Orchestras in the Park: the weather did not stop the music!

Canada’s Capital Region – The National Capital Commission (NCC) and the National Arts Centre (NAC) thank the 18,700 concert-goers who made the third edition of Orchestras in the Park a resounding success. The program of four free outdoor concerts in LeBreton Flats Park, from July 23 to 26, came to a close yesterday evening.

In spite of weather forecasts that threatened rain all four nights, concert-goers were rewarded with concerts that went ahead on time and in their entirety under almost entirely rainfree skies.

This excerpt from an unsolicited e-mail received this morning summarized what a lot of concert-goers were saying about these four perfect concerts:

“My family appreciated the concerts at LeBreton Flats Park. I can't imagine a better way to give the general public an opportunity to hear music that some might not be familiar with. It also provided an opportunity for people who cannot afford to attend concerts at the NAC to hear good music performed by world-class musicians. My wife and I enjoyed Thursday, Friday and Sunday the most. My two granddaughters, however, thought that Natalie MacMaster was wonderful (and she was). The setting and ease of access to the site could not have been better.”

Indeed, the National Capital Commission and the National Arts Centre are proud of the strong line-up of performers featured this year with the NAC Orchestra and the Orchestre de la francophonie canadienne: Anton Kuerti, Julian Kuerti, Amy Horvey, Jean-Marie Zeitouni, Erin Wall, Antonio Figueroa, James Westman, Laurence Ewashko, Jean-Philippe Tremblay, Hong Xu and of course, Natalie MacMaster.

Orchestras in the Park is a collaboration between the NAC and the NCC to present a series of free outdoor orchestral concerts at LeBreton Flats Park, the biggest gathering site for cultural events in the Capital.

NACO: July 23-26: Orchestras in the Park

National Arts Centre Orchestra & NCC / News Release

Featuring three NAC Orchestra concerts and one by the Orchestre de la francophonie canadienne

Ottawa, Canada – The National Arts Centre (NAC) together with the National Capital Commission (NCC) present the third summer of Orchestras in the Park from Thursday, July 23 to Sunday, July 26, a glorious open-air festival in LeBreton Flats Park of four free evening concerts at 7:30 p.m. The first three concerts feature the National Arts Centre Orchestra (“Classics and Kuertis” on July 23; “Opera Under the Stars” on July 24; and Natalie MacMaster on July 25), and the final concert features the Orchestre de la francophonie canadienne (“Beethoven’s Fifths” on July 26). Admittance is free and no tickets are required. Each concert is approximately 90 minutes without intermission. The NCC is offering a free shuttle from Tunney’s Pasture as well as free valet bike parking (details at the end).

Activities on site include a free Kids Zone introducing children to music one hour before each performance. Orchestras in the Park also offers the opportunity to participate in a Photo Contest for a chance to win prizes. Audience members are invited to submit photos representing their experiences while attending the 2009 festival. (Details and rules are online at the NAC website.)

Orchestras in the Park begins on Thursday, July 23 with “Classics and Kuertis”, featuring renowned Ottawa favourite Anton Kuerti at the piano and his son Julian Kuerti (assistant conductor of the Boston Symphony, and an alumnus of the NAC Conductors Program) leading the the NAC Orchestra in Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1. This concert also features trumpet player Amy Horvey, this year’s recipient of the Richard Li Young Artist Chair, performing the Hummel Trumpet Concerto. The younger Kuerti will also lead the Orchestra in Mozart’s Overture to Cosi fan tutte and Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8.

For “Opera Under the Stars” on Friday, July 24, conductor Jean-Marie Zeitouni leads the NAC Orchestra, soprano Erin Wall, tenor Antonio Figueroa, and baritone James Westman – three sensational Canadian singers – in favourite arias from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute, Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette and Faust and Verdi’s La Traviata, joined by the Opera Lyra Ottawa Chorus directed by Laurence Ewashko.

On Saturday, July 25, the electrifying Natalie MacMaster, Cape Breton’s fiddling, step-dancing sensation guarantees to have the audience on its feet cheering her and the NAC Orchestra in a night of Celtic delights with Jean-Marie Zeitouni once again on the podium. Natalie is joined by her pianist Mac Morin and drummer Vince Ditrich in favourites such as Strathspey & Reels, Three Jigs, Jesse’s Polka, and Anniversary Waltz, plus a classical vs. fiddle face-off titled “Bach – Devil’s Dream”.

Orchestras in the Park concludes on Sunday, July 26, when the Orchestre de la francophonie canadienne takes over the outdoor stage in “Beethoven’s Fifths” led by founding Music Director Jean-Philippe Tremblay. Pianist Hong Xu, the 2006 Laureate of the Honens International Piano Competition performs Beethoven’s “Emperor” Piano Concerto No. 5 and Tremblay leads the Orchestra in Beethoven’s mighty Fifth Symphony!

A special Kids Zone prior to each Orchestras in the Park concert starting at 6:30 p.m. allows children and their families to explore the world of music. There will be live demonstrations by young string players and roving performance ensembles, plus an instrument “petting zoo”, complementary reading material from the Ottawa Public Library, and crafts tables for colouring.

Concertgoers are reminded to pack their lawn chairs or blankets for this event. Limited onsite parking is available; the public is encouraged to use public transit. There is also a free shuttle service from Tunney’s Pasture starting at 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and 6:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, as well as following each concert. As an additional green measure, the NCC also offers a valet bike parking service where cyclists can check their bikes for free in a supervised parking area.

There is a drop off spot and reserved area for people with disabilities. For those with hearing impairment, assistive listening devices will be available at the First Aid tent, located at the south entrance of the park, off of Wellington Street.

LeBreton Flats Park, a 3.6 hectare area between the Canadian War Museum and Wellington Street offers spectacular views and is the biggest gathering site for cultural events in the Capital.

