Daniel Raiskin New Musical Director, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra

NEW TUNES

When music director Alexander Mickelthwate announced 2017 / 2018 would be his final season with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the city anxiously waited to hear who’ d fill his spot. Enter Daniel Raiskin, a Russian-born maestro who has worked with countless orchestras in places like Spain, Germany and Poland.

“ It’ s important to show that the WSO is an orchestra of our time,” Raiskin says, adding that some people have misconceptions about what attending a performance is like. Some think strict theatre rules circa 200 years ago still apply—“ you can’ t breathe, you can’ t drink, you can’ t dress a certain way,” as Raiskin explains. But that’ s no longer the theatre experience today.“ It’ s a very cosmopolitan and open-minded way of spending time and being inspired.”

Raiskin’ s position as music director of the WSO started August 1, and he’ ll open the season Sep 17 with Grammy-winning pianist Emanuel Ax. Born in Poland, Ax moved to Winnipeg with his family when he was young, later attending the prestigious Julliard School and Columbia University. Raiskin, who used to listen to recordings by Ax as a student, says it will be special for them to share the stage.

This year’ s line up delves into popular music with entries like Classical Mystery Tour: A Tribute to The Beatles( Sep 21-23) and Disney in Concert: A Silly Symphony Celebration( from Oct 21). Blockbuster

classics also get the live orchestra treatment as the WSO plays along to Casablanca( Oct 26-28), and later on in the season Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Classical compositions still shine, though. The season opener features Beethoven’ s Piano Concerto No. 5, also known as the Emperor Concerto, and Tchaikovsky’ s Symphony No. 5 in E minor. Raiskin says the audience can expect an evening of high emotions and elevated spirits.

Raiskin has conducted three WSO performances since 2015. He says he’ s impressed and overwhelmed with Winnipeg’ s arts scene— the music, dance, theatre and fine arts communities all work together, making the city a special place.“ When you look at a map, you don’ t expect all these beautiful things happening here.”

TIMELY TALES

Pop culture themes also thread through the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’ s 2018-19 season, filled with stories of heroines and strong women. Season opener The Handmaid’ s Tale( Oct 10-14), based on Margaret Atwood’ s 1985 novel, is set in a dystopian, not-sodistant future where women are stripped of their rights and freedom.

This is a reprise performance— The Handmaid’ s Tale debuted in Winnipeg as a world première in

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF DARIUSZ KULESZA KOPIE( HEADSHOT), JJ GIL( CONCERT) & WINNIPEG SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, COURTESY OF IAN MCCAUSLAND( HEADSHOT), LIAM REID( BACKSTAGE), DAVID COOPER( HEROINES) & ROYAL WINNIPEG BALLET, COURTESY OF ROYAL MANITOBA THEATRE CENTRE