The Windwood Music Festival has been instrumental in addressing the arts needs of a rapidly growing city and supporting this organization’s sustainable development greatly benefits our local community. Windwood takes classical music beyond its usual locale of concert halls and places it in many of Airdrie’s most-loved recreational spaces. Furthermore, the festival has also brought impactful collaborations with a local farm, Airdrie’s small businesses, the city’s theatre group, other regional musicians and our seniors’ community to life.

Peter Brown, Mayor, City of Airdrie

Two Windwood Festival performances took place here in our senior’s community during 2023. Both these occasions provided the residents of Cedarwood Station with engaging and uplifting musical experiences. Participating in music and arts activities has a proven significant impact on the health & well-being of seniors – allowing them to continue with their hobbies and passions well into their older years and providing them an outlet for ailments or stressors they may be feeling. Furthermore, Windwood Music Festival’s underpinning ethos of bringing music into spaces in ways ultimately strengthens our sense of togetherness and community providing deep-rooted benefits to the Cedarwood Station residents as well as the broader Airdrie community. I look forward to welcoming the Windwood Music Festival artists back to Cedarwood in 2024 to once again provide our seniors with a meaningful arts & culture experience.

Jennifer Harbour, Activities Coordinator, Cedarwood Station

When you think about passion, I believe that the coordinators and creators involved with the Windwood Festival exemplify this characteristic. Nose Creek Players was happy to collaborate with Winwood as our values most definitely align. They are equally committed to sharing art and building community. Our partnership involved Windwood providing live musical accompaniment to a theatrical production. It was a beautiful relationship, and we would relish the opportunity to collaborate with these passionate proponents of art in the future. Over the past two years, the Windwood Festival has been a welcome addition to Airdrie’s artistic community. Nose Creek Players wholeheartedly support this valuable festival and are excited to see how they continue to reinforce the value of art in our community.

Nose Creek Players

As someone who has had the privilege of working closely with the festival in the past, I am deeply committed to the mission, values, and vision that Windwood represents in the world of music and culture. My association with Windwood Music Festival began early 2023, and since then, I have had the opportunity to collaborate with the festival in the capacity of an audio engineer. This journey has not only been professionally enriching but also a source of personal inspiration. The festival's commitment to promoting diverse musical experiences, fostering a sense of community, and prioritizing sustainability aligns perfectly with my own beliefs and aspirations. One of the aspects I appreciate most about Windwood is its dedication to creating a platform for artists to showcase their talent and creativity. The festival's emphasis on inclusivity and the celebration of a wide range of musical genres resonates deeply with me. It has been a pleasure to contribute to the festival's success by ensuring that the sound quality matches the exceptional talent that graces its stages. I firmly believe that music has the power to transcend boundaries, connect people, and inspire positive change. Windwood Music Festival exemplifies these ideals by bringing together music lovers from diverse backgrounds in an environment that fosters harmony and unity. This is not just an event; it's a celebration of the universal language of music. As the audio engineer, I am committed to upholding the high standards of sound quality that Windwood Music Festival is known for. My dedication to this role is not just professional but also personal, as I believe in the transformative power of music and its ability to touch the hearts and souls of all who experience it. In conclusion, I want to express my gratitude for the opportunity to be a part of Windwood Music Festival's incredible journey. I am excited about the future and look forward to contributing my skills and passion to help the festival grow and continue to make a positive impact on the world of music and beyond.

Alex Bohn, audio engineer

Brella Vida has engaged and interacted with Windwood’s leadership as well as many of their talented musical artists. I cannot speak more highly of the commitment, dedication and extreme willingness in offering their talents to such a wide demographic community-based audience. There is a significant public benefit to the work of the Windwood Music Festival. These talented musicians meet the community in the very places they gather. At an upscale event centre (Brella Vida), where people socialize (a microbrewery), where folks recreate (a large public park) or where they live (a seniors residence). Rarely have I had the opportunity, in 30 years of business, to engage with a group of such talent combined with a spirit of community servitude. Beyond the music, that combination seems more rare than it ought to be.

Ron O’Neil, Director, Brella Vida

My dearest Tong and Maitreyi, from the very depth of my soul I want to drop a note to thank you so much for the gifts you have brought to our little city over the last 10 days. You breathed life into every corner, and showed the town the Art of the Possible. Moments I loved included the masquerade and all it's magic... the moments of children squealing with laughter and play next to a beautiful quartet, watching blue collar boys with their plumbing work clothes on - sitting and soaking in a heartfelt piece, and dozens of youth at the skate park flying along to what seemed like a sound track curated just for them. Magic is the word that keeps coming back. You brought colour, love and enrichment to Airdrie, and for that I am so thankful. Please pass on my unending gratitude to each one of your residents. They blew the minds of residents here and it was such a gift for us all. Sending you all my love, light, and gratitude as you wrap up your final day of Windwood Music Festival.