DETAILED CONCERT LISTINGS:

Thursday, July 23

Classics and Kuertis

National Arts Centre Orchestra

Julian Kuerti, conductor

Anton Kuerti, piano

Amy Horvey, trumpet (Richard Li Young Artist Chair)

MOZART Cosi fan tutte: Overture

HUMMEL Trumpet Concerto in E-flat major

MENDELSSOHN Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor

DVORAK Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88

Friday, July 24

Opera Under the Stars

National Arts Centre Orchestra

Jean-Marie Zeitouni, conductor

Erin Wall, soprano

Antonio Figueroa, tenor

James Westman, baritone

MOZART The Marriage of Figaro: Overture

MOZART The Marriage of Figaro: E Susanna non vien - Dove Sono (Wall)

MOZART The Marriage of Figaro: Hai gia vinta la Causa – Vedro (Westman)

MOZART Don Giovanni: Giovinette che fatte all'amore (Wall, Westman, Chorus)

MOZART Don Giovanni: Il Mio (Figueroa)

MOZART Don Giovanni: La Ci darem la mano (Wall, Westman)

MOZART The Magic Flute: Overture

MOZART The Magic Flute: Dies Bildnis (Figueroa)

MOZART The Magic Flute: Finale: Die Strahlen der Sonne (Westman, Chorus)

GOUNOD Roméo et Juliette: Overture-Prologue: Vérone vit jadis deux familles rivales (Chorus)

GOUNOD Roméo et Juliette: Duet Madrigal: Ange adorable (Wall, Figueroa)

GOUNOD Faust: Jewel Song (Wall)

GOUNOD Faust: Ainsi que la brise légère (Wall, Figueroa, James)

VERDI La Traviata: Un Di felice (Wall, Figueroa)

VERDI La Traviata: Gypsy chorus (Chorus)

VERDI La Traviata: Di Provenza il mar, il suol (Westman)

VERDI La Traviata: Libiamo Drinking Song

Saturday, July 25

Natalie MacMaster and the NAC Orchestra

National Arts Centre Orchestra

Jean-Marie Zeitouni, conductor

Natalie MacMaster, fiddle

Mac Morin, piano

Vince Ditrich, drums

Sunday, July 26

Beethoven’s Fifths

Orchestre de la francophonie canadienne

Jean-Philippe Tremblay, conductor

Hong Xu, piano (Honens Competition Laureate)

BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73 “Emperor”

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67

Pinchas Zukerman leads NACO's first-ever performance of Brahms' German Requiem

Pinchas Zukerman leads NAC Orchestra in its first-ever performance of Brahms’ German Requiem on June 18-19

Ottawa (Canada) – Music Director Pinchas Zukerman leads the National Arts Centre Orchestra in its first-ever performance of Brahms’ sublime German Requiem (Ein deutsches Requiem) as a grand finale to the 2008-09 season with soprano Nicole Cabell (making her NAC Orchestra debut), baritone Nathan Berg, and three choirs combined under the direction of chorus master Duain Wolfe – the Ottawa Choral Society (Matthew Larkin, director), Ottawa Festival Chorus (Laurence Ewashko and Duain Wolfe, directors) and Cantata Singers of Ottawa (Michael Zaugg, director). These Bostonian Bravo Series concerts on Thursday, June 18 and Friday, June 19 at 8 p.m. in the NAC’s Southam Hall open with Capital BrassWorks alternating with a women’s chorus in works by Bach and Brahms.

On Friday, June 19 only, there is a Musically Speaking pre-concert talk at 7 p.m. This exploration of the Brahms German Requiem will be led by star soprano-teacher Benita Valente (on the faculty of the NAC Summer Music Institute) and demonstrated by young soprano Maghan Stewart and baritone Jonathan Estabrooks accompanied by pianist Jean Desmarais. This entertaining and informative lecture-demonstration, hosted by Paul Lefebvre, is free.

Brahms considered calling this Requiem the “Human Requiem”. With a gentle setting of “How lovely is thy dwelling place” as its centrepiece, it is intended to comfort the bereaved and give them peace and hope. The composer’s crowning achievement, the German Requiem ranges from radiant to dramatic. Brahms began the Requiem when he was only 23 and suffering from the loss of Schumann, his dear friend and mentor – and he completed it three years after the death of his mother.

The opening half of this program features Capital Brassworks, a 12-member ensemble made up of brass players from the NAC Orchestra, in transcriptions of three Bach numbers, two of which are introduced by the respective chorales upon which they are based performed by a women’s choir singing unaccompanied – “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” (Jesus bleibet meine Freude) and “Sleepers, Wake” (Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme). As an interlude in this Bach encounter, the women’s choir joins two horns and a harp for a group of Brahms songs that, due to their unusual scoring, are rarely heard in live performance but which are among the most divinely beautiful ever written. The evening opens with Bach’s Fantasia in C major performed by Capital BrassWorks.

California-born soprano *Nicole Cabell, the 2005 Winner of the BBC Singer of the World Competition in Cardiff, and a DECCA recording artist, has received tremendous public and critical acclaim for her work in opera, concert and recital. This season included her debut season at the Metropolitan Opera, and this summer, she makes her Hollywood Bowl debut as Clara in Porgy and Bess. Next season she returns to the Metropolitan Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Chicago Symphony.

Baritone Nathan Berg made his debut at the National Arts Centre in 1998, and his most recent appearance was last season, singing Mendelssohn’s Elijah. A winner of prizes in the Royal Over-Seas League, Peter Pears, Kathleen Ferrier and Walther Gruner Lieder Competitions, Mr. Berg’s musicality and artistry continues to receive international critical acclaim. His operatic credits include the Canadian Opera Company, New York City Opera, and Bayerische Staatsoper.

*Nicole Cabell replaces soprano Erin Wall. (However Erin Wall will perform with the NAC Orchestra in Opera Under the Stars on July 24 as part of Orchestras in the Park.)

Tickets for these Bostonian Bravo Series concerts on Thursday, June 18 and Friday, June 19 at 8 p.m. are on sale now at $19.00, $39.00, $49.00, $59.00, $69.00 and $86.00 (GST and Facility Fee included) at the NAC Box Office (Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.), and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at 613-755-1111. Ticketmaster may also be accessed through the NAC’s website at www.nac-cna.ca.

Half-price tickets for students in all sections of the hall are on sale in person at the NAC Box Office upon presentation of a valid student ID card. Live Rush tickets (subject to availability) for full-time students (aged 13 to 29) are $11 at the NAC Box Office from 2 p.m. the day before the concert to 6 p.m. the day of, upon presentation of a valid Live Rush card.

Groups of 10 and more save 15% to 20% off the regular price of tickets to NAC Music, Theatre and Dance performances. To reserve your seats call 613-947-7000 ext. 384 or email grp@nac-cna.ca.

NAC extends deadline for 40th Anniversary Prelude cover contest and offers a cash prize to the selected artists

Canada’s National Arts Centre announced today that they are extending the deadline for the 40^th anniversary Prelude cover contest to June 30, 2009 and, with the encouragement of the artistic community, the NAC will also be awarding the selected artists a $500.00 prize.

