jan Kocman and Kathryn Brooks
April 17th, 7:30pm, Laudamus Auditorium (CMU), 500 Shaftesbury Blvd.
The newly-minted duo Fierbois is sharing bold music from the French Baroque to channel the spirit of their namesake – the sword of Joan of Arc. Featuring the works of Francoise Couperin, Louis Couperin, Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, and Jean-Baptiste Lully, the duo will be joined by celebrated Winnipeg flutist Jan Kocman and bassoonist Katie Brooks.
Winnipeg Baroque Festival Brass Choir
Apr. 18th, 7:30pm, Desautels Concert Hall, 150 Dafoe Rd.
The debut program of the Winnipeg Baroque Festival Brass Choir features the glorious antiphonal music of Venetian master Giovanni Gabriel, brass transcriptions of Elizabethan composers William Byrd and Orlando Gibbons, and new arrangements for brass choir of the music of Johann Sébastien Bach. This concert celebrates the rich brass tradition of arranging and transcribing Baroque music, and the excellence of Winnipeg’s brass players. You haven’t truly heard Baroque music until you’ve heard it played by a full-scale modern brass orchestra!
St. John Passion – CMU Festival Chorus
April 19th, 7pm, Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Ave.
The 2025 Festival concludes with one of the most celebrated works in the Baroque repertoire. Led by Dr. Janet Brenneman and featuring the CMU Festival Chorus and soloists from the community, this performance of the St. John Passion will be unique offering steeped in a decades-long tradition of performance in the Mennonite community.
