From Emerging to Established with RBC

On January 14th, together with over 800 in attendance and support from RBC, we welcomed the Lunar New Year with a spectacular evening of traditional and contemporary Chinese song, dance, music and entertainment.

The Year of the Rabbit was ushered in with classic pieces including Spring Festival Overture, Flower Drum Song, Butterfly Lover’s Violin Concerto and Song of Everlasting Regret. Canadian comedian and television personality and superstar Dashan (Mark Roswell), a popular media personality and cultural ambassador in China, provided narration.

WSO’s Assistant Conductor Naomi Woo was a highlight of the performance, introducing us to the world premiere of Welcoming Spring, composed specifically for this celebration by Chinese-Canadian composer Chan Ka Nin. Naomi is an artist with Tangram, an ensemble devoted to celebrating the vitality of Chinese cultures and creating new music by transnational Chinese creators.

During the evening, with her father in attendance, Naomi Woo was presented with the Virginia Parker Prize. This prestigious award is presented to a musician, instrumentalist or classical music conductor under the age of 32 who demonstrates outstanding talent, musicianship and artistic excellence and who makes a valuable contribution to artistic life in Canada and internationally.

RBC’s support of the evening’s cultural celebration and Naomi Woo’s journey from emerging to established are woven together, through a connective tissue of mentorship, artistic development and success.

Four years ago, Naomi came to WSO through the RBC Emerging Conductors Program, enabling WSO to hire, mentor and coach Naomi on a full time basis. Appointed to WSO Assistant Conductor in May of 2019, her star continues to rise with a growing reputation on the international stage.

A highly sought after guest conductor, Naomi’s is also admired for her outstanding collaborative approach and natural command of storytelling and language as an opera conductor and music director.

Since joining WSO, Naomi has captivated audiences in Canada, the United States and Europe and is a trusted mentor of up-and-coming female conductors. She is Sistema Winnipeg’s first Music Director and the new Conductor of the University of Manitoba Orchestra.

Naomi’s contributions back to the orchestra community are plentiful and come full circle as she forms part of the biennial RBC Emerging Canadian Conductors Showcase.

Commencing on February 14th and 15th, four conductors from across the country will be given the opportunity to conduct a full symphony orchestra in a private performance adjudicated by WSO’s Music Director and musicians. The winning conductor from the showcase will return in the new year to conduct the WSO orchestra in front of a live audience.