In celebration of its upcoming 40^th anniversary season, Canada’s National Arts Centre (NAC) is inviting visual artists from across Canada to submit cover artwork for the 2009-2010 season of its Prelude Magazine.

The NAC turns 40 on June 2^nd, 2009.

The National Arts Centre is looking for creative variations on the theme of “The Arts are Alive in Canada” through visual representation of any or all disciplines presented at the Centre—Theatre, Dance and Music— while also representing the cultural fabric of our country from coast to coast to coast.

Prelude Magazine is the National Arts Centre’s performing arts publication, distributed to patrons attending presentations at the NAC in the disciplines of music, theatre and dance. It is published four times a year: Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer. It has an average annual distribution of 300,000 copies.

For further information regarding the call for submission, contest guidelines and submission requirements, please visit www.nac-cna.ca/preludecontest. This contest is open to all Canadian residents. The contest is not open to staff or immediate families of the National Arts Centre, the NAC Foundation, St. Joseph Communications, Dollco Printing or anyone associated with the production of Prelude.

Deadline for submissions is June 30, 2009 at 5 p.m. EST.

NACO, June 10-11: NACO's first performance of Scheherazade; Kirill Gerstein plays Ravel's Concerto in G

Music Director Pinchas Zukerman leads the National Arts Centre Orchestra in its first-ever performance of Rimsky-Korsakov’s glittering Scheherazade on Wednesday, June 10 and Thursday, June 11 at 8 p.m. in the NAC’s Southam Hall. These Mark Motor Audi Signature Series concerts also feature the NAC Orchestra debut of Russian pianist Kirill Gerstein presenting the sophisticated jazz stylings of Ravel’s sultry Concerto in G. The expanded orchestra for this concert, which opens with Copland’s majestic Fanfare for the Common Man, is made possible in part through the Friends of the NAC Orchestra Kilpatrick Fund.

There will be Musically Speaking Pre-concert Chats both nights at 7 p.m. in English titled “Classical and Jazz: Not Such Strange Bedfellows” featuring composer, arranger, musician and CBC Radio personality Andrew Craig, and hosted by CBC Radio’s Alan Neal.

Both nights, there will also be an intimate post-concert Jazz Café in the NAC’s Fourth Stage hosted by Alan Neal and Andrew Craig and featuring Ottawa’s star bassist John Geggie with his guests, pianist Edward Simon and Montreal drummer Jim Doxas. Their performance will consist of many original compositions as well as repertoire reflecting their interest in classical composers and the improvised jazz idiom. Tickets for the Jazz Café are sold separately from the NAC Orchestra concert and cost $15.

Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade will offer the NAC Orchestra concertmaster Yosuke Kawasaki a chance to shine. In the composer’s musical setting of the Arabian Nights, it is the solo violin that personifies Scheherazade, the entrancing storyteller who postpones her death a thousand and one nights by bewitching the vengeful wife-killing Sultan with her exotic tales.

Russian pianist Kirill Gerstein is quickly proving to be one of today’s most promising and intriguing young artists. Born in 1979 in Voronezh, Russia, he went to the US at the age of 14 to attend the Berklee College of Music in Boston later studying with Solomon Mikowsky at the Manhattan School of Music and Dmitri Bashkirov in Madrid. Gerstein received the First Prize at the 2001 Arthur Rubinstein Piano Competition in Tel Aviv and was a recipient of a 2002 Gilmore Young Artist Award. He was also selected as Carnegie Hall’s “Rising Star” for the 2005-06 season.

Kirill Gerstein says: “I both love and admire the G-major Ravel piano concerto. It seamlessly combines influences from the world of Jazz, Spanish music, Mozart and the Baroque, all the while sounding unmistakably Ravel. The composer himself said that he wanted this concerto to be “entertaining” – and it is, in the best sense of the word. Within a compact form, there is a multitude of moods, serious emotion in the beautiful second movement, virtuosic solos for various instruments and sections of the orchestra as well as brilliant piano writing. I am very much looking forward to playing the piece with the NAC Orchestra and Maestro Zukerman.”

Tickets for these National Arts Centre Orchestra concerts led by Pinchas Zukerman with pianist Kirill Gerstein on Wednesday, June 10 and Thursday, June 11 at 8 p.m. are on sale now at $19.00, $39.00, $49.00, $59.00, $69.00 and $86.00 (GST and Facility Fee included) at the NAC Box Office (Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.), and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at 613-755-1111. Ticketmaster may also be accessed through the NAC’s website at http://www.nac-cna.ca/.

Half-price tickets for students in all sections of the hall are on sale in person at the NAC Box Office upon presentation of a valid student ID card. Live Rush tickets (subject to availability) for full-time students (aged 13 to 29) are $11 at the NAC Box Office from 2 p.m. the day before the concert to 6 p.m. the day of, upon presentation of a valid Live Rush card.

Groups of 10 and more save 15% to 20% off the regular price of tickets to NAC Music, Theatre and Dance performances. To reserve your seats call 613-947-7000 ext. 384 or email grp@nac-cna.ca.

NACO, June 4-6: Dee Daniels is featured in the NAC Orchestra's Big Band Salute

Jeff Tyzik leads the amazing Dee Daniels and the National Arts Centre Orchestra in a sophisticated Big Band Salute from Thursday, June 4 to Saturday, June 6 at 8 p.m. in Southam Hall to bring the CTV Pops season to a spectacular conclusion. The concert takes a fresh look at great jazz standards of the 30s and 40s by the legendary Duke Ellington, Joplin, Gershwin and more. And you’ll love the silky jazz stylings of Dee Daniels whose four-octave range never fails to amaze and delight.

Dee Daniels will perform favourites such as Ellington’s “How Long Has This Been Going On”, “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore”, “I Got It Bad and That Ain’t Good” and “Every Day I Have The Blues”; “Motherless Child”, and Arlen’s “Stormy Weather”, some of which have been arranged by conductor Jeff Tyzik. Maestro Tyzik will also lead the NAC Orchestra in a suite from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, Ellington’s “Take the A Train” and “Satin Doll”, Joplin’s “The Entertainer” and “Sunflower Slow Drag”, and Morton’s “King Porter Stomp”. Drummer Dave Mancini will show off his percussion chops in a drum solo medley arranged by Tyzik.

Jeff Tyzik has earned a reputation as one of America’s foremost pops conductors. A consummate musician, Tyzik is recognized for his brilliant arrangements, original programming, and engaging rapport with audiences. He is in his fifteenth season as Principal Pops Conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and this season began a new role as Principal Pops Conductor of the Oregon Symphony while continuing to serve as Principal Pops Conductor of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Tyzik is also highly sought after as a guest conductor across North America, with recent guest appearances including the Boston Pops and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. He made his NAC Orchestra debut in May 2007 leading Sultry Nights with Eartha Kitt.

