22nd Brott Music Festival Offers a Wide Spectrum of Music and Great Artists: June 13- Aug. 20

Beethoven in Burlington, Mendelssohn at 200, Russian masterpieces, plus opera favorites, choral masterworks, and even jazz and rock. Big orchestral concerts and intimate recitals, musical celebrities and up-and comers.

Under the artistic direction of Boris Brott, the 22^nd Brott Music Festival has something for everyone. Between June 13 and August 20, music-lovers have at least 17 good reasons to head to the Hamilton area, and enjoy concerts in Burlington, Ancaster and the home base of Hamilton.

Details are available at www.brottmusic.com. Tickets may be ordered online or by calling 1-888-475-9377, or 905-525-SONG (7664).

As Maestro Boris Brott says, “You can enjoy both high tea and one of Canada’s finest pianists in a lovely Mendelssohn recital. Or you can catch a band and singer joining our National Academy Orchestra for an Elton John tribute. We have music inspired by paintings, which in turn inspired new works of art. We have Beethoven concertos and fine Canadian works, opera, Gilbert and Sullivan, jazz and for a grand finale, Carl Orff’s magnificent oratorio Carmina Burana, which is by turns thunderous, lusty and delicate, and always mesmerizing. And of course, an excellent array of artists from Canada, the U.S. and abroad.”

A Beethoven Piano Festival at St. Christopher’s Anglican Church in Burlington begins this year’s Brott Music Festival. For three Saturdays in June, starting June 13, 7:30 p.m., Boris Brott conducts the National Academy Orchestra in music by Beethoven and other greats, with special guest soloists. Patrons can save 10 per cent by purchasing all three concerts online.

The National Academy Orchestra gives 45 young Canadian musicians professional orchestral experience. Joining them are leading professