"We have a history of creating our own entertainment, trusting our own artists and creating an infrastructure to support them," said Vicki Young, general manager of the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra (MCO). "We are isolated geographically but not musically, culturally or intellectually."

"The old joke about Mennonites can't dance so they sing probably has a ring of truth to it," said Larry Desrochers, CEO of Manitoba Opera (MOA). Winnipeg boasts its share of internationally known singers, including Tracy Dahl, Valdine Anderson, Monica Huisman, Kurt Lehmann and Phillip Ens.

Then there's our history. The Women's Musical Club of Winnipeg, the city's oldest continually running musical organization, began in 1894. The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO) started up in 1948, MOA in 1969 and MCO in 1972. Many smaller groups are more than two decades old.