We look forward to welcoming Claude Lapalme
Since his appointment as Music Director of the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra in 1990, Claude Lapalme has made his mark as a conductor, music director, orchestrator, arranger and composer. Paris newspaper Le Figaro has called him a “remarkable and superb” conductor; the Toronto Globe and Mail, “assured and highly effective”; the Havana Granma, “surprisingly dexterous, warm and sincere”; and the Calgary Herald, “vigorous and attentive to detail.”
A 1991 laureate of the Besançon international conducting competition, he has conducted orchestras around the world, including the URSS State Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra as well as numerous ensembles in Canada, Hungary, the United States, Cuba, France and the Netherlands.
His own Red Deer Symphony has been featured on several CBC broadcasts and has collaborated with Alberta Ballet, Edmonton’s Pro Coro and Calgary’s Early Music Voices, among others. The orchestra has also toured the province of Alberta as far north as Fort McMurray.
As an arranger and orchestrator, Lapalme has worked with the likes of Marvin Hamlisch and Ian Tyson. His compositions have been heard throughout Europe and the United States. He has also served as an instructor at Burman University and both the universities of Toronto and Calgary.
While studying at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague in the mid-1980s, Lapalme developed a lifelong interest in baroque historical practice. His continued interest led him to be the founder of Rosa Barocca, an ensemble in Alberta dedicated to the performance of baroque music on period instruments. The ensemble received the Juno Award for Classical Album of the Year (Small Ensemble) in 2023 for their collaboration with cellist Elinor Frey.
For his contributions to the cultural life of Alberta, Lapalme was the recipient of several awards of distinction from the City of Red Deer and the Province of Alberta.
Windwood Music Festival 2024
Our opening concert, Creep Cryptograms, and Kapustin, will take place at Bert Church Theater on August 9th, and of all of our incredible events, this might be the one we’re the most excited about. Not just because it showcases the very best of our incredible resident artists, but because we will also be collaborating with Claude LaPalme and members of the Red Deer Symphony on our final piece. Which, incidentally, features Tong and Maitreyi, your own Duo Perdendosi, as soloists. The piece, the Kapustin Concerto for Piano, Violin, and String Orchestra, encapsulates the steampunk vibe, borrowing from jazz, ragtime, country, blues, and so many other genres in a way that can best be described as a steampunk party.
2024 Winter Festival March 19-24 with the Windwood Trio!
Hello Airdrie!
It’s been a hot second! Have you missed us?
Well…we’ve missed you!
Since August 2023, our co-founders, Duo Perdendosi, have been joined by our alumni resident artist, cellist David Dietz, to perform around Montreal and Ottawa, fundraising for Windwood and various other charitable organizations.
As the official Resident Ensemble, the Windwood Trio, Maitreyi, David, and Tong are so thrilled to be returning to their home turf, where they fell in love with playing together - right in the Windwood Residence House, right at the heart of Airdrie’s beloved spaces.
A Summer Jewel in Airdrie
“The City of Airdrie wisely recognizes the tremendous value and importance of arts and culture for their citizens, neighbours in surrounding communities as well as the appeal to visitors. Everyone was warmly welcomed to experience the thrill of exceptional music-making in a joyous, accessible and completely unpretentious celebration of music offered with open and happy hearts to the whole city and beyond. Kudos to all who are nurturing this little seedling of a quirky, original and characterful music festival that deserves to be helped thrive and enliven the souls of all who listen. Windwood Festival is destined to become a cherished summer jewel drawing music lovers both near and far. Bravo Airdrie!”
Thank You from Windwood
Two weeks after the end of another festival season…
We are all back in our respective homes. And just like last year, it feels different.
But just like last year,
We have a lot of thanks to give.
One Month until Windwood Opens!!
It's happening!! Or well, in one month, it will be!
We are so thrilled to announce our Resident Artist Events as well as confirm our Mainstage Events with a few exciting updates!
A large part of Windwood Music Festival are the events put together by our resident artists. These events take place around Airdrie and are done in collaboration with local businesses. Most importantly, they are entirely put together by the resident artist. Last year, our artists put together a drink-themed musical evening at Atlas Brewing, an afternoon of music and poetry hosted in collaboration with the lovely writers at Cedarwood Station, a children's concert at Nose Creek Amphitheater, and a Bach Cafe at Good Earth Coffeehouse. With the support of our wonderful Airdrie community, we laughed, we teared up, we cheered, we listened and participated, and we watched as classical music transformed these places that we already inhabit.
Announcement of 2023 Creative Projects!
Ready? We’re getting so close!
This summer, we’ll be popping up again at Cedarwood Station, Good Earth Coffeehouse, and a few new spaces - 948 Brewery, Airdrie Public Library, and Living Springs Church.
We have a lineup of incredible resident artists creative projects for you to explore. Mark your calendars, each of these will be unique, fun, heartwarming, and we’re so excited to meet you soon!
We need your help!
