News and Releases

Keyword: WSO

CMU professor gives light to the darkness of history with WSO commission

Wednesday, February 25, 2026 @ 11:37 AM

Neil Weisensel, CMU's Associate Professor of Music, was recently commissioned to write an orchestral composition to be performed by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO). "Centuries of Hope: Variations + Theme," was performed by the WSO at the Winnipeg New Music Festival on January 27, 2026.

Inspired by composers such as Karlheinz Stockhausen and Frederick Rzewski, whose work responds to the rise of fascism in the 20th century, "Centuries of Hope" is itself a tribute to citizens' strength and resilience in the face of authoritarianism.

CMU student and instructor make music come alive through synesthesia, art

Tuesday, May 3, 2022 @ 10:00 AM

Imagine if you could see sound. When Anna Schwartz listens to music, she not only hears the different instruments, keys, and dynamics—she sees them. That's because she has synesthesia, a neurological condition in which information entering a person's brain stimulates multiple senses at once.

Only four percent of people worldwide are synesthetes. For some, biting into a juicy apple might cause them to see a specific image, while others might experience a physical feeling of touch when they hear a certain word. Schwartz sees a kaleidoscope of colours when she listens to music.