Events

Voluntary Withdrawal (VW) Deadline - Full-year (both-term) Courses
2026-02-23 | Brandon University, 270 18th Street, Brandon, MB, Canada
Voluntary Withdrawal (VW) deadline: full-year (both-term) courses.

OUT OF BOUNDS LECTURE: The Evolution of Female Indigenous Representation in Canadian Opera from 1879 to Present
2026-02-26 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Winnipeg) | Lorne Watson Recital Hall, QEII Music Building, Room 1-60, 270 18th Street, Brandon, MB, R7A 6A9, Canada
Camryn Dewar with Anica Warkentine
Fulbright Scholar Camryn Dewar’s lecture recital, titled “The Evolution of Female Indigenous Representation in Canadian Opera from 1879 to Present” is a bold initiative dedicated to reshaping the Canadian opera landscape by centering and amplifying Indigenous voices.
Through an innovative lecture-recital and public discussion/Q&A, the presentation uses opera as a vehicle for truth, reconciliation, and education. Through analysis and performances of excerpts from Canadian operas Canada’s Welcome (1879) by Arthur Clappé and Frederick Dixon, Missing (2017) by Marie Clements and Brian Current, and Indians on Vacation (2021) by Ian Cusson and Royce Vavrek, Camryn will illustrate in detail how the heritage of creative teams and the creative inspiration of Indigenous operas impacts Indigenous female representation for the better.
The performance will incorporate live operatic performances with piano accompaniment that exemplify the evolution of female Indigenous operatic characters through the ages, as well as a visual presentation with lyrics and background historical information. Over the course of an hour recital, by showcasing the positive evolution of Indigenous representation in classical music from the 19th century to today, the presentation discusses authentic storytelling, challenges stereotypes, and inspires new standards and best practices for artistic collaboration and cultural respect. Topics covered include: historical context of the operas, creator and cast backgrounds, Indigenous languages, source material, creative collaboration, performance practice, the shift from fetishization of Indigenous women to fair and authentic representation, the impact of these works on both Indigenous artists and audiences, and best practices in representation moving forward.
Camryn toured this presentation in a successful and highly-acclaimed 3-date tour across the state of New Jersey in early 2025. Through this lecture recital, Camryn will show in more detail how this evolution in Canadian opera seeks to empower, rather than silence, Indigenous people of past, present and future. This lecture recital aims not only to educate audiences, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of Indigenous culture and music, but also to spread awareness of the wealth of incredible Indigenous opera that exists but is rarely performed.
This lecture recital is not just a performance — it is a catalyst for change. Bringing this lecture recital to Canadian audiences means not only deeply educating, but also challenging long-standing traditions of racism in opera, and demonstrating the transformative power of authentic, Indigenous-led storytelling. This work directly addresses the urgent need for truthful representation in the arts, ensuring that Indigenous performers are not only seen and heard, but are shown that diverse stories belong on every stage, and that opera can be a space for genuine cultural dialogue and healing. This knowledge is essential, not only to ensure authentic roles and works for diverse performers, but to inspire and empower others to follow in the footsteps of creating music with authentic representation going forward.
“The first time I sang an Indigenous opera, I felt my entire soul pouring out of my body. I could feel my ancestors behind me as I figuratively cried out for justice, truth, and understanding. It is a feeling I will never forget. That experience showed me that my true purpose is serving as an educator about Indigenous peoples and music, and using the power of music to foster understanding and reconciliation. I look forward to audiences hearing operas that are real, raw, and that fully show the Indigenous female, and really, the human, experience.” — Camryn Dewar
All are welcome! No admission fee.

Clarinet Festival 2026
2026-02-28 - 2026-03-01 | QEII Music Building, 270-18th Street, Brandon, Manitoba, R7A 6A9, Canada
Please join us for the 16th anniversary of the Brandon University Clarinet Festival on February 28th and March 1st, 2026. This year we are featuring an incredible line-up of guest artists, including Jonathan Russell, Alex Whitehead, and Colin Mehmel. The festival features BU faculty Leanne Zacharias and Callie Siverson and BU alumni Danielle Guina and Lisa Rumpel. Guest conductor Cheryl Ferguson will lead the festival clarinet choir. The BU Clarinet Choir and festival host Cathy Wood will also be performing.
Great PD opportunity for musicians of all ages! The festival events include:

Workshops, vendors, and concerts
Festival Clarinet Choir for all participants (all levels)
Prize draws!

