By WSO
For many Winnipeggers, going to the symphony is about more than just the music. It is the ritual of an evening out. It is dinner before the concert, spotting familiar faces in the lobby, flipping through the program while the orchestra tunes, and hearing that first live note fill the hall.
And for others, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra has become something newer, a film night with the family, a Thursday concert with friends, or a chance to hear favourite music performed live in a more informal setting.
The WSO’s newly announced 2026/27 season leans into all of those experiences.
From Beethoven to Barbie, the upcoming season reflects how audiences enjoy music today. Some people come for the great classical works they have loved for years. Others come for movie nights, Broadway music, holiday concerts, or familiar songs performed by a full orchestra. There are many ways to enjoy the symphony, and audiences are increasingly choosing the experience that fits them best. There are many ways to enjoy the symphony, and audiences are choosing the experience that fits them best.
“Our goal is always to offer variety and imagination while keeping the orchestra at the centre of it all,” says the WSO’s Music Director, Daniel Raiskin.
That sense of variety runs throughout the season.
For longtime symphony lovers, the BMO Masterworks series continues to anchor the year with many of the great classical works audiences return to again and again. Concertgoers can enjoy the same concert either Saturday night or Sunday afternoon, whichever works best for them.
The season opens with Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony alongside Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony. Even people who do not regularly attend the symphony would likely recognize moments from both works in films, television, commercials, and popular culture. Hearing them performed live by a full orchestra is an entirely different experience.
Later concerts include Dvorák’s Cello Concerto, Sibelius’ First Symphony, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 27, Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony, and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. International guest artists, including cellist Edgar Moreau, pianist Janina Fialkowska, and pianist Anna Genuishene, will join the orchestra throughout the season. WSO Concertmaster Karl Stobbe will also take the spotlight as soloist in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto.
These are the kinds of concerts many have built traditions around over the years. Evenings out or afternoon performances become part of the rhythm of the season.
At the same time, the orchestra continues to expand the ways audiences can experience classical music without feeling they need to know everything before walking through the doors.
The Thursday evening Symphonic Sessions series has become one of the WSO’s most welcoming formats. Conductors speak directly to the audience about the music, and the evening includes a complimentary beverage and post-concert conversation.
For some audience members, it removes some of the formality people sometimes associate with classical concerts.
This season’s Symphonic Sessions concerts include music by Berlioz, Schubert, Elgar, Schumann, Mendelssohn, and Stravinsky. Audiences will hear performances by soprano Andriana Chuchman, pianist Elisabeth Pion, and violinist Sueye Park.
Then there are the Untuxed Open Rehearsals, one of the WSO’s most interesting daytime offerings.
Held at noon on Symphonic Sessions Thursdays, these rehearsals allow audiences to watch the orchestra prepare for the evening performance. Conductors stop and start pieces, work through difficult passages, and explain what they are hearing.
For retirees, music students, and anyone curious about how an orchestra actually works, it offers a rare glimpse behind the curtain.
Another audience favourite returning this season is From the Inside Out, which invites audiences onto the stage itself to sit among the musicians during the performance. It is a completely different way to experience the orchestra, hearing individual instruments up close while watching the communication and teamwork that happens between musicians in real time.
The Leon and Cecilia Asper Night at the Movies series continues to grow in popularity, combining beloved films with live orchestral performance. A giant screen plays the movie while the orchestra performs the score in sync beneath it.
This season’s lineup includes Skyfall in Concert, The Addams Family in Concert, How the Grinch Stole Christmas in Concert, Barbie The Movie™: In Concert, and The Wizard of Oz with Orchestra.
For many audience members, these concerts are pure fun. Some come for nostalgia. Others come because it is their first time hearing a full orchestra live. Either way, the music has a way of surprising people when they hear it performed in real time.
The Manitoba Liquor Mart LIVE at the WSO and Manitoba Liquor Mart LIVE at the WSO POPS concerts continue that same spirit of familiarity and enjoyment.
This season includes Jeans ’n Classics joining the orchestra to perform the music of Billy Joel and Elton John, while Gravel Museum Music teams up with the WSO for an evening of Pink Floyd music, including selections from The Wall. The season also includes a concert of Christmas favourites, Broadway hits in collaboration with Rainbow Stage, and a special appearance by Canadian Brass.
These concerts appeal to audiences who love live music but may not think of themselves as traditional symphony-goers. It’s an easy and enjoyable way to experience the orchestra for the first time, or to return after many years away.
The WSO is also continuing to bring programming that delivers unexpected moments for audiences.
60 Years of TREK & Beyond celebrates six decades of exploration and adventure with music inspired by the beloved franchise, hosted by actor John de Lancie, known to many fans as the character Q.
For Winnipeg audiences, the WSO’s 2026/27 season offers a wide range of experiences, from grand symphonies and world-class guest artists to movie nights, Broadway favourites, and more informal concert formats. Whether someone attends once a year or regularly throughout the season, there are more ways than ever to enjoy what the orchestra has to offer.
Audiences can renew or subscribe now to secure the best available seats and value, along with flexible options and early access to concerts. Single tickets for the 2026/27 season will go on sale in late June.
More information about the season and ticket options is available through the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra website.
