Do you love music? Are you ready for an interactive musical journey that gives you the chance to see international artists showcasing their very best? If so, get ready for the steampunk themed Windwood Music Festival this August.
Windwood is an unconventional classical music festival where artists from around the world live in Airdrie for a two-week residency. During this time, they create and showcase projects that draw on the city’s natural beauty while celebrating community, sustainability, and art. Expect to see performances in every corner of Airdrie – parks, cafes, museums, and even farms.
This year the Windwood Music Festival is extra excited to present a concert in Banff on August 4th at St. George in the Pines.
For the opening concert on August 9th in Airdrie, guests can expect some of the finest works that classical music has to offer, but in a way that is accessible, entertaining, and truly snapshots of the human experience, plus some fun and recognizable pop tunes for good measure! This is a paid event held at Bert Church Theatre and tickets can be purchased here.
Look forward to hearing Duo Perdendosi, comprised of Maitreyi Muralidharan and Tong Wang, who co-founded this festival. Guests will also enjoy Maestro Claude LaPalme and members of the Red Deer Symphony in collaboration with all the Windwood Resident Artists.
The August 10th all-day Open Air event at Chinook Winds Park features not only all the Windwood musicians, but the Nose Creek Players, Alicia Schnell, Calgary Civic Low Brass Quartet, Airdrie Community Choir, and Airdrie Scots Pipe and Drums, along with some other fun steampunk themed acts mingling throughout. For a full list of times, formats, and events, visit the festival’s program page.
The theme for Windwood 2024 is steampunk.
Muralidharan says, “When you think of steampunk, you typically don't think about classical music. But that's what we do! We bridge the gaps between things that feel unrelated but go together better than anyone could have imagined. Once we heard that there was a population in Airdrie that was into steampunk, we decided to try our hand at bringing steampunk and classical music together, and we are really excited by the results.
“The composers we are performing – Shostakovich, Ravel, Radiohead, Kapustin, and Jessie Montgomery to name a few – have these themes of rebellion, punk, clockwork, and fantastical elements that play so well into the genre. Outside of the music, we are aiming to set the space up to reflect the steampunk aesthetics. From how we dress to how the audience interacts with the space, we want the visuals and the music to feed off each other so that everyone feels like they really are interacting in this retro-futuristic, innovative space.”
How does one dress for the steampunk theme? Muralidharan is happy to explain.
“Steampunk looks are a fun blend of past and future. Think corsets and top hats with gears and metallic twists. I think that steampunk outfits can play too deeply into a "Victorian England" trope, but some of the coolest ways I have seen steampunk fashion portrayed is turning trash into treasure. Broken watches put on a chain and worn around the neck, old skirts layered on top of each other, hats with holes patched up in bizarre ways, cut up gloves, riding jackets… honestly there are so many cool ways you can go.
“I recommend grabbing some friends, looking up some steampunk images online, and raiding each other's closets, and going to the thrift store. Have yourself a fashion show! Tag us in your looks so we can share them!”
What is the inspiration for Wang and Muralidharan’s Windwood Festival?
“We started Windwood because of a need for classical music to move away from convention and back towards connection. As a full-time violin-piano duo, we always work to build our performances around the spaces and people for which we are performing. It is a key element to what makes our performances so meaningful, this intentional way of designing performances at the highest caliber of playing in a way that is accessible and reinforces the idea that classical music is for everyone.
“Additionally, Windwood was created as a space to give other classical musicians a chance to explore these ideas for themselves and create their own programs that celebrate the connections between land, music, and people.”
This will be a festival unlike any other. Learn more by visiting Windwood Music Festival online and on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