Dee Daniels is a crowd pleaser and a musician’s musician. Whether accompanying herself at the piano, fronting a trio, big band or symphony, she is a unique talent who transcends musical borders. Her style was born in her stepfather’s church choir in Oakland, California, honed through the R&B era and brought to full fruition during a five-year stay in Europe from 1982 to 1987. Dee Daniels’ international career includes performances in eleven African countries, Australia, Colombia, Hong Kong and Japan, as well as in North America and Europe. She has been inducted into the British Columbia Entertainment Hall of Fame, and has received the prestigious Commemorative Medal for the Golden Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. On June 9, she will receive an Honorary Doctorate from Capilano University in North Vancouver where she is a respected vocal clinician and mentor and where she created the Dee Daniels Jazz Vocal Scholarship. Her JAZZINIT CD was in the Top Ten CDs of 2007 on several Canadian and American polls.

Tickets for the NAC Orchestra’s “Big Band Salute” from June 4 to 6 in Southam Hall are on sale now at $29, $39, $49, $59, $69 and $86 (GST and Facility Fee included) at the NAC Box Office (Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.), and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at 613-755-1111. Ticketmaster may also be accessed through the NAC’s web-site at http://www.nac-cna.ca/.

Half-price tickets for students in all sections of the hall are on sale in person at the NAC Box Office upon presentation of a valid student ID card. Live Rush tickets (subject to availability) for full-time students (aged 13 to 29) are $11 at the NAC Box Office from 2 p.m. the day before the concert to 6 p.m. the day of, upon presentation of a valid Live Rush card.

Groups of 10 and more save 15% to 20% off the regular price of tickets to NAC Music, Theatre and Dance performances. To reserve your seats call 613-947-7000 ext. 384 or email grp@nac-cna.ca.

NAC announces Summer Music at the National Arts Centre

Summer Music at the NAC includes

Orchestras in the Park, visiting orchestras and repertoire readings, and everything is FREE!

The National Arts Centre today announced details of Summer Music at the NAC, a line-up that includes four Orchestras in the Park concerts outdoors in LeBreton Flats Park presented in collaboration with the National Capital Commission; concerts by the l’Orchestre de la francophonie canadienne led by Pinchas Zukerman and Jean-Philippe Tremblay, and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada led by Alain Trudel; Canada Day concerts and activities; plus a series of three “Repertoire Readings” of new music by Canadian composers. All concerts are free, though some require tickets that can be picked up in person at the NAC Box Office.

Summer at the NAC also features the unveiling of the new Le Café menu by Chef Michael Blackie.

From July 23 to 26 at 7:30 pm, the National Arts Centre Orchestra will present its third season of Orchestras in the Park in collaboration with the National Capital Commission in the special outdoor performance space developed at LeBreton Flats Park in front of the Canadian War Museum. Each of the four concerts will be preceded by a KidsZone of activities for youngsters.

Orchestras in the Park begins on Thursday, July 23 with the NAC Orchestra performing “Classics and Kuertis” featuring renowned Ottawa favourite Anton Kuerti at the piano with his son Julian Kuerti (associate conductor of the Boston Symphony, and an alumnus of the NAC Conductors Program) on the podium. This concert also features trumpet player Amy Horvey, this year’s recipient of the Richard Li Young Artist Chair, performing the Hummel Trumpet Concerto.

In “Opera Under the Stars” on Friday, July 24, conductor Jean-Marie Zeitouni leads the NAC Orchestra, soprano Erin Wall, baritone James Westman, and tenor Antonio Figueroa – three sensational Canadian singers – in favourite arias from The Barber of Seville, The Marriage of Figaro and more, joined by the Opera Lyra Ottawa Chorus directed by Laurence Ewashko.

On Saturday, July 25, the electrifying Natalie MacMaster, Cape Breton’s fiddling, step-dancing and vocal sensation, guarantees to have the audience on its feet cheering her and the NAC Orchestra in a night of Celtic delights with Jean-Marie Zeitouni once again on the podium.

Orchestras in the Park concludes on Sunday, July 26, when the Orchestre de la francophonie canadienne takes over the outdoor stage in “Beethoven’s Fifths” led by Music Director Jean-Philippe Tremblay and featuring pianist Hong Xu , the 2006 Laureate of the Honens International Piano Competition. Beethoven’s “Emperor” Piano Concerto No. 5 is followed by Beethoven’s mighty Fifth Symphony!

Orchestras in the Park concerts are free with no tickets required.

To kick off the month of July, visit the National Arts Centre for Canada Day festivities taking place all day long on Wednesday, July 1, including a massed choral performance by Unisong at 10 a.m. in Southam Hall and one concert by the NAC Orchestra led by Pinchas Zukerman at 2:30 p.m. featuring both the Unisong Choir and musicians of the NAC Young Artists Program, part of the Summer Music Institute .

The Orchestre de la francophonie canadienne will also pay a visit to Southam Hall on Thursday, July 2 with two more Beethoven symphonies and a piano concerto to coincide with the Orchestra’s summer recording project of all nine Beethoven symphonies. Jean-Philippe Tremblay will open the program with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1. Then Pinchas Zukerman, Music Director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra will lead 14-year-old Calgary piano prodigy Jan Lisiecki in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and close the program with Beethoven’s Second Symphony.

On Tuesday, July 28, the National Youth Orchestra of Canada led by Alain Trudel makes its annual visit to the Capital. The program consists of Rob Teehan’s Dreams of Flying, a new work commissioned by the NYOC, Haydn’s Symphony No. 96 and Mahler’s Symphony No. 6.

Tickets for both the Orchestre de la francophonie canadienne and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada are free and can be picked up in person at the NAC Box Office.

And on July 7, 8 and 9, the National Arts Centre Orchestra will offer its services to four composers for “Repertoire Readings” of original works. These sessions, conducted by the NAC Composers Program Lead Composer Gary Kulesha, will take place in the NAC Rehearsal Hall and are open to the public, no tickets required, as long as space is available.

