WATCH: The magic of the first note
UM faculty members on teaching and performing in the new Desautels Concert Hall
Music faculty members Mel Braun and Victoria Sparks are eagerly awaiting the launch of the Desautels Concert Hall on Sept. 5, when the Grand Opening concert takes place.
It’s an emotional prospect; the new venue at the heart of Fort Garry campus has been long awaited.
The Desautels Concert Hall will be an incredible space for music education, says Sparks. “It’s really magical to get to perform right here on campus … and we’re excited that we get to share what we do here at our home in the Tache Arts Complex,” she adds.
The state-of-art venue will provide many benefits for teaching and performing at UM, as well as for the broader arts community in Winnipeg and beyond. The concert hall is connected to bright, new rehearsal spaces where performers can warm up and rehearse before and during events.
As Braun notes, ‘We have not had anything like this at the University — this is the piece that was missing.”
Seasoned performers themselves, Braun and Sparks also spoke about the magic of performing on a special stage in an auditorium like the new concert hall — the moment when the spotlight comes up and the first note sounds.
Watch the video to see their performances and hear that they said.
Featuring:
Mel Braun, Vocalist, Professor, Desautels Faculty of Music
Victoria Sparks, Percussionist, Instructor, Desautels Faculty of Music
*Sparks is playing an instrument called the marimba; the musical piece is “Disturdance” composed by Tetyana Haraschuk, an alum from the jazz program at the Desautels Faculty of Music.
>>Learn more about the new Desautels Concert Hall and the concert series coming to the venue this fall.
An outstanding performance space and rental facility, the Desautels Concert Hall provides UM musicians — students and instructors alike — with a state-of-the art space for their performances and training. With its gorgeous architecture and acoustics, flexible stage design and intimate seating layout, the concert hall is also an ideal venue for a variety of Winnipeg’s musical and artistic organizations, creating expanded performance opportunities in a beautiful setting.