Thanks to the generosity of Marcel A. Desautels (and many more esteemed donors), the Desautels Concert Hall opened in September of 2024, nearly 16 years after Mr. Desautels’ donation of 20 million dollars. Half of his donation was designated to the construction of a new concert hall - one that would provide a state of the art facility for Faculty of Music students, attract high-caliber guest musicians and establish the Desautels Faculty of Music as a national and even international cultural hub.

Since the opening of the Desautels Concert Hall, it has hosted several significant Faculty of Music competitions, the university’s first full scale opera (The Magic Flute) and has served as an exciting new venue for Winnipeg arts organizations - Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra, Winnipeg Chamber Orchestra, and vocal ensemble Dead of Winter - to name a few. 

The Desautels Concert Hall, however, remains incredibly inaccessible to students wishing to perform in this space for their credit recitals. Currently, it would cost any member of the student body nearly $1000 to book the hall for a recital.

This is a far cry from how other leading Canadian universities handle their credit recitals - students from University of Toronto, University of Victoria, The Glenn Gould University, University of Alberta, Mount Allison University and Wilfrid Laurier University all reported the same thing - their on-campus venues cost them nothing. 

This venue was specifically marketed by faculty members and Former Dean of Music, Dr. Edward Jurkowski, as being a major boon for students at the Desautels Faculty of Music. In an interview with The Manitoban, Dr. Jurkowski highlighted this “ To have [the Desautels Concert Hall] as part of their performance experience here will mean everything”. While well-intentioned, this sentiment is not aligned with how the Desautels Concert Hall currently is being managed. Ultimately, students have spent their degrees looking forward to being able to perform in this hall only to be surprised by a large paywall. 

Please show your support for the students at the Desautels Faculty of Music by signing this petition. Together, we can make the Desautels Concert Hall the place of community it is meant to be! 

How you can support:

If you're a student:

Leave a comment about what performing means to you! Or about one of your favourite performances! Why is performing in this space important?

If you are a community member:

Please share a memory from one of your favourite UofM Faculty of Music performances! What made it special?

Everyone:

Email President Michael Benarroch president@umanitoba.ca to express your concerns and show your support! 

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