Category: Performances

Sail Away Summer

On Friday, August 25, we presented Sail Away Summer, a special program combining music, poetry and storytelling at the Old Art Building in Leland, MI. On Saturday, September 16, we’re performing an encore presentation of this program at the Oliver Art Center in Frankfort,… Continue Reading “Sail Away Summer”

It starts with a downbeat

Manitou Winds

This post was originally published in preparation for our May 2016 performance. We’re sharing it again in anticipation of the world premiere of Jason’s first two works for symphony orchestra! We hope you’ll join us Saturday, July 9, as Manitou Winds joins with the… Continue Reading “It starts with a downbeat”

The Art of Collaboration: Thomas Bara

This article was published in preparation for our Spring 2018 performance. We’re proud to collaborate once again with Thomas Bara on October 15, 2022, and so we’re sharing it again! The organ studio at Interlochen Arts Academy is thoroughly alive and continues to thrive… Continue Reading “The Art of Collaboration: Thomas Bara”

Album Release Party!

On Saturday, March 9, 2019, we invited everyone to Rove Estate Vineyard & Winery in Leelanau County to celebrate with us in the release of our debut album, First Flight. An afternoon of excellent local wine and beautiful local music, it was great to… Continue Reading “Album Release Party!”

Winter Songs & Carols: Our 2018 Concert Program

Our 2018 Winter Songs & Carols program was tremendous fun to present and an exciting evening for both performances! We were honored to perform with two very special guests: Emily Curtin Culler, soprano, and Katherine Drago Luellen, mezzo-soprano. The year had been a very… Continue Reading “Winter Songs & Carols: Our 2018 Concert Program”

A Celtic Summertide: Thank You!

Thank You to everyone who came out to experience “A Celtic Summertide” with us at the Oliver Art Center in Frankfort! It was a lovely evening of music and art made all the lovelier by the warmth of your company. The gallery became filled… Continue Reading “A Celtic Summertide: Thank You!”

A Story that Lingers, a Tune that Wanders

Picture the scene: The year, 1880-ish. Ballysadare (Irish: Baile Easa Dara) – a tranquil bayside village in County Sligo. The poet William Butler Yeats, who had spent many summers here as a child, returns for another sojourn. In his wanderings about the village, he… Continue Reading “A Story that Lingers, a Tune that Wanders”

A Celtic Summertide: The Art of Collaboration

If you’ve attended a Manitou Winds concert, recently, you’ve no doubt experienced the wonderful voice of Emily Curtin Culler. Whether singing an aria from a Baroque cantata, a classic German lieder, or a traditional Irish lullaby, Emily’s voice has tremendous dynamic range and is… Continue Reading “A Celtic Summertide: The Art of Collaboration”

Traveling Mercies

Traveling Mercies, written by Manitou Winds founder Jason McKinney, was completed in January 2018. Composing the work became both an adventure and a learning process. To tell you more, here’s Jason in his own words: The idea to write a chamber work for organ… Continue Reading “Traveling Mercies”

Home Away from Home

Beyond the notes and instructions on the page, beyond the audible details of musical form at the heart of a piece, most musicians want to find an even stronger connection to a piece that touches them. Sometimes in order to feel we’ve truly mastered a piece, we need to feel we understand why it was written.