rosamuinde poster

For many people summer is a time for relaxing and enjoying the warm weather. It’s a time for perhaps relaxing and doing some summer reading or maybe heading out to the cottage; or perhaps just simply taking a walk up the street to the nearest 7-11 and picking up a Slurpee.

For many music student’s summer is an opportunity to practice and take part in summer music festivals.

Since August 16th string players from across Canada and beyond have been taking part in the Rosamunde Summer Music Academy held at Canadian Mennonite University. Students have been participating in either the Pre-Professional program, or the Core Program and Adult Students have been taking part in the Rosamundiade Adult Amateur String Ensemble.

One of the real draws of the Rosamunde Academy is that they offer world class teachers who aside from teaching will also be performing and inspiring this Tuesday and Wednesday at CMU’s Laudamus Auditorium at 7:00pm.

This year the Rosamunde Academy has welcomed to Winnipeg two distinguished faculty members to join the already esteemed teaching faculty. Blair Lofgren is the Principal Cellist with the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, and violinist Axel Strauss is Professor of Violin at McGill’s renowned Schulich School of Music.

Participating in the festival is something that both artists have enjoyed so far not only from a performance standpoint, but also from a pedagogical one as well. As Lofgren explains, “These experiences are always very packed full of activities but it’s always very inspiring to meet these young students, and to see colleagues and to work together and exchange music together.”

For Axel Strauss the performing part is great, but the students help really put things in perspective. “It is really about the people involved in it [Rosamunde} that also includes the students. It’s really nice to see how serious the students are and how interested they are and how they soak everything up.”

The two concerts on Tuesday, August 22nd and Wednesday August 23rd at the Laudamus Auditorium at Canadian Mennonite University, will consist of faculty member performing the music of Schumann, Schubert, and Haydn, as well as two works written by Canadian composers Joceyln Morlock and Karen Sunabacka.

Tuesday August 22, 7 p.m.
~Jack the Fiddler~

Karen Sunabacka Jack the Fiddler (2023)
*World Premiere
Elation Pauls Violin & Will Bonness Piano

Franz Josef Haydn String Quartet No. 53 in D Major Op. 64, No. 5 Hob III:63 "The Lark"
Axel Strauss & Elation Pauls, Violin
Élise Lavallée Viola, Leanne Zacharias Cello

~Intermission~

Robert Schumann Piano Quintet in Eb Major Op. 44
Axel Strauss & Elation Pauls Violin,
Élise Lavallée Viola, Blair Lofgren Cello, Paul Williamson Piano

Wednesday August 23 7 p.m.
~Asylum~

Robert Schumann Liederkreis Op. 39 No. 5 "Mondnacht" for piano solo
Leanne Regehr Lee, Piano

Jocelyn Morlock Asylum (2010)
Gwen Hoebig Violin, Minna Rose Chung Cello, Leanne Regehr Lee Piano

~Intermission~

Franz Schubert String Quintet in C Major D 956
Axel Strauss & Gwen Hoebig, Violin
Élise Lavallée, Viola, Blair Lofgren & Yuri Hooker Cello

Rosamunde Festival concerts take place at the Laudamus Auditorium, 500 Shaftesbury Blvd.
Tickets $25 purchased in advance, $30 at the door. Children under 12 free.

Throughout the week of August 21st through to the 25th, students who are taking part in the Rosamunde Academy will also be holding concerts in the outdoor garden at the Leaf at Assiniboine Park. These concerts are not to be missed and will feature some of the brightest up-an-coming string players around. For more details on these concerts go to the Rosamunde website

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