Windwood feels like it's been in Airdrie forever, which is an amazing feeling. But sometimes even we forget that it's actually not even been a full year. Because we are so young, we aren't eligible for the kind of funding that festivals like ours can receive. This is why we need your help. This campaign will help us be fully funded for this year, and it helps us connect more people with all the wonderful things happening in Airdrie.
WMF23 Presents: “A Fair to Remember” August 13-27
3 months to go! Announcing our new resident artists and MainStage program for 2023, “A Fair to Remember”!
Leo’s Adventures Around the World
So, about yesterday -
450 adorable kids, 1 epic story, and 2 fascinating (questionable?) pie-(soups?).
Catch us if you can!
Tong and I just had the most wondrous retreat in Jasper and we are re-energized and ready for this week Airdrie! Gosh we are so excited. Here is what we're up to this week!
3/14 @ 11AM Nose Creek Elementary School Assembly Concert
3/15 @ 2:15PM Burt Church High School Interactive Classroom Concert
3/16 @ 1PM Cedarwood Concert
3/17 @ 8PM Salon Fundraiser
3/18 @ 12PM Solfeo Masterclass
3/18 @ 7PM Atlas Brewing, come drink with us!
WMF 2023 March Mini Edition!
We promised we'd be back, and we are keeping our word. Duo Perdendosi (our fancy name for the two of us, Tong and Maitreyi), will be in Airdrie next week and we are hosting one of our famous (infamous?) Salon Concerts!Where? When? March 17th at 8PM at the Windwood Residence House!
We’re Back! Announcing the official Season One of WMF, August 13-27, 2023!
We promised.
And we keep our promises.
Mark your calendars. The Windwood Music Festival will be back for its official FIRST SEASON from August 22 to August 26, 2023!!!
Fin, da capo.
My heart has not been like this in a very long time. It’s not the attachment. It’s not just the exhaustion and rollercoaster of emotions. I am weeping alone, uncontrollably inside the Mazda parked on the curb of the Calgary airport departures zone after dropping off the final (and first) member of this festival because … because I am genuinely so, so grateful. I am so blessed. I feel the most raw, infinite tenderness.
“Hello” from Maitreyi
August 21, 2022: “What if we didn’t wait another year? What if we started tackling our ideas and dreams from little seeds now?”
This was from Tong after we had realized that we had been dreaming the same dreams of creating a space. The space that turned out to be Windwood. We were going to wait till 2023. But I saw that message and I didn’t hesitate.
Minutes later August 21, 2022: “I trust you endlessly, if you think the time is ripe, then I’ll jump too.”
“The words aren’t coming yet”
“The words aren’t coming yet. It all feels like some intensely beautiful and at times turbulent dream. We don’t know what to say yet, but we want to say… something, anything, to remind you that on this day of giving thanks, we are thankful for you who made all this possible. Our residents. Our donors. Our supporters. Our parents. Our audiences. The people who came out of curiosity and kept coming back to say hi. You are so wonderful, and we love you so much that we are already planning next year’s festival!”
Day 4 - Cedar, East Lake, Atlas <3
Today was a whirlwind. 3 wildly different concert by our residents today - 3 completely different venues yet at their core, the same passionate hearts, the same welcoming, embracing, supportive communities. We had fun, we played with intensity, abandon, freedom, love, we expressed our vulnerability, intimacy, our honesty.
“Grateful. That’s the word that keeps coming to mind.”
Grateful. That’s the word that keeps coming to mind.
I can hardly believe that we have met you all, that we have found you. You bring to life everything that we value. Just walking through the farmers market felt like home. I understood you. Wanting to share what you loved, wanting to see each other succeed, trying to meet ends meet while still holding on to your love for what you do. I could feel the humanity, the love and care, the feeling of “we are the same.” You have supported us, given us chairs and stands and buns and water and space and time and… the list just keeps going. Thank you. I can’t believe that we get to be here with you. And we’ll keep being right here ☀️
Day 3 - Farmers Market
We were in our element.
Buying farmers market apples, beet mead, coffee, alcohol soaked baked goods, antique jewelry, chatting with locals, families, kids … from the moment we stepped foot in that parking lot.
What joy. String quartet at the market, squatting on the cement and making custom buttons for each of our little friends, walking around and being in awe of the craft, creativity, passion, warmth that emanates from each stall - homemade (celiac/diabetic-friendly) desserts, all the wine and mead samples, the audiences who stood in front of us to listen the entire time even when sun went down and the temperature quickly dropped … we felt so alive, so welcome, so full of joy.
“I’m at a loss for words”
Airdrie, I’m at a loss for words. I don’t know how to say how meaningful yesterday was, how moving it was to sow the seeds of a dream and share in those moments with you. You really came, I can’t believe you really came. And you laughed, and you drew, and you talked to us and shared a piece of yourself. You are wonderful and so colorful, and gosh it’s so nice to meet you.
Day 2 - OPENING CONCERT!
5:05PM
smiles. eyes smiling. nod? nod.
let’s do this.
let the magic unfold.
this is us. this is not us, this is everything. this is not nearly everything. this is something. anything. whatever, whatever it is, i love so much, i love the whatever. let it be, let it be, let it be here.