Canadian Music Festivals

is an annual celebration of new music that explores contemporary Canadian musical expression. We celebrate new work and present recent works deserving of a larger audience.

Over the last several festivals the WCMF has developed an artistic vision that reflects its commitment to a set of core values. Each year we feature the work of four or five North American composers. In cooperation with the School of Music at the University of Windsor, we perform multiple works by our featured composers. We choose to feature composers from across the country and of different generations, and aim for a diversity of musical styles and voices. With each festival we try to feature at least one emerging composer who will benefit greatly from the opportunity to compose a new work for orchestra. Ultimately, we look for composers who have a mature musical voice and for whom this opportunity will represent a significant step in their artistic development. Of course, we also choose composers that we are confident will compose an engaging new work that will appeal to our local audience.

As noted above, the WCMF is a partnership between the Windsor Symphony Orchestra and the University of Windsor School of Music. In addition to the premiere of the commissioned orchestral works, School of Music faculty will present a recital of chamber music by the featured composers.