FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WSO Season Kicks Off With Two Wunderkinds  Winnipeg, MB – Sept 10, 2015 – Tianwa Yang first recorded the complete Paganini Caprices for solo violin at age 13. Named “A Pride of China,” she has gone on to become one of the most prolific artists on the Naxos label. She recently finished recording the complete works of Pablo Sarasate for violin. She joins the WSO September 18-19 for the season opening concert in Winnipeg, and September 20 in Brandon. Umi Garrett got her big break when she appeared on The Ellen Degeneres Show when she was 8. She first played with the WSO two years ago at age 13. The audience was so thrilled by her performance, the orchestra decided to invite her back again September 25-26 to open the WSO Classics Series A with the music of perhaps the most famous prodigy of all: Mozart. Tianwa Yang: Passion of the Violin With 18 top-selling Naxos recordings under her belt, Tianwa Yang has become one of the most recorded violinists today. Winning competitions when she was just a child, Yang went on to study at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing when she was 10-years-old. In 2003, she was awarded a scholarship by the German Academic Exchange Service to study chamber music in Germany, where she currently resides. Called “an unquestioned master of the violin” (American Record Guide), Yang has made the seamless transition from prodigy to artist who performs with orchestras across the world. Yang will play Paganini's Violin Concerto No. 1, a true virtuosic showpiece, in her Winnipeg debut. A lively, exotic mix of Rossini, Ravel and Rimsky-Korsakov complete the program. This concert will mark Maestro Alexander Mickelthwate’s return to the podium for his 10th anniversary season with the orchestra.

wso.ca/tianwa Umi Garrett: Piano Prodigy Since her last performance with the WSO, Umi Garrett has gone on to play with New Mexico Philharmonic, the Missouri Symphony Orchestra and the Pasadena Symphony, in addition to her solo recitals in 60 cities throughout the United States. The young Steinway artist has amassed accolades such

as first prize at the 13th Osaka International Music Competition in Japan, the Chopin International Competition Chopin Plus in Hungary, and the Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition in New York. Garrett will play the music of perhaps the best-known prodigy, Mozart, with his Piano Concerto No. 23. Brazilian-born guest conductor Marcelo Lehninger will lead the orchestra in Beethoven's radiant Fourth Symphony and Verdi's stirring Overture to La forza del destino. Lehninger is currently Music Director of the New West Symphony Orchestra in Los Angeles, and recently concluded an appointment as Associate Conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

wso.ca/umi Dust off the Dress The performance on September 18 will end with the return of the popular Soundcheck event Dust off the Dress – a free post-concert event with the purchase of a concert ticket for the WSO’s Soundcheck under 30 program. The AVEDA Institute and Academy Winnipeg will provide a complimentary beauty bar. Music, mingling, and fabulous outfits will end a thrilling opening for the orchestras 2015-2016 season. Call 204-949-3999 to RSVP and to arrange concert tickets.

wso.ca/tianwa Soundcheck program sponsor:

Tianwa Yang: Passion of the Violin Fri, Sep 18, 2015 - 8:00 PM Centennial Concert Hall Sat, Sep 19, 2015 - 8:00 PM Alexander Micklelthwate, conductor Tianwa Yang, violin Pre-concert chat on the Piano Nobile begins at 7:15 p.m. Official Radio Station of the WSO Classics:

Tickets start at $25 and are available through the WSO Box Office: 204.949.3999 or wso.ca or Ticketmaster: 1.855.985.ARTS and Ticketmaster.ca

WSO in Brandon Series Tianwa Yang: Passion of the Violin Sun, Sep 20, 2015 - 3:00 PM Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium Alexander Micklelthwate, conductor Tianwa Yang, violin Pre-concert chat in the lobby at 2:15 p.m. Musicians In The Making Pre-concert performance in the lobby at 2:35 p.m. Brandon Suzuki Talent Education Program WSO in Brandon Series Sponsor:

WSO in Brandon Media Sponsor:

WSO in Brandon tickets are available at the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium at (204) 728-9510 or www.wmca.ca. Umi Garrett: Piano Prodigy Fri, Sep 25, 2015 - 8:00 PM Centennial Concert Hall Sat, Sep 26, 2015 - 8:00 PM Marcelo Lehninger, conductor Umi Garrett, piano Pre-concert chat on the Piano Nobile begins at 7:15 p.m. Classics A Series Sponsor:

Official Radio Station of the WSO Classics:

Special Condensed Matinee Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 Fri, Sep 25, 2015 – 10:30 AM Centennial Concert Hall Marcelo Lehninger, conductor

Tickets start at $25 ($20 for the Matinee performance) and are available through the WSO Box Office: 204.949.3999 or wso.ca or Ticketmaster: 1.855.985.ARTS and Ticketmaster.ca

The WSO is integral to Winnipeg's rich cultural life, delighting more than 100,000 audience members each year with innovative programming and musical excellence. The WSO presents educational programs for more than 40,000 students annually and tours to communities across Manitoba.

-30- MEDIA: For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact:

Sarah Panas , Marketing & Communications Coordinator p. (204) 949-3970 f. (204) 956-4271 e: spanas@wso.mb.ca