FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Steven Page and Andy Maize Join WSO for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, April 8-10

Winnipeg, MB – March 29, 2016 – Steven Page (formerly Barenaked Ladies), Andy Maize (Skydiggers), Craig Northey (Odds), and Glen Phillips (Toad the Wet Sprocket) with the Art of Time ensemble join the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO) to reimagine The Beatles’ groundbreaking 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, April 8-10. “Performing with a full orchestra is exhilarating, there’s nothing like it,” said Page. “Singing in front of an ensemble of that many musicians, and of that many musicians of that caliber is every bit as thrilling as anybody would imagine it to be. It’s also a little bit nerve-wracking, but mostly it’s just a really moving and exciting experience.” In the spring of 2012, the Art of Time Ensemble (with Andrew Burashko at the helm) took on the challenge of rebuilding The Beatles’ iconic masterpiece Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The original recording was heralded by Rolling Stone magazine as “the most important rock & roll album ever made.” At the 45th anniversary of its release, Sgt. Pepper was the perfect canvas upon which Art of Time could paint with its own brush. “Art of Time chooses to rebuild magic, not restore it. The Beatles loved to turn us on, and so too does Burashko and his friends.” - The Globe and Mail. Drawing on an original recording rich in experimentation, Art of Time commissioned new arrangements that range from faithful homages to soaring new interpretations, all while preserving the vocal melodies and harmonies as Lennon & McCartney first intended. After recording the single Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, McCartney proposed the concept of this fictional military band becoming The Beatles’ alter ego, allowing them to experiment freely and create music they would not have to perform live. The resulting concept album included stylistic influences from vaudeville, circus, music hall, avant-garde, to Western and Indian classical music. Sgt. Pepper spent 27 weeks at the top of the albums chart in the UK, and 15 weeks at number one in the United States, winning four Grammy Awards in 1968, including Album of the Year. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine placed it at number one in its list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time." As of 2014, it has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums in history. “Sgt. Pepper is a really important album in the history of rock music because it’s one of the first recordings of rock and pop songs that used orchestral instruments,” said Page. “The Beatles had used some elements of that on previous records with things like the French horn solo in For No One or the string quartet in Eleanor Rigby but to use full orchestra like they did in A Day in the Life or the varying textures that they used made that a hugely influential record. The kind of idea of it being a concept album is what people often focus on, and they’re looking at the wrong thing sometimes. The concept part, or what kicked off the beginning of the psychedelic era is significantly less important than the sonic and musical palette that The Beatles opened up to the world with Sgt. Pepper. It’s also the first

album of theirs that they didn’t tour; they didn’t play live. So it gives us the opportunity to explore those possibilities in a way that The Beatles never did.”

Air Canada Pops Series Friday, April 8 - 8:00 PM Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Saturday, April 9 - 8:00 PM Centennial Concert Hall Sunday, April 10 - 2:00 PM Art of Time Ensemble: AndrewBurashko, ArtisticDirector/piano Steven Page, vocals Andy Maize, vocals Craig Northey, vocals Glen Phillips, vocals Joe Phillips, bass Rob Piltch, guitar Rick Sacks, percussion Julian Pellicano, conductor

Art of Time Ensemble’s participation in tonight’s performance is generously sponsored by Darla and Roger Steers.

Friday and Sunday Concert Sponsor:

Saturday Concert Sponsor:

Pop Series Sponsor:

Presenting Media Sponsor:

Official Radio Station of the WSO Air Canada Pops:

MUSICIANS IN THE MAKING Pre-concert performance on the Piano Nobile. Friday, 7:15 PM 20 Below Saturday, 7:15 PM CJS Guitare Ensemble Sunday, 1:15 PM Suzuki Music Winnipeg DINNER & SYMPHONY with Bergmann’s on Lombard British Cuisine Saturday, April 9 3-course Dinner starts at 5:30 p.m. on the Piano Nobile Starting at $99, or $65 per person per dinner for concert ticket holders. Tickets start at $25 and are available through the WSO Box Office: 204.949.3999 or wso.ca or Ticketmaster: 1.855.985.ARTS and Ticketmaster.ca

SGT. PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND MEDIA CALL: Friday, April 8, 2016 1:30 pm – 2:00 pm Centennial Concert Hall, 555 Main Street Media to arrive at back stage entrance Lily Street. Please RSVP to the media call by emailing spanas@wso.mb.ca

About WSO: The WSO is integral to Winnipeg's rich cultural life, delighting more than 100,000 audience members each year with innovative programming and musical excellence. The WSO presents educational programs for more than 40,000 students annually and tours to communities across Manitoba.

-30- MEDIA: For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact:

Sarah Panas, Marketing & Communications Coordinator p. (204) 949-3970 e: spanas@wso.mb.ca