Registration Link: ($30 for students/seniors; $50 for adults): https://forms.gle/1T9U4pg8m8fiWbnk7
Festival Schedule
Saturday, February 28th
9:15am
Registration Opens, Music Lobby
Vendor Room Opens, Room 143
10:00-10:30am
Welcome; Coffee and Q&A with Jonathan Russell
Room 157
10:40-11:30am
I AM BETTER THAN MOZART (…at playing clarinet): An Empowering Composition Workshop for Clarinetists
Jonathan Russell
Room 157
11:40-12:40pm
Conducting Workshop: Cheryl Ferguson
Room 120
12:40-1:40pm
Lunch Break
1:45-2:15pm
Q&A with Alex Whitehead
Room 157
1:40-2:20pm
Group Lessons for Clarinet Choir Simplified Parts
Rooms 202, 004
2:30-3:20pm
Improving Embouchure Through Movement Feldenkrais Workshop: Colin Mehmel
Room 120 or 157
3:30-4:00pm
Guest Artist Concert: Alex Whitehead and Lisa Rumpel
Lorne Watson Recital Hall
4:30-6:00pm
Mass Festival Choir Rehearsal with Cheryl Ferguson
Room 120
6:00-7:30pm
Dinner Break
7:30pm
Guest Artist Concert: Jonathan Russell and Lisa Rumpel
Lorne Watson Recital Hall
Sunday, March 1st
9:15am
Registration Open, Music Lobby
Vendor Room Opens, Room 143
9:30-10:45am
Masterclass with Alex Whitehead
Lorne Watson Recital Hall or 157
11:00-12:00pm
Guest Artist Concert: Trio Improbable
Colin Mehmel, Callie Siverson, and Danielle Guina
Lorne Watson Recital Hall
12:00-1:00pm
Mass Festival Choir Rehearsal with Cheryl Ferguson
Room 120
1:00-2:00pm
Lunch Break
2:00-3:00pm
Host Concert: Cathy Wood and Leanne Zacharias
Lorne Watson Recital Hall
3:30-5:00pm
Final Concert: BU Clarinet Choir and Festival Clarinet Choir
Group Photo and Prize Draws
Room 120
More information is available in the Google Folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nFi7f5GAXDi5x55tjuhYz3ZQBUyWv6PR?usp=share_link

School of Music Exams (Applied Music for BMus/BEd Yr 4 and Yr 5)
2026-03-06 | Brandon University, 270 18th Street, Brandon, MB, Canada
School of Music examinations: Applied Music for BMus/BEd Yr 4 and Yr 5.

Low Brass Studio Recital
2026-03-06 17:30 | Lorne Watson Recital Hall, QEII Music Building, Room 1-60, 270 18th Street, Brandon, MB, R7A 6A9, Canada
Please join us for an afternoon Low Brass Studio Recital under the direction of Dr. Nora Wilson.
No Admission charge. All are welcome!

BU Jazz Festival
2026-03-12 | Brandon University, 270 18th Street, Brandon, MB, Canada
BU Jazz Festival March 12-14, 2026. Please visit this link for details: https://bujazzfest.ca/

BU Jazz Festival
2026-03-13, 2026-03-14 | Brandon University, 270 18th Street, Brandon, MB, Canada
BU Jazz Festival, March 12-14, 2026. Please visit this link for details: https://bujazzfest.ca/

Application Deadline for May 2026 Convocation
2026-03-20 | Brandon University, 270 18th Street, Brandon, MB, Canada
Application deadline: May 2026 Convocation.

POST-PONED TO FALL 2026 ... Brandon Chamber Players presents Sonic Dreaming Concert
2026-03-21 19:30 | Lorne Watson Recital Hall, QEII Music Building, Room 1-60, 270 18th Street, Brandon, MB, R7A 6A9, Canada
This concert has been post-poned to Fall 2026.
Truth and Reconciliation requires more of us than ceremonies, placards, and mission statements. Honest work in this area starts in the mind, pushing us to examine biases and privileges so that we can act earnestly to include, celebrate, and amplify marginalized voices. It also requires us to examine the systems in which we operate, including the ways we create art and music. Sonic Dreaming, first established in 2022 by Tahltan performance artist, Peter Morin, and Canadian trombonist, Nora Wilson, is a methodology that prioritizes genuine connection to the land to facilitate creation. It is a means for reflection that leads to art that includes the land as a collaborator. It encourages artists and musicians to imagine the possibilities of a life lived free of colonialism. Sonic Dreaming teaches us to recognize how the people, animals, plants, and waters who share territory intertwine with our own lives in a beautiful and ever-evolving tapestry of this land.
This concert will help our collaborating musicians find greater connection with our territory, resulting in a beautiful set of new music presented to our BCP audience. Sonic Dreaming is storytelling from beginning to end. Musicians will spend time on the land together, listening to and learning the stories shared by their fellow collaborators. This dialogue leads to joint creations celebrating the themes experienced on the land. The compositional process is left entirely to the creators as long as all collaborators, including the land, are active members from beginning to end.
Nora Wilson, trombone and voice; Peter Morin, drum and voice; Koda Maxon, electronics and voice; Edith Skeard, woodwinds; Mitch Renaud, electronics; Jeff Morton, electronics
For more details including tickets pricing, please visit Brandon Chamber Players at: https://brandonchamberplayers.ca/