There are also numerous public concerts presented as part of the eleventh annual NAC Summer Music Institute during the month of June. These have been announced separately.

http://www.nac-cna.ca

NAC to mark its 40th birthday on June 2

Canada's National Arts Centre (NAC) will mark 40 years of unlimited possibilities on Tuesday, June 2, 2009, at 8 p.m., during a special, free celebration in the NAC's Southam Hall, featuring Pinchas Zukerman and the National Arts Centre Orchestra, artists from The National Ballet of Canada, world renowned baritone Russell Braun and many more.

The 40^th Anniversary Celebration will be co-hosted by Canadian ballet icon Veronica Tennant – who was among the first dancers to perform on the Southam Hall stage (then known as the Opera) – and playwright Michel Marc Bouchard, a longtime NAC collaborator and creator of Lilies (Les Feluettes), considered one of the major works of Canadian Theatre.

Tickets for the evening are free and have been distributed on a first-come-first-served basis to NAC subscribers as well as to the public at large through a special lottery, which was widely advertised in the media over the last few weeks. Dignitaries from the world of politics, the arts and business will also be in attendance.

For this special celebration, the audience will be transported back to the National Arts Centre's opening week in June 1969 when William Shakespeare's ballet adaptation of Romeo and Juliet – with music by Sergei Prokofiev and choreography by the legendary John Cranko – was performed for the very first time at the NAC by The National Ballet of Canada.

In fact, Romeo and Juliet, with its universally enduring themes of love and youth will be featured prominently throughout the June 2 celebration: Pinchas Zukerman will lead the NAC Orchestra in a rendition of Tchaikovsky's mesmerizing Overture to Romeo and Juliet; The National Ballet of Canada dancers Chan Hon Goh and Zdenek Konvalina will perform the famous balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet, one of the most beautiful pas de deux ever choreographed; and young Quebec actors Steve Gagnon and Alexandrine Warren will perform some of the most memorable scenes from the theatre adaptation of Roméo et Juliette, conceived by Christian Lapointe and translated by Normand Chaurette.

Over the past four decades, the National Arts Centre has prided itself on celebrating and developing the very best artistic talent Canada has to offer. Therefore it is fitting that the
June 2 celebration will feature a work choreographed and performed by Matjash Mrozewski, one of the most exciting and original voices in the dance world today. It is also fitting that the orchestration for this work, called Bringing the Tiger Down from the Mountain II, was previously commissioned by the NAC from B.C. composer Alexina Louie. For this performance, Maestro Zukerman will lead the NAC Orchestra, featuring soloist Amanda Forsyth on the cello.

Other highlights of the 40^th Anniversary Celebration include brilliant baritone Russell Braun, one of Canada's best operatic voices, who will perform Richard Wagner's O du mein holder Abendstern with the NAC Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Zukerman. There will also be a performance of Elgar's Salut d'amour, Opus 12, by the NAC Orchestra featuring Maestro Zukerman on violin, as well as a performance of a special monologue and of Bertold Brecht and Kurt Weill's The Bilbao Song by Gemini Award-winner Diane D'Aquila under the direction of NAC English Theatre Artistic Director Peter Hinton..

NACO 2009 Bursary Competition winners announced.

The National Arts Centre (NAC) has announced the winners of the 2009 NAC Orchestra Bursary Competition following the finals held on Tuesday, May 19 in the NAC Salon. Eight finalists had been chosen from the 32 contestants heard in preliminary auditions held on May 16 and 17. The grand prize-winner of the 2009 NACO Bursary ($7,000) is Daniel Parker, cello (age 16).

This year’s winner of the Harold Crabtree Foundation Award of $5,000 is Antoine Malette-Chénier, harp (age 17). The Friends of the NAC Orchestra Award ($3,000) went to Lara Deutsch, flute (age 18), while Christopher Graham, trombone (age 22) won the NAC Vic Pomer Award ($2,000). The Piccolo Prix ($1,000) went to Denise Sun, bassoon (age 23). The NACO Special Prize for the best performance of prescribed orchestral excerpts went to Christopher Graham, trombone (age 22).

Honourable mentions of $150 went to Yolanda Bruno, violin (age 19), Emilie Grimes, viola (age 19) and Tamsin Johnston, English horn (age 24).

The Bursary Committee and Jury were chaired by Vernon G. Turner, Canada’s former Ambassador to the USSR and to Israel, and an active volunteer at the National Arts Centre.

The 2009 Bursary Committee consisted of NAC Orchestra concertmaster Yosuke Kawasaki, violin Jessica Linnebach (upper strings), bassist Murielle Bruneau (lower strings), flutist Emily Smethurst (winds), French horn Jill Kirwan (brass and percussion), and Ross Francis, (Friends of NACO representative). The Committee included Kelly Abercrombie as the NAC Music representative. The Jury included Turner and Francis (non-voting members), and also included special guests Jean-Jacques Van Vlasselaer (music critic) and Rosalind Sartori (former NACO cellist), and special advisors Lucile Brais and Kenneth Simpson (non-voting members). Violinist Sally Benson replaced Jessica Linnebach who withdrew for conflict of interest.

The National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) Bursary Competition was first held in 1981. The NACO Bursary was created by the musicians of the NAC Orchestra as a gesture of appreciation to the audiences who had been so supportive to the Orchestra during its first decade. It is meant to provide recognition and financial support to help further the development of young Canadian orchestral musicians who have connections to the National Capital Region (NCR). In subsequent years thanks to the generosity of additional organizations and individuals, other prizes have been added for a total in 2009 of $18,750. These prizes, in addition to the NACO Bursary, are the Harold Crabtree Foundation Award, created in 2003 by this Foundation which strongly believes in the importance of helping young people; the Friends of the NAC Orchestra Award created in 1993 to celebrate the Orchestra’s 25th anniversary season; the NAC Vic Pomer Award commemorating one of the founding violinists of NACO and a dedicated teacher who died in 2001 at age 70; the Piccolo Prix provided “to encourage and support our young artists” by NAC volunteer and Donors Circle member Cav. Pasqualina Pat Adamo, and the NACO Special Prize for the best performance of prescribed orchestral excerpts.

All prizes are intended for music students aged 16 to 24 whose principal or family residence is in the National Capital Region, or who have been following a recognized course of music study in the NCR in the previous year in preparation for careers as professional orchestral musicians. Each year, a jury identifies deserving recipients through audition and selection.

