Winnipeg Symphony musicians head to Carnegie Hall

Every musician dreams of performing at Carnegie Hall.

Members of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestrahavebeen practising, practising, practising, and now their specialperformance is coming up on Thursdayas part ofSpring for Music, a North American showcase of orchestras.

Click on the photo gallery,above, for some great selfies from orchestra members and fans alike.

TheWSOwas chosen from among more than 30 orchestras across the continent thatapplied.

The program includes a work for percussionist DameEvelynGlenniewritten by composer-in-residence Vincent Ho calledThe Shaman: Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra, a work by Derek Charke calledThirteen Inuit Throat Song Gamesfeaturing Inuit throat singer TanyaTagaq, and R. Murray Schafer's Symphony No.1.

"The program is really our soul," said music directorAlexanderMickelthwate. "It's us Winnipeg."

Glennie is thrilled to takeThe Shamanto Carnegie Hall.

"TheWSOis so experienced withdealing with new music, so anything is possible. The program is a celebration of Canadian composers, and that's important.I just feel very privileged to be part of that," she said.

As for composer Vincent Ho, he says having his work performed at Carnegie Hall is a dream come true.

"It's actually quite poignant," he said at the Winnipeg airport on his way to New York. "My first appearance with the WSO was exactly 10 years ago,and then 10 years later I'm ending my composer-in-residency with them with a performance at Carnegie Hall. How beautiful is that?

"To finally have my work performed by a great orchestra one of Canada's great orchestras at one of the most prestigious venues in North America, is one of those bucket list items that every composer dreams of checking off," he continued.

Clarinetist Michelle Goddard is excited to be going to New York for the first time and she says the musicians have been working extra hard.

"The level of detail is so much higher," she said. "For this concert we're really looking deeper into everything and I think everyone's spent even more time at home practising than usual preparing for this."

JeremyEpphad the chance to perform at Carnegie Hall last year. He says the acoustics of the hall are absolutely amazing.

Not only that, "you've got the history, too, where there are connections to composers like Tchaikovsky and Mahler and Stravinsky we have a feeling that they lived a long time ago, but all of a sudden you step into that room and there's a tangible sense of having a connection withthese people who also played on that stage," he said.

Eight hundredfriends, family and fans are also making the trip to be in the audience.

The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra's concert at Carnegie Hall will be streamed live on the website of New York classicalradio station WQXR starting at 7:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. CT).