Daelyn Fefchak, soprano
2026-03-22 19:00 | Lorne Watson Recital Hall, QEII Music Building, Room 1-60, 270 18th Street, Brandon, MB, R7A 6A9, Canada
STUDENT RECITAL
Works consisting of Mozart, Clara Schumannm Rossini, Alfven, Tiefenbach and more! From love songs to a song about cornstarch, there’s something for everyone!
No admission charge. All are welcome!

Voluntary Withdrawal (VW) Deadline - Winter courses
2026-03-23 | Brandon University, 270 18th Street, Brandon, MB, Canada
Voluntary Withdrawal (VW) deadline: Winter courses (except Education: BEd (AD); BEd (IP) Yr 5; BMus/BEd Yr 5).

Faye Desjarlais, voice - mezzo-soprano
2026-03-28 14:00 - 15:00 | Lorne Watson Recital Hall, QEII Music Building, Room 1-60, 270 18th Street, Brandon, MB, R7A 6A9, Canada
Student Recital
Assisted by Danielle Guina, Piano
No admission charge. All are welcome!

BU Orchestra in Concert
2026-03-28 19:30 | Knox United Church, 451 18th Street, Brandon, MB, R7A 5A9, Canada
More details to follow.
Admission at the door: Adults $15; Ages 13-18, $5 and children under 12, no charge.
BU students and Conservatory of Music students, no charge.

Jonathan Craig Penner, cello & piano
2026-03-31 17:30 - 18:30 | Lorne Watson Recital Hall, QEII Music Building, Room 1-60, 270 18th Street, Brandon, MB, R7A 6A9, Canada
Graduate Student Recital.
Featuring works by Bach, Beethoven, Dall’Abaco and Brahms.
Assisted by Eric Arguello, clarinet & Daniel Tselyakov, piano
No admission charge. All are welcome!

Gregory Conway, jazz guitar
2026-04-03 17:00 - 18:00 | Lorne Watson Recital Hall, QEII Music Building, Room 1-60, 270 18th Street, Brandon, MB, R7A 6A9, Canada
Graduate Student Recital
Assisted by Akash Ramgotra, Bass; Ashtyn Desaulnier, Drums; Isabelle Snow, Percussion; William McAulay, Jazz Piano; Aidan Chapel, Jazz Guitar; Annika Scott, Voice.
No admission charge. All are welcome!

Haoyuan Mei, saxophone
2026-04-03 19:00 - 20:00 | Lorne Watson Recital Hall, QEII Music Building, Room 1-60, 270 18th Street, Brandon, MB, R7A 6A9, Canada
Student Recital
Assisted by Greg Conway, Jazz Guitar; Zianna De Leon, Trumpet; Austin Reid, Bass; William McAulay, Jazz Piano; Timothy Franklin, Drumset.
No admission charge. All are welcome!

Bennett Radcliffe, baritone
2026-04-04 19:30 - 20:30 | Lorne Watson Recital Hall, QEII Music Building, Room 1-60, 270 18th Street, Brandon, MB, R7A 6A9, Canada
Student Credit Recital
Bennett Radcliffe, baritone with accompanist, Danielle Guina
All are welcome! No admission charge.

