About the Women's Musical Club
Dedicated to advancing classical music in our community
The Women’s Musical Club, formed in 1894, is the oldest continuously operating musical organization in Winnipeg. We offer an annual 4-concert series, six annual scholarships and the biennial WMC McLellan Competition for Solo Performance with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. Our intimate concert settings give performers the freedom to interact directly with audiences for a unique and ever-changing concert experience.
Our Purpose
WMC is dedicated to advancing classical music in our community. We support emerging musicians of all identities through scholarships and performance opportunities, and present outstanding up-and-coming artists as well as performers of international renown. WMC is committed to exploring new musical experiences, all the while connecting and building community, and upholding its legendary tradition of hospitality.
Our History
The Women’s Musical Club of Winnipeg was founded in 1894 by six women determined to bring classical music to the prairie frontier. They met in private homes, performing for each other, and often presenting papers on the life and work of a featured composer. Membership in the club increased, and by 1901, larger venues were needed, necessitating the rental of rooms in the National Trust Building, the YMCA, and the Royal Alexandra and Fort Garry hotels. By 1907, the WMC had grown to 430 members, with active members planning programs, performing, and providing educational opportunities. Significantly, the WMC was incorporated on March 24, 1911. Bylaws were written, and an insignia was designed. On April 26, 1933, WMC was granted a Certificate of Registration by the province of Manitoba.
Since those early days, the club has operated continuously, surviving world wars, pandemics and the Great Depression. WMC was the first musical organization to bring emerging artists to Winnipeg, some of whom were just surfacing at the time. Notable guests have included Sergei Rachmaninoff, Anton Kuerti, Teresa Stratas, Maureen Forrester, and Glenn Gould. More recently our stage has welcomed James Ehnes, Jasper Wood, Elliot Madore, the Chooi Brothers and Kerson Leong. WMC’s long list of award winners includes names of international renown such as Tomson Highway, Keri-Lynn Wilson, and Tracy Dahl. In recent years the prizes have increased substantially, and WMC now offers 6 annual scholarships totalling $11,500.
In September 2005, we were delighted to announce the creation of the WMC McLellan Competition for Solo Performance with the WSO. The prize available for this competition is due to a generous bequest by a late member who attended concerts for several years. The competition is open to advanced Manitoba-educated musicians who are pursuing performance careers and gives the winners the opportunity to perform with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. The McLellan offers three prizes totalling $20,000, with a first prize of $10,000.
* For a full report and a wonderful read, find our history book “With Every Note Played” written by Honourary Life Member, Dr. Kathryn Young.
* Further pieces of our fascinating history can be found in our “Notes from the Past” blog.
* In 2024, WMC celebrated 130 years, culminating on a sold-out anniversary brunch featuring Tomson Highway as our guest. See The Sound of Laughter.
That same year the McLellan Competition marked its 10 year with a panel of adjudicators all of whom were former first-prize McLellan winners, all of whom are established career musicians. Announcing the Winners of the 10th WMC McLellan Finals 2024
Board & Staff
STAFF
Everett Hopfner
ARTISTIC & ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR
It is with great pleasure that we announce the appointment of WMC's
first Artistic and Administrative Director, made possible through a grant
from the Manitoba Arts Council and funding acquired through our
merger with Virtuosi Concerts.
Everett Hopfner brings a long and distinguished history in performance,
music education, and arts administration to this role. His successful
leadership as director and administrative officer with organizations including the Eckhardt-Gramatté Conservatory of Music in Brandon, Prairie Voices Inc., the E-Gré National Music Competition, and various piano camps reflects his considerable experience and expertise. Equally important, Everett has an excellent understanding of Winnipeg’s vibrant music scene and the broader Manitoba arts community.
Everett's reputation as a thoughtful instructor and brilliantly skilled player, and his openness and penchant for musical risk-taking has led to many collaborations with composers and artistic peers. Delighted audiences have found him strumming piano strings surrounded by whale skeletons in Frankfurt’s Senckenberg Museum, tinkling away at the jeu de timbres on tour with the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie, performing on cathedral steps under the stars as a collaborative pianist for Casalmaggiore International Music Festival in Italy, touring across Canada as a winner of the E-Gré National Music Competition, and illuminated by a pulsating light installation alongside the Assiniboine River as part of Winnipeg’s Nuit Blanche.
Everett has expressed his deep appreciation for WMC’s 132-year history and its mission, and is excited to work with the WMC Board and to build on our presence and visibility within the wider arts community.
We are delighted to welcome Everett to this new role and look forward to the energy, experience, and vision he will bring to WMC.
You can read much more about Everett by visiting his website: Everett Hopfner – pianist + new music explorer.
BOARD 2026-27
Executive:
Past Presidents - Sandra Roberts, Millie Hildebrand
Treasurers - Ingrid Pearce, Joanne Pearson
Recording Secretary - Joanne Pearson
Corresponding Secretary - Aija Svenne
Committees:
Archives - Joanne Pearson
Fundraising - Joanne Pearson
House/Hospitality - Aline Caron
Publicity/Publications - Millie Hildebrand
Recitals - Sandra Roberts, Zohreh Gervais, Nolan Kehler
Scholarships - Barbara Graham
Virtuosi Concerts Liaison - Heidi Reimer-Epp
WMC McLellan Competition - Millie Hildebrand, Belle Meiklejohn
Student Liaisons - Sophie Caron, Emily Carlson
Members-at-Large - Zohreh Gervais, Lucretia Ionescu
Honourary Solicitor - Jennifer Kubas
WMC Honorary Life Members - Pam Cooke, Carol Gamby, Janis Hanec, Virginia Heinrichs, Phyllis Ilavsky, Margaret Jeffries, Diane Kubas, Joanne Pearson, Wilma Woodmass, Kathryn Young
Honourary Patron
The Honourable Anita R. Neville, P.C., O.M. Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
