Winona Arts Center - 2023-2024 Concert Series
Concerts are presented at the Winona Arts Center, 228 East 5th Street, Winona, MN.
Tickets are available in advance at Eventbrite and Hardt's Music or at the door. Coffeehouse and gallery are open at 1 hour prior to concerts. Wine will be available during the coffeehouse hour. Please review our Covid-19 Protocol before planning your visit to the Winona Arts Center. We appreciate your understanding.
Root River Jam
Saturday / December 2, 2023 / 7:00pm
Coffeehouse opens at 6:00pm
Buy Tickets Online
Root River Jam is an Americana Roots band based in southeastern Minnesota. They are promoting the release of their new double album “Love is Unity.”
Root River Jam performs the original music of David Wilson. Growing up the son of a veterinarian, Dave helped his father on many farms within the Root River region of MN. His mother taught Dave and his siblings to play piano and sing melody and harmony. His songwriting combines life's experience of love, learning, and longing, with his love for music.
Blake Bonde (upright bass) is a Rochester native and graduate of the University of MN in musical performance. He adds a broad musical vocabulary from furious pizzicato to lush arco sounds. Charlotte Matis (violin/fiddle/vocals) is an established musician, teacher, luthier, and music store owner in the Twin Cities. Her fiddling and vocal skills add an exciting depth to the group's music. Miles Johnston (drums/vocals) has a dynamic style and broad musical background bringing rhythmic finesse to their fusion styles. He has played with many musicians throughout the region. The group had their first gig in Lanesboro, MN in 2012. This continues to be a favorite area for the band to play. They released their debut album in March 2017.
Listeners instantly connect with expressive melodies, improv, and interaction, recalling the "Jams" of the past and renewing the dreams of the future!
Coffeehouse and gallery open at 6:00pm and music starts at 7:00pm. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at Hardt's Music, 115 East 3rd St. in Winona, until 4:00pm on December 1, or through Eventbrite.
Hans Mayer Children's Concert
Saturday / December 9, 2023 / 2:30pm
Free Admission
Hans plays infectious, catchy, acoustic-based original music for families and kids. People of all ages are immediately attracted to his playful personality and his true-to-family-life songs.
Hans’ shows will keep your family giggling, singing and jumping for joy long after the concert is over. Featured original songs include, “My Brother Eats Bugs” (yes, his brother really did eat bugs and the principal really did send home a note to Hans’ mom about it) to the number one requested tune at school gigs: “God Bless My Underwear.” All of Hans’ shows include lots of silly songs to get the giggle meters going: “One Hug” (it's always the kissing sounds that set the kids into fits on this one), “Look at Me I’m An Airplane” (that airplane motor sound that Hans and the kids make is a sure fire way to create contagious laughter) and “See You Later Alligator” (a goodbye song made up of childhood rhymes).
Hans has been a crowd pleaser at festivals, fairs, theaters, colleges, conventions, schools (K-6), libraries, children’s museums and at fund-raisers for family-related causes. His performances include songs with guitar, mandolin, and Native American flute.
Selected past performances include: Tucson Folk Festival, Woody Guthrie Festival (OK), Camp Abilities in New York (a world-wide camp for blind and visually impaired children), Big Top Chautauqua (WI), Riverfest (WI), Willamette Valley Folk Festival (OR) and over a thousand schools, churches and private events.
Johnson Street Underground Holiday Concert
Saturday / December 16, 2023 / 7:00pm
Coffeehouse & gallery open at 6:00pm
Buy Tickets Online
Johnson Street Underground has been entertaining audiences in the Winona area for over five years. As the area’s premiere TTBB a cappella group, JSU covers a wide variety of songs and styles, including tunes by Maroon 5, Dolly Parton, the Beatles, and Adele.
The guys met through their choral connection at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Winona.
The clear, strong lead you hear is Matt Schultz, JSU’s dramatic tenor. He’s an elementary school teacher in the Winona Area Public Schools. Matt has also sung for the Blue Heron Consort. Matt’s other skills include guitar and visual arts, which is obvious on JSU’s business cards and tee shirts (for sale at the show!).
Seth Flatten’s warm, bright voice makes him JSU’s lyric tenor. He’s a Customized Training Representative at MN State College SE. A lifelong Winonan, Seth began singing in a children’s choir directed by his parents. In his free time, Seth plays guitar and slays orcs in Dungeons & Dragons.
JSU’s baritone is Charlie Opatz, but his vocal talents allow him to swap parts with everyone else! He’s a retired WSU Career Counselor. He began singing a cappella with The Half-Steps (St. Cloud) and is currently the choir director at the Winona UU Fellowship. Charlie’s hobbies include pickleball and crossword puzzles.
John Chernega hits the low notes as JSU’s bass and the high notes with his unique sense of humor and penchant for dancing. His creative talents also include writing short stories, poems, and comics. A bit of trivia: he was a member of an improv group in college! John teaches English at WSU.
This year’s holiday show includes new tunes, percussion, and audience sing-alongs.
Coffeehouse and gallery open at 6:00pm and music starts at 7:00pm. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at Hardt's Music, 115 East 3rd St. in Winona, until 4:00pm on December 15, or through Eventbrite.
Miss Myra and The Moonshiners
Saturday / January 6, 2024 / 7:00pm
Coffeehouse & gallery open at 6:00pm
Buy Tickets Online
Miss Myra and The Moonshiners are a formidable swing band from Minneapolis, MN with a fresh sound grounded in early jazz and blues, playing original music amid a broad repertoire of classics from the ‘20s and ‘30s. Discontent to be re-enactors, they have developed a singular style which continues to delight audiences and dance halls with the spirit of a musical tradition at its centennial.
Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. Tickets are available online through Eventbrite and will be available at Hardt's Music in Winona.
The current season at the Winona Arts Center will include the following upcoming concerts. Each concert will start at 7:00pm unless otherwise noted. The coffeehouse typically opens at 6:00pm before concerts. Watch for more information and ticket links closer to these dates.
December 2: Root River Jam
December 9: Hans Mayer Children's Concert, 2:30pm - Free
December 16: Johnson Street Underground Holiday Concert
January 6: Miss Myra and The Moonshiners
January 20: Twin Cities Flamenco Collective
February 2: John McAndrew & Billy McLaughlin
February 17: Radoslav Lorković
March 23: Namoli Brennet
April 13: Chris Koza Duo
April 27: The Swamp Poppas
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