Akash Ramgotra, bass
2026-04-05 19:30 - 20:30 | Lorne Watson Recital Hall, QEII Music Building, Room 1-60, 270 18th Street, Brandon, MB, R7A 6A9, Canada
Student Recital
Assisted by Timothey Franklin, Drums; William McAulay, Jazz Piano; Ashtyn Desaulnier, Percussion; Zianna De Leon, Trumpet; Kurtis Johnson, Clarinet and Trombone; Daelyn Fefchak, Voice and Flute; Bennett Radcliffe, Voice; Haoyuan Mei, Saxophone; Austin Reid, Saxophone; Kyleigha McGhee, Saxophone; Amy Brown, Voice; Eugene Berg, Violin; Lee Martel, Violin; Jonathan Craig Penner, Cello; Ayomikun Olasunkanmi, Voice; Greg Conway, Jazz Guitar.
No admission charge. All are welcome!

Winter and Full-year Classes End
2026-04-10 | Brandon University, 270 18th Street, Brandon, MB, Canada
Classes end: Winter and full-year (both-term) courses (except Education: BEd (AD); BEd (IP) Yr 5; BMus/BEd Yr 5).

Jacob Pfeifer, saxophone
2026-04-11 13:30 - 14:30 | Lorne Watson Recital Hall, QEII Music Building, Room 1-60, 270 18th Street, Brandon, MB, R7A 6A9, Canada
Graduate Student Recital
Assisted by Jonahtan Craie Penner, Cello; Zianna De Leon, Trumpet; Samson Romaniuk, Piano; Benjamin Kensok, Saxophone; Joshua Geddert, Drums; Nic Bray, Saxophone; Janina Macalalad, Bass; Rory McCallum, Trombone.
No admission charge. All are welcome!

Zianna De Leon, trumpet
2026-04-11 17:30 - 18:30 | Lorne Watson Recital Hall, QEII Music Building, Room 1-60, 270 18th Street, Brandon, MB, R7A 6A9, Canada
Student Recital
Assisted by Haoyuan Mei, Saxophone; Rory McCallum, Trombone; William McAulay, Jazz Piano; Austin Reid, Bass; Ashtyn Desaulniers, Drumset; Timothy Franklin, Drumset; Daelyn Fefchak, Voice; Bennett Radcliffe, Voice.
No admission charge. All are welcome!

Final Exams 2026
2026-04-13 - 2026-04-25 | Brandon University, 270 18th Street, Brandon, MB, Canada
Classes end for most Winter and full-year (both terms) courses on Friday, April 10, except for Education: BEd (AD); BEd (IP) Yr 5; BMus/BEd Yr 5, which end on Thursday, March 5.
School of Music examinations in Applied Music (except BMus/BEd Year 4 and 5) take place on Monday, April 13 to Tuesday, April 14.
Final examinations for both Winter term courses and full-year (both terms) courses, begin on Wednesday, April 15 and run until Saturday, April 25.
For exam timetables visit https://www.brandonu.ca/registration/current-registration-guides/exam-timetables/.

2026 Eckhardt-Gramatté Competition in VOICE
2026-04-15 - 2026-04-19 | QEII Music Building, 270-18th Street, Brandon, Manitoba, R7A 6A9, Canada
For full details, please also visit this link: https://www.e-gre.ca/

Kurtis Johnson, composition
2026-04-20 19:30 - 20:30 | Lorne Watson Recital Hall, QEII Music Building, Room 1-60, 270 18th Street, Brandon, MB, R7A 6A9, Canada
Graduate Student Recital
Assisted by Rory McCallum, Trombone; Akash Ramgotra, Bass; Kate Bell, Clarinet; Carrie Wang, Violin
No admission charge. All are welcome!

Yufeng Du, clarinet
2026-04-24 19:30 - 20:30 | Lorne Watson Recital Hall, QEII Music Building, Room 1-60, 270 18th Street, Brandon, MB, R7A 6A9, Canada
Graduate Student Recital
Assisted by Eric Arguello, Clarinet and Wanting Ren, Piano
No admission charge. All are welcome!

Eugene Berg, violin
2026-04-25 19:00 - 20:00 | Lorne Watson Recital Hall, QEII Music Building, Room 1-60, 270 18th Street, Brandon, MB, R7A 6A9, Canada
Graduate Student Recital
Assisted by Luis Ramirez, Piano and Daniel Tselyakov, Piano.
No admission charge. All are welcome!

Xingduan Qiao, piano
2026-04-28 19:00 - 20:00 | Lorne Watson Recital Hall, QEII Music Building, Room 1-60, 270 18th Street, Brandon, MB, R7A 6A9, Canada
Graduate Student Recital.
No admission charge. All are welcome!

🧑‍🎓 Convocation 2026
2026-05-28 - 2026-05-29 | Brandon University, 270 18th Street, Brandon, MB, Canada