Heather Spearman, Councillor, City of Airdrie

Thanking you all so very, very much for such a beautiful and moving experience. Had a childhood exposure to so much classical music, took piano (along =my 6 siblings!!)- reached gr. 10 Toronto cons. But...sadly, as my older years became more complicated...it fell away. Today, you brought so much back to me...I felt my father, the one who instilled a love of music in myself + all my siblings, was here with me today– and it brought tears to me touched so deeply. Please come back!! and thank you, again...

Janet (Jana’s neighbor)

Windwood was an inspiring 2 weeks that truly showcased how musicians can connect with communities in unique and engaging ways. I’ll always cherish the relationships we built with each other and with Airdrie, and Windwood definitely opened my perspectives towards bringing classical music to everyone in a fun way! Companionship, Community, Fulfillment.

William Chiang, 2023 piano residency

Windwood Music Festival is a place where musicians can go to hone an important skill that is far too often overlooked: how to meaningfully connect with audiences and other musicians. Every aspect of the festival- from the residence house, to the repertoire, to the performance spaces- was thoughtfully chosen to create an atmosphere of closeness between all participants. Attending Windwood was a welcome relief from the often overwhelming competitiveness of this field, and it left me feeling inspired to bring a deeper sense of purpose and connection to all of my performances. One of my favorite moments from WMF happened following my own resident project, which was a game of musical bingo at a local coffee shop. Along with some solo cello repertoire staples, I chose to perform a recently written piece which is quite abstract and involves many extended techniques. While performing, I started to sense that the audience was perhaps less engaged with that particular piece, and thought that maybe it was a mistake to include it on the program. After the performance, I had the chance to say hi to many of the audience members. One of them sat me down, and very seriously described to me an elaborate storyline that he came up with to go along with the modern piece that I performed. He went on to tell me how cool and inspiring it was to hear something so strange and unusual performed in Airdrie. This short conversation was so unexpectedly touching and made the whole experience worth it. Fulfilling, exhilarating, tasty.

David Dietz, 2023 cello residency

I had a really fun, exciting, crazy time at Windwood. What I remember the most and hope to keep with me the longest are the people, and how wonderful and kind and brilliant everyone was. I'm so grateful that Windwood gave me the opportunity to connect deeply with friends new and old, through music, food, and companionship. It reminds me of the Leonard Berstein quote: "To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time." We filled every moment with more fun, music, and food than I thought possible. Not everyone has the courage to aim as high as Windwood does, and I felt like it always pushed me to do more while also providing comfort and healing; a paradox I haven't experienced before. Friendship, chaos, light. The closeness that you can develop within a small group in the same house is really special.

Teresa Wang, 2023 violin residency

May I extend a very hearty congratulations to the new kid on the block: the lovely and talented Windwood Festival, an incredible force of nature with world class musicians making music right in our own backyard (and parks and library and living rooms) this August. I'm from Cochrane and I'm madly jealous of this new treasure of Airdrie's and am already scheming how we too can support this amazing new venture with maybe a satellite concert in our town next summer! The Festival had its trial run last year but 2023 was considered its inaugural. The energy and audacity of two young accomplished classical musicians created this gem along with the necessary supporters, enthusiastic volunteers and curious audiences. Tong Wang, pianist and former resident of her beloved Airdrie (the Festival's namesake is the street she lived on and where her folks live) and Maitreyi Muralidharan of Montreal, violinist and Tong's treasured friend and music partner, are the Festival's founders. Together they also make up a travelling pair called Duo Perdendosi and perform worldwide. Combined with a cadre of visiting professional musicians from North America also with stellar credentials, they have put Airdrie on the map of musical miracles. This is exactly what Alberta needs more of: young enthusiastic artists encouraged to impose their own interpretation of beauty. These idealistic friendly musicians invited everyone into their magical world of "ordinary extraordinary" to discover "a new musical ecosystem." Their refreshing vision of community, as well as passion for bringing exceptional music into the heart of their city and into the heartland of their province accessing more rural areas in an approachable and engaging way, needs to be cultivated and supported. And it's off to a great start.

Lison McCullough, Cochrane, AB

What a whirlwind weekend at 948 last week. I wanted to say Thank You again for such a great event. We've heard back from folks all this week and they loved it. We ended up raising $145 for the Airdrie Health Foundation!! We are hoping for a bigger crowd and better weather next year. We'd be very excited to have you all back.

Kyle Wudrich, 948 Brewery

The Windwood Music Festival is the perfect example of a fresh new relevant musical festival for the region and population. It brings classical music to a variety of different public spaces and has developed meaningful collaborations connecting the community. By bringing in international musicians for unique creative music performance projects the festival develops the skills of the artists while showcasing new works developed in the community. I look forward to seeing the festival grow to be a cornerstone of the community in Airdrie attracting more international musicians to share their gifts and build connections in the region between the people, the music and the land.