TD Canada Trust Family Adventures "Dance with the NAC Orchestra

Veronica Tennant and conductor Boris Brott co-host “Dance with the NAC Orchestra!” the final TD Canada Trust Family Adventures concert on May 23

Ottawa (Canada) – Family audiences will be swept off their feet by a fantastic exploration of dance music in all its glory when former prima ballerina Veronica Tennant co-hosts “Dance with the National Arts Centre Orchestra” led by Principal Youth and Family Conductor Boris Brott in Southam Hall on Saturday, May 23 at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. in the afternoon. Waltzes, minuets, tap, step, salsa, tango – you’ll hear them all, while an array of dancers from The School of Dance move to the beat of our great NAC Orchestra. These bilingual TD Canada Trust Family Adventures are perfect for kids 5 and up and their grown-up friends.

The concert ticket includes “TuneTown”, pre-concert activities in the NAC Foyer organized by Friends of the NAC Orchestra 45 minutes prior to each concert, beginning at 12:45 p.m. for the first concert and 2:45 p.m. for the second concert.

Please note that Ottawa Race Weekend will lead to street closures around the downtown area. See below for the Parking Advisory.

“Dance with the NAC Orchestra” will include musical selections from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and Nutcracker, Copland’s Rodeo, Johann Strauss Jr.’s On the Beautiful Blue Danube, Bernstein’s West Side Story, Anderson’s Blue Tango, and Ginastera’s “Malambo” from Estancio.

The “TuneTown” activities for “Dance with the NAC Orchestra” include The School of Dance providing short contemporary dance performances on the Main Lobby stage as well as stations throughout the lobby to demonstrate the “seven movements of dance”; a brass instrumental “petting zoo” organized by the Ottawa Youth Orchestra Academy; an Ottawa Public Library book display on the theme of dance; an activity station by Music for Young Children; a craft station where children can make fans which can be used in dance; and a station where children can look at and try on different types of dance shoes.

All TD Canada Trust Family Adventures feature NACOtron presented in collaboration with Rogers Television. Five television cameras positioned on stage and in the hall capture live video images of the musicians while they are performing, and these images are projected onto a giant screen above the stage allowing the audience to watch the action in close-up.

The Ottawa Citizen is the media partner of the TD Canada Trust Family Adventures with the NAC Orchestra.

Tickets for “Dance with the NAC Orchestra” on Saturday, May 23 at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., including TuneTown Pre-Concert Activities, are $12.00 for children and $20.00 for adults (including GST and Facility Fee where applicable) and are on sale now at the NAC Box Office (Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.), and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at 613-755-1111. Visit the National Arts Centre’s web site at www.nac-cna.ca.

Groups of 10 and more save 15% to 20% off the regular price of tickets to NAC Music, Theatre and Dance performances. To reserve your seats call 613-947-7000 ext. 384 or email grp@nac-cna.ca.

Parking Advisory

Street closures around NAC during the Ottawa Race weekend:

From 9 a.m. Friday, May 22, 2009 to 6 p.m. Sunday, May 24, 2009:
Queen Elizabeth Dr. northbound (between Somerset and Laurier Bridge) from 09:00 - Traffic exiting NAC parking garage can turn right onto Laurier Ave. West
Laurier Ave. off Ramp closed onto QED

On Saturday, May 23, 2009:
Laurier Ave. (Nicholas St. to Elgin St.) 3 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Elgin St. (Laurier Ave. to Catherine St.) 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. (cross traffic allowed pre-race)
Elgin St. (Laurier Ave. to Wellington St.) 4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. (lane closures)
Rideau St. (Elgin St. to Sussex Dr.) 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. (lane closures)
Colonel By Dr. (Daly St. to Bronson Ave.) 4 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Queen Elizabeth Dr. (Preston St. to NAC) 4 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. closed from Somerset St. W. to NAC (all weekend)

Traffic exiting NAC parking garage will be redirected to Albert Street exit all-day Sat.
Drive through traffic from the Box Office will be allowed to go into the garage at Canal entrance and to exit at Albert Street.
Traffic will be permitted to cross Elgin St. at Slater and Albert except for a short period of time.
Note that parking at the World Exchange Plaza Garage on Metcalfe is free on weekends.

World premiere of R. Murray Schafer commission

NAC Orchestra performs world premiere of R. Murray Schafer commission plus Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto with Angela Hewitt on May 20-21

The National Arts Centre Orchestra will present the world premiere performances of the NAC-commissioned work titled Dream-E-Scape by iconic Canadian composer R. Murray Schafer on Wednesday, May 20 and Thursday, May 21 at 8 p.m. in the NAC’s Southam Hall. These Ovation Series concerts feature Ottawa’s own world-renowned pianist Angela Hewitt performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4. Conductor Patrick Summers is also leading Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 5, “Reformation” and Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3

Piano soloist Angela Hewitt will give Musically Speaking Pre-Concert Chats about Beethoven’s Fourth Concerto both nights at 7 pm (in English) hosted by CBC Radio Music Executive Producer Jill LaForty.

R. Murray Schafer, one of Canada’s most gifted, most articulate, most provocative, most eclectic and most performed composers, turned 75 last summer. Dream-E-Scape was commissioned in honour of that milestone. The NAC Orchestra celebrated Schafer in a four-day new music festival and education symposium in March 2008 during which 10 of his works were performed. Many activities of the symposium are archived in the Great Composers section of the NAC’s Performing Arts Education website ArtsAlive.ca.

The composer writes that “Dream-E-Scape was written in a streak of twenty-six days, scarcely without looking back or trying to remember what had been written the day before. I wanted to try to capture the dream experience of incoherence in which everything is shifting and blurred together. Now we witness one image, now another – shocking, alluring, repellent, voluptuous, risible – totally without consistency or order.”

Angela Hewitt is a phenomenal artist who has established herself at the highest level over the last few years not least through her superb, award-winning recordings for Hyperion. She has a vast repertoire ranging from Couperin to the contemporary and her discography includes CDs of Beethoven, Granados, Rameau, Olivier Messiaen, Ravel, Chopin, and J.S. Bach.

Hewitt says that Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto is among her top four favourite piano concertos, that “lift our spirits to another realm. They simply have, in an inspired performance, an emotional power that is transcendental, and moments that give us goose-bumps. In Beethoven’s Fourth, that moment for me comes at the end of the first-movement cadenza when the orchestra creeps in under a trill in the piano. How does Beethoven do it? Why does something so simple make us feel that way? It is a moment of incredible tenderness. We simply melt – only then to recover our strength for the forceful close. Perhaps it is that remarkable combination of power and tenderness that makes this piece so special.”

