About

The Eastern Manitoba Concert Association (EMCA) is a community presenter of professional musical entertainment in the Eastman Region. An incorporated non-profit, volunteer organization, EMCA has maintained a professional venue for artists, provided educational opportunities for students and enriched the cultural life of Eastern Manitobans for 48 years. Beginning in 1973, a local theatre group was offered 3-5 touring musical shows per year, scheduled by Overture Concerts of Vancouver. After presenting these offerings for six years, EMCA was officially formed in July 1979. It has since delivered 6-8 varied, high quality, live shows per season. Most have been musical in nature, but have also included comedy, acrobatics, mime, dance, and storytelling. Artists come from all parts of Canada, and occasionally, from abroad. EMCA has received excellent community support, with typical audiences of 150 to 450 patrons. We also benefit from the support of many sponsors who appreciate and encourage our contribution to the Arts in the Eastman region. EMCA is pleased to have provided affordable and popular entertainment for 47 consecutive years, with the exception of the 2020-21 season due to COVID-19 provincial health restrictions. The EMCA formula is simple: quality concerts and a rewarding community volunteer experience. EMCA has presented over 300 professional performances of Manitoban, Canadian and International artists. More than 25 Juno Award Winners, numerous Prairie and East Coast Music Award winners, Indigenous Music Award winners and even Grammy and Oscar Winners have performed on the EMCA Stage. Examples are Gerald Laroche, Twin Flames, William Prince, The Bros. Landreth, Buffy Ste. Marie, Leona Boyd, John Allan Cameron, The Borodin String Quartet, Finjan, Stan Rogers, Lois Marshall, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and Natalie McMaster. With volunteer production and local business sponsors, almost every dollar of ticket revenues goes to artist fees. EMCA gives Eastern Manitobans A-list performances at affordable prices. EMCA subscribers are from a large area, including Pinawa, Lac du Bonnet, Whitemouth, Seven Sisters, Pine Falls, Powerview, Beausejour, Nopiming and Whiteshell Parks and the surrounding countryside. EMCA is also a customer for equipment (more than $100,000 has been invested in sound, lights and stage hardware), services (advertising, publishing, agencies, equipment rentals) and hospitality (hotels, restaurants, events), contributing to the Eastern Manitoba economy. EMCA provides many services to the community. These include technical support with lighting and sound to other community groups such as theatre and band, a music scholarship, and music education support to area schools. EMCA also provides fundraising opportunities for other non-profit community groups, for example, to supply refreshments during intermission to raise funds for their activities. A volunteer Board of Directors runs EMCA. The board is responsible for Administration, Publicity, Advertising, Membership, Staging, Lighting, Sound and Artist Liaison. It takes intensive on-the-job training to master these positions at the level demanded for professional presentations. Volunteers train for a full year and have their position replaced or renewed every three years. As a result EMCA has grown deep roots in the community - in its 47-year history, more than 200 citizens of the region have been a volunteer Director at one time or another - combining fun, achievement, community enrichment, a quality venue, an audience for artists, and of course, enjoyment of the concerts. That is the substance and value of EMCA to cultural life in Eastern Manitoba. After 47 years of hard work and careful spending - attracting a faithful audience and paying its bills, EMCA is a favourite destination for performing artists across the country. EMCA is a valuable and popular institution in Eastern Manitoba.