WSO Announces Karl Stobbe as New Concertmaster

The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO) is delighted to announce that acclaimed violinist Karl Stobbe has won the audition to be the next WSO Concertmaster, beginning with the 2025/26 season. Karl was selected by the unanimous decision of the audition committee, a reflection of his remarkable virtuosity.

“It is an incredible honour and responsibility to be appointed the next Concertmaster of the WSO,” Karl shares. “I look forward to working with the dedicated and talented musicians of the WSO and Maestro Daniel Raiskin, in serving the community of Winnipeg and beyond.”

Renowned for his “soulful musicianship” (San Francisco Classical Voice) and as a performer “full of spirit and energy” (Gramophone Magazine), Karl is one of Canada’s most accomplished and diverse violinists. Music Director Daniel Raiskin says he is “delighted to welcome Karl Stobbe into his new role with the WSO! It has been a pleasure and a constant source of inspiration making music with Karl during the past 10 years, and I very much look forward to continuing our journey together.”

A highly valued member of the orchestra, Karl’s relationship with the WSO spans nearly three decades. Raiskin adds, “It is wonderful to feel the extraordinary degree of respect Karl enjoys among the WSO musicians, the broad Winnipeg community, and beyond. His quiet yet strong sense of leadership is only matched by his infectious sense of humour, and the WSO could not be luckier! “

Equally at home in solo, chamber, and orchestral settings, Karl brings a wealth of experience and a collaborative spirit to the Concertmaster chair. His career has earned him praise as “a master soloist, recalling the golden age of violin playing” (Sunday Times), and taken him to North America’s most storied concert halls, including Carnegie Hall, Boston’s Jordan Hall, the National Arts Centre, and Roy Thomson Hall.

His versatility extends across a wide range of repertoire, from unaccompanied recitals and solo appearances to complete cycles of the Beethoven string quartets and Mahler symphonies. He has also earned a JUNO nomination for his solo recording of Ysaÿe’s Six Sonatas for Solo Violin.

Officially joining the orchestra as Assistant Concertmaster in 1996 at the age of just 23, he recalls being the youngest person in the ensemble at the time. “In the beginning, my relationship with the orchestra was one where they were training me to fill a role. Time and experience have changed that to a point where I am the person helping musicians to develop and fill into their roles.”

Karl believes the music itself is inseparable from the people who make it. In his new role, he speaks of a desire to bring “stability and continuity so that all of the musicians can be comfortable making music to the best of their abilities.” And while he will bring his own unique sensibility to the role, what stands out most is his commitment to the orchestra’s shared standard of excellence.

“The things that really stand out for me are the moments when the WSO musicians [have gone] above and beyond,” he shares, describing performances where unexpected challenges were met with collective resolve and collaboration. “Those are the moments I have really felt the pride that our players take in their work, and their commitment to bringing exceptional musical experiences to the communities and people we are playing for.”

This appointment coincides with another WSO milestone, as Karl succeeds Gwen Hoebig, who stepped down at the end of the 2024/25 season. He adds, “The WSO has been led by their great Concertmaster, and my dear friend, Gwen Hoebig, for the past 37 years, and I am humbled to have the task of continuing her incredible legacy.”

It’s this humility, sense of pride and excellence that Karl hopes to carry forward as Concertmaster. “Playing and listening to great music is not a luxury, it’s something that the world cannot live without,” he says. “The WSO is essential to the cultural fabric of our community… I really hope that our audiences leave concerts carrying that same emotion – that their musical experience has been vitally important to their day, their community, and to the way they relate to their world.”

As he reflects on the years he has spent making music in Winnipeg, he says simply, “What more inspiration does one need in life?”