Tickets for these National Arts Centre Orchestra concerts with pianist Angela Hewitt and conductor Patrick Summers on Wednesday, May 20 and Thursday, May 21 at 8 p.m. are on sale now at $19.00, $39.00, $49.00, $59.00, $69.00 and $86.00 (GST and Facility Fee included) at the NAC Box Office (Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.), and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at 613-755-1111. Ticketmaster may also be accessed through the NAC’s website at www.nac-cna.ca.

Half-price tickets for students in all sections of the hall are on sale in person at the NAC Box Office upon presentation of a valid student ID card. Live Rush tickets (subject to availability) for full-time students (aged 13 to 29) are $11 at the NAC Box Office from 2 p.m. the day before the concert to 6 p.m. the day of, upon presentation of a valid Live Rush card.

Groups of 10 and more save 15% to 20% off the regular price of tickets to NAC Music, Theatre and Dance performances. To reserve your seats call 613-947-7000 ext. 384 or email grp@nac-cna.ca.

Finals of the NACO Bursary Competition.

Young musicians compete for $18,750 in prizes at the Finals of the NACO Bursary Competition 2009 on May 19

Up to eight young musicians with connections to the National Capital Region will compete for prizes totaling $18,750 at the Finals of the 2009 NAC Orchestra Bursary Competition to be held on Tuesday, May 19 at 7 p.m. in the National Arts Centre Salon. These finalists will be selected from 36 applicants who auditioned before a jury of National Arts Centre Orchestra musicians and guests on May 16 and 17. The winners will be announced and presented with certificates and cheques at the May 19 Finals. Admission is FREE, but donations to the NAC Orchestra Bursary Trust Fund are greatly appreciated.

Each finalist will perform short orchestral excerpts followed by a movement from a concerto or sonata that features their instrument, sometimes accompanied by piano. Refreshments will be served while the jury deliberates before the announcement of the winners.

The NACO Bursary Competition is open to music students in or from the region aged 16 to 24 who are following a recognized course of music study in preparation for careers as professional orchestral musicians. This year’s Bursary Committee and Jury are chaired by Vernon G. Turner, Canada’s former Ambassador to the USSR and to Israel, and an active volunteer at the National Arts Centre.

The NACO Bursary was established in 1979 to commemorate the 10^th anniversary of the founding of the National Arts Centre Orchestra and to thank the people of the National Capital Region for their support during the Orchestra’s first decade.. The first competition took place in 1981. The NACO Bursary Trust Fund provides funding for the NACO Bursary of $7,000; the NACO Vic Pomer Award of $2,000; and the NACO Special Prize for Best Orchestral Excerpts worth $750. The NACO Bursary Committee also has available three additional prizes to be awarded at the Jury’s discretion: the Harold Crabtree Foundation Award of $5,000; the Friends of the National Arts Centre Orchestra Award of $3,000, created in 1993 to celebrate the Orchestra’s 25^th season; and the Piccolo Prix of $1,000 initiated in 2001 by Pasqualina (Pat) Adamo.

www.nac-cna.ca

www.artsalive.ca

Star Trek’s Mr. Sulu joins Jack Everly for a Sci-Fi Spectacular

Star Trek's Mr. Sulu (George Takei) joins Jack Everly and the NAC Orchestra for a Sci-Fi Spectacular from April 23 to 25

Ottawa, Canada - Jack Everly and the National Arts Centre Orchestra boldly go where no orchestra has gone before when they bring the "Sci-Fi Spectacular" to Southam Hall… the final frontier… from Thursday, April 23 to Saturday, April 25 at 8 p.m. George Takei (pronounced Ta-KAY), best known as helmsman Mr. Sulu from the original Star Trek television series and six Star Trek feature films, beams in as narrator for this concert, joined by tenor Mike Eldred, soprano Kristin Plumley, and the Laurence Ewashko Singers.

NAC Orchestra Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly raises his "lightsabre" to lead music from sci-fi and fantasy movie soundtracks, much of it by supercomposer John Williams, including Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone; Star Wars: The Phantom Menace; Somewhere in Time; Superman; Close Encounters of the Third Kind; 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Day the Earth Stood Still, the latter in a special new arrangement by Jack of the 1951 movie score. Jack is also responsible for an arrangement titled Lost in Syndication - a medley of science fiction television show theme songs including The X-Files, The Jetsons, My Favourite Martian, The Twilight Zone, Lost in Space, The Outer Limits and Stargate. A dazzling laser light show adds special effects to a concert that is truly out of this world!

Roaming the NAC Foyers will be such Sci-Fi characters as Darth Vader, Boba Fet, Star Trek, Storm troopers etc. and audience members also are encouraged to dress up and come as their favourite space personality.

George Takei, best known for his portrayal of "Mr. Sulu" in the acclaimed television and film series Star Trek, is currently a recurring guest star on NBC's hit ensemble drama series Heroes. His five-decade career includes more than 40 feature films and hundreds of television guest-starring roles. He received a star on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame in 1986 and he placed his signature and handprint in the forecourt of the landmark Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood in 1991. His many credits include a 1987 Grammy nomination in the "Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Recording" category.

Mike Eldred is one of North America's most in-demand and beloved tenors, starring on Broadway in the recent "final cast" of Les Misérables in the role of Jean Valjean. He has performed with many symphony orchestras as well as award-winning artists including Jim Brickman, Michael Bolton, Garth Brooks, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Richard Marx, Luther Vandross, Stevie Wonder and Trisha Yearwood. Mr. Eldred has released five solo recordings.

Kristen Plumley has portrayed such opera heroines as Norina (Don Pasquale), Zerlina (Don

Giovanni), Barbarina (Le Nozze di Figaro), Adele (Die Fledermaus) Despina (Così fan tutte) and Yum-Yum (The Mikado). Plumley's orchestral appearances include Mozart's Coronation Mass and Haydn's Mass in Time of War with the New England Symphonic Ensemble at Carnegie Hall.

Jack Everly is now his fifth year as Principal Pops Conductor of the NAC Orchestra. His many memorable concerts include On the Air: Music of the Fabulous 40s, The Beat Goes On, A Cole Porter Celebration, Pops Goes Vegas, and his recent tribute to the 70s: Disco Days and Boogie Nights. Everly is also the Principal Pops Conductor with the Baltimore and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestras, as well as Music Director for the Symphonic Pops Consortium.

Tickets for the NAC Orchestra's "Sci-Fi Spectacular" from April 23 to 25 in Southam Hall are on sale now at $29, $39, $49, $59, $69 and $86 (GST and Facility Fee included) at the NAC Box Office (Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.), and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at 613-755-1111. Ticketmaster may also be accessed through the NAC's web-site at www.nac-cna.ca.

