A Note of Gratitude from Gwen Hoebig

The 2024/25 season marks Gwen Hoebig’s final season in her role as Concertmaster. To celebrate her incredible career, Gwen will perform two special concerts with her family and the WSO, an evening performance on Saturday, May 10, and a matinée on Sunday, May 11.

Read a heartfelt message from Gwen leading up to these performances:

This programme marks my final concert as Concertmaster of our wonderful Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. It has been an honour to have held this position for 37 years!

My colleagues have become my extended family throughout my time here, and I will never truly be able to express an appropriate thank you to each one of them. While what you see on stage is the visible component of our organization, there are two other parts that are integral to the function of the orchestra: the board and management. The support that I have received from everyone over the years has always made my job as easy as it could be!

Our work here at the WSO is all-encompassing. From our Classics programmes (which are what I love most) to the lighter and often fun fare of the other series, with ballet music and opera as part of the mix, the WSO is truly the foundation of musical life in this city. As musicians, we put a great deal of time into preparing the concerts we present to you. First comes the individual preparation of the music, learning our parts and listening to other recordings of the works we are about to play. Generally, we receive the music two weeks before the concert, so we are always preparing music we are not currently performing!

Then, a few days before the concert we come together to rehearse as an ensemble. This is when we discover our conductor’s interpretation and coalesce to present a cohesive and compelling performance.

In my time here, I have performed with all but two of the music directors who have led this organization since its inception. Each of them has brought an amazing energy and passion to their position which has translated into many memorable performances! As current music director Daniel Raiskin continues to inspire and excite us with his ideas, I look forward to being with you in the audience or at the back of one of the string sections in future performances!

Please continue to support our orchestra and attend as many concerts as you can! For us as musicians, performing is an interactive and symbiotic experience – we feed off your reaction as much as you feed off our performance!

Thank you all!

With gratitude,

Gwen Hoebig
WSO Concertmaster

Book Tickets

Join us at a private event after the concert on May 11 to honour Gwen’s outstanding tenure as Concertmaster and her invaluable contributions to the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. There will be refreshments from our Wine Partner, Kenaston Wine Market, and appetizers prepared by Chef Ben Kramer, and an opportunity to thank Gwen personally for her years of dedicated service. Tickets are $100 per guest, including a tax receipt for a portion of your ticket price.

Gwen’s journey with the WSO began in 1987 when the audition committee unanimously chose her to lead the orchestra. At just 27, she had already established herself as a distinguished violinist, having studied at Juilliard and performed with orchestras across Canada, the United States, and Europe. Throughout her time at the WSO, she has been a beacon of excellence and leadership, contributing to the orchestra’s success in countless ways.

For more information or assistance purchasing your tickets to the reception, contact Theresa at thuscroft@wso.mb.ca or 204-949-3979.

Purchase Reception Tickets