Virtuoso recorder player Lucie Horsch back on Winnipeg’s Classic 107

One of the leading ambassadors for the recorder, Lucie Horsch performs as part of the MCO’s Spring and Summer Festival! 

21-year-old Lucie Horsch is one of today’s outstanding talents on the international music scene, already in great demand as a solo recorder player, performing with baroque ensembles, symphony orchestras and in recital.

The accomplished musician returns to Winnipeg (albeit virtually) as part part of the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra’s Spring and Summer Festival. First having played with the MCO as a 16-year-old on her first ever tour of Canada, Horsch and her performance no doubt left a lasting, sensational impression on audiences—and was equally memorable for the performer.  

“I remember everything (about the trip),” says an enthusiastic Horsch—who is a quarter Canadian, given that her grandmother was born in Quebec. “The way I was welcomed by Anne Manson and the orchestra and just working together with them was so fantastic.” 

For many, the recorder serves as a fundamental tool in music education. Students—and their parents—likely know well the melodious sounds of the instrument, as well as its screeches and shrieks. 

Horsch notes that this provides a shared, relatable experience, while also colouring people’s views of the instrument. 

“It has two sides: the good thing is a lot of people know the instrument or have some kind of connection with it from their past,” she says. “But the bad side is that usually it’s a bad memory or some kind of trauma because a lot of people were forced to play it in school.” 

Having grown up in a musical family of string players in the Netherlands, Horsch chose the recorder independently at the age of 5. “Luckily, I was never obliged to play the recorder in school,” she says. “I really chose the instrument  because I thought that this is something I can do for myself.” 

Now considered to be one of the greatest performing on the instrument, her online performance in a double bill alongside the MCO is not to be missed. Streaming online via YouTube, the concert premieres 7:30PM Thursday, May 20 and will remain available until June 3. 

Visit the MCO website (link below) for a household ticket!

Watch the full conversation between Lucie Horsch and Morning Light host Simeon Rusnak below. 

Learn more about: the tradition of great recorder players who came before Lucie Horsch and what it means to her to be in that company; what the past 15 months have been like spending more time off-stage than on, especially for one who has spent more than half of her life in the spotlight; the disparity between the baroque,  and contemporary recorder repertoire; and whether or not Lucie still has her bright red Winnipeg sweater!