Allison Moore, Arts Consultant

On behalf of the City of Airdrie Economic Development and Tourism, we are proud to consider the Windwood Music Festival as one of Airdries’ newest premier tourism events for residents and visitors alike. The Windwood Music Festival (WMF) is an independent, non-profit organization that is run by a dedicated duo of talented artists putting their time, talent, and funding behind this amazing initiative. WMF, preparing for its third year, invites international artists to Airdrie as resident musicians for two weeks in mid-August. During their residency, these musicians connect with our community to perform free and ticketed concerts, including many collaborations with local businesses, community groups, senior residences, and featured special events. Guest speakers, and local established and youth musicians are invited to join in for learning experiences. As the Tourism Development Officer, I resonate with their vision to provide a space for artists to explore and implement creative projects that help bridge the gap between communities and classical and contemporary music. We strive to bring music to public spaces in ways that interact and coexist with these spaces and the people who occupy them, thus connecting the threads that build a sense of togetherness among all the elements within a community. As such, I encourage all efforts to support this fantastic musical ecosystem that connects land, people, and culture here in Airdrie. The City of Airdrie Economic Development and Tourism will continue to support and sponsor Windwood Music Festival to see it reach its full potential and continue to stimulate the visitor economy in Airdrie and the surrounding areas for years to come.

Shauna Quinn, Tourism Development Officer | City of Airdrie

During the Windwood Music Festival in 2023, I facilitated a workshop and delivered a talk on human-centred design for Windwood resident artists, titled “Letting go and asking ‘Why?’ with human-centred design.” The workshop aimed to help the festival’s resident artists develop their community engagement projects by drawing from human-centred design methods. I developed the workshop based on experience as a user experience researcher in the public service and based on my post-graduate education in human-centred design. In the workshop, resident artists developed their community projects to serve the needs of their audience, taking into consideration Airdrie residents, small businesses, and community organizations. In the lead up to the workshop, the festival residents and the founders of the festival went to a local park to speak with Airdrie residents directly. They used interview scripts that were created to help uncover community member needs and learn about how residents relate to live music performances. We debriefed how the interviews went in the workshop and drew from findings to come up with new ways for the resident artists’ community projects to engage with the needs of the public. I am confident that Windwood Music Festival actively strengthens community connection in Airdrie, Alberta. Tong and Maitreyi, co-founders of the festival, go above and beyond to equip artist residents with a unique set of skills to foster community engagement in musical performance. I plan to continue to partner with Windwood Music Festival wherever opportunities arise in relation to designing for the needs of community members.

Sara Hubberstey, 2023 WMF Mentor

As a festival that is deeply rooted in community-focused programming while supporting early-career artists in developing their programming and performing skills, the Windwood Festival is a valuable contributor to the community of Airdrie. I have witnessed many times the power that a local music festival can have in creating opportunities for engagement across different ages, cultures, and socio-economic situations. The Windwood Festival is doing incredible work in this regard, with a focus on creative and inclusive programming that provides welcoming, accessible listening experiences for attendees. With the right support, the festival will become a cultural gem within its local community, a hub of inspiration that creates connection through shared emotional experiences. In my role as Executive and Artistic Director of Xenia Concerts, I delivered a workshop on Inclusive Design and accessibility in the arts to the 2023 cohort of artists at Windwood Festival. The artists were enthusiastic, open-minded, and receptive to ideas for how to make their concerts more inclusive for people in the neurodiversity and disability communities, a group that often gets overlooked in conversations about equity and diversity. By bringing in guest speakers with expertise in human-centred design, accessibility, and business, the leaders of Windwood Festival are nurturing the holistic development of the artists they work with, equipping them with skills that will serve them, and more importantly, their communities, for years to come.

Rory McLeod, 2023 Mentor; Executive and Artistic Director, Xenia Concerts Inc.

The Windwood Music Festival aims to provide a space for artists to explore and implement creative projects that help bridge the gap between communities and classical and contemporary music. Drawing on my music leadership and non-profit performing arts experience, I collaborated with the Windwood Festival by presenting workshops to resident musicians to deepen their understanding of the challenges of shaping events that engage the community. I share the Windwood leadership’s goals of encouraging open-mindedness on both the artistic and administrative side of community music events in those who present such events. Windwood is making a distinctive impact on both musicians and communities alike, and has the potential to continue changing the way artists and communities interact and engage with one another. I look forward to returning to the Windwood Festival in a guest speaker capacity in the coming years, and to continue supporting the festival in creating engaging performing arts events that strengthen the local community.

Rachel Roberts, 2023 Mentor; Director, ESM Strategic Initiatives Director, Institute for Music Leadership

A new musical ecosystem.