CMC Prairie Region

Prairie Punk: Nicole Lizée and her Karaoke Orchestra
2025-09-12 19:30 - 21:30 (America/Winnipeg) | Lorn Watson Recital Hall, QEII Music Buildling, Room 1-60, 270 18th Street, Brandon, Manitoba, R7A 6A9, Canada
Break-Up Music
Nicole Lizée’s Karaoke Orchestra
Scenario:
A karaoke machine is glitching. It rewinds, stops without warning, jumps between sections. Pitch and speed fluctuate. The tape is damaged – chewed up by the machine. The singer tries to keep her composure and keep up with the machine. An unorthodox amplified orchestra holds it all together.

Karappo Okesutura Vol.3 brings us a warped karaoke performance of Canadian and Australian pop hits including Olivia Newton-John, INXS, Loverboy, Alanis Morissette, Corey Hart and ACDC, as reimagined by prairie-punk-turned-elite-composer Nicole Lizée. An 11-piece ensemble features Lizée herself alongside musicians from Winnipeg, Brandon, Saskatoon and Montreal.
Friday, September 12
Lorne Watson Recital Hall, QEII Music Building, Room 1-60
7:30 pm
Sunday, September 14
West End Cultural Centre
7:30pm
Performers:
Nicole Lizee, turntables, electronics, video
Helen Pridmore, vocals
Ben Reimer & Eric Platz, drumkits & percussion
Steve Raegele, electric guitar
Leanne Zacharias, cello
Jennifer Thiessen & John Sellick, viola
Sean Irvine, saxophone & clarinet
Mer Johnson, double bass
Everett Hopfner, piano & keyboard
Groundswell is thrilled to bring Canada’s “brilliant musical scientist” (CBC) Nicole Lizée back to Manitoba in this co-presentation with Brandon University and the Brandon Chamber Players. An alumni of BU and McGill, Nicole’s awards include Juno Award for Classical Composition, the 2019 Prix Opus for Composer of the Year, the SOCAN Matjecek Award a Governor General’s Award and the top Canada Council of the Arts prizes. She created the music for the National Film Board of Canada’s logo, and works with leading international musicians including Howard Shore and the Kronos Quartet. This Will Not Be Televised, her seminal piece for turntables and chamber ensemble, placed in the 2008 UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers’ Top 10 Works.
Curated by Leanne Zacharias

Prairie Punk: Nicole Lizée and her Karaoke Orchestra
2025-09-14 19:30 - 21:30 | West End Cultural Centre, 586 Ellice Ave, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3B 1Z8, Canada