Half-price tickets for students in all sections of the hall are on sale in person at the NAC Box Office upon presentation of a valid student ID card. Live Rush tickets (subject to availability) for full-time students (aged 13 to 29) are $11 at the NAC Box Office from 2 p.m. the day before the concert to 6 p.m. the day of, upon presentation of a valid Live Rush card.

Groups of 10 and more save 15% to 20% off the regular price of tickets to NAC Music, Theatre and Dance performances. To reserve your seats call 613-947-7000 ext. 384 or email grp@nac-cna.ca.

NAC Orchestra musicians and Bursary winner perform Bursary Benefit Concert

NAC Orchestra musicians and Bursary winner perform chamber music at the NACO Bursary Benefit Concert on April 5

Ottawa, Canada – Ensembles of musicians of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, including six principal musicians plus concertmaster Yosuke Kawasaki, will join together with last year’s winner of the NACO Bursary Competition to perform an afternoon of chamber music favourites in the NAC Salon on Sunday, April 5 at 2 p.m. The Bursary Benefit Concert is organized by the musicians of the NACO Bursary Committee to raise funds towards prizes for future Competition winners, some of whom will go on to pursue careers in professional orchestras.

The Friends of the National Arts Centre Orchestra have offered to match funds raised on the day up to $2,000, so those attending this musical matinee will know that the price of their ticket will go twice as far towards supporting talented local musicians.

PROGRAM:

ROSSINI: Duo for cello and double bass in D major

Carole Sirois, cello

Joel Quarrington, double bass

BOZZA: Image for Solo Flute, Op. 38

Amelia Lyon*, flute

* 2008 NACO Bursary recipient

RAVEL: Mother Goose Suite

Joanna G’froerer, flute

Charles Hamann, oboe

Kimball Sykes, clarinet

Lawrence Vine, French horn

Christopher Millard, bassoon

DVORÁK: String Quintet in G major, Op.77

Yosuke Kawasaki, 1^st violin

Jessica Linnebach, 2^nd violin

Jethro Marks, viola

Carole Sirois, cello

Joel Quarrington, double bass

(subject to change)

The first NACO Bursary Competition was in 1981. The Bursary provides recognition and financial support to help further the development of young Canadian orchestral musicians who have connections to the National Capital Region. The first year, one prize of $1,000 was awarded. Thanks to the generosity of additional organizations and individuals, other prizes have been added for a total in 2009 of $18,750.

Don’t miss this fabulous concert and the special opportunity to contribute to the development of young musicians! Tickets for the Bursary Benefit Concert on April 5 are $15.00 (GST and Facility Fee included) and are on sale now at the NAC Box Office (Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.), and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at 613-755-1111. Ticketmaster may also be accessed through the NAC’s web-site at www.nac-cna.ca. Donations towards the NACO Bursary Competition will also be gratefully accepted at the door.

NACO, March 28: TD Canada Trust Family Adventures presents "Bravo Beethoven"

“Bravo Beethoven” led by Maestro Boris Brott – the next TD Canada Trust Family Adventures concert on March 28

Ottawa (Canada) – The great Ludwig Van Beethoven himself is celebrated in the next TD Canada Trust Family Adventures series concerts with the National Arts Centre Orchestra led by Principal Youth and Family Conductor Boris Brott on Saturday, March 28 at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. in the afternoon. “Bravo Beethoven” features Ottawa performer Peter Duschenes of Platypus Theatre in the role of the composer, joined by violinist Nikki Chooi, NACO percussionist Kenneth Simpson on synthesizer, and a massed youth choir from community and school choirs coordinated by Barbara Clark. These bilingual TD Canada Trust Family Adventures are perfect for kids 5 and up and their grown-up friends.

The concert ticket includes “TuneTown”, pre-concert activities in the NAC Foyer organized by Friends of the NAC Orchestra 45 minutes prior to each concert, beginning at 12:45 p.m. for the first concert and 2:45 p.m. for the second concert.

Join Ludwig van Beethoven (played by Peter Duschenes) as he rediscovers the sounds of his music with the help of a 21^st century hearing device. Children can share Beethoven’s delight in listening to such musical masterpieces as the Fifth Symphony, the “Eroica” Symphony, “Wellington’s Victory”, and the Storm from the “Pastoral” Symphony. An excerpt from Beethoven’s Violin Concerto will feature Victoria-born violinist Nikki Chooi, a former student at the Victoria and Mount Royal College Conservatories and a participant in the NAC’s Summer Music Institute. For the grand finale, audience members are invited to join with the children’s choir in singing the magnificent “Ode to Joy”, from the Ninth Symphony!

The National Arts Centre is dedicating these concerts to the memory of Mario Duschenes, the famed Canadian flutist, composer and conductor (and father of Peter Duschenes) who died earlier this year. Mario Duschenes led the NAC Orchestra’s first-ever family concerts and continued to do so from 1973 to 1988. He last conducted the NAC Orchestra in 2001 in the NAC-commissioned score for Rhythm in Your Rubbish, which was reprised this January under its new title Music Under a Midnight Moon.

The “TuneTown” activities for “Bravo Beethoven” include an Ottawa Public Library book display on the theme of Beethoven; an activity station by Music for Young Children; a string instrument petting zoo with the Ottawa Youth Orchestra Academy; a craft station to make Beethoven bookmarks, and an area to sing along and rehearse Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” in preparation for participating in the concert. There will also be information displays from the Ottawa Regional Youth Choir, the Ottawa Children’s Choir, the Ottawa Catholic School Board Choir, the Cantiamo Girls Choir of Ottawa, and École secondaire publique De La Salle.

All TD Canada Trust Family Adventures feature NACOtron presented in collaboration with Rogers Television. Five television cameras positioned on stage and in the hall capture live video images of the musicians while they are performing, and these images are projected onto a giant screen above the stage allowing the audience to watch the action in close-up.

The Ottawa Citizen is the media partner of the TD Canada Trust Family Adventures with the NAC Orchestra.

Tickets for Bravo Beethoven on Saturday, March 28 at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., including TuneTown Pre-Concert Activities, are $12.00 for children and $20.00 for adults (including GST and Facility Fee where applicable) and are on sale now at the NAC Box Office (Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.), and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at 613-755-1111. Visit the National Arts Centre’s web site at www.nac-cna.ca.

Groups of 10 and more save 15% to 20% off the regular price of tickets to NAC Music, Theatre and Dance performances. To reserve your seats call 613-947-7000 ext. 384 or email grp@nac-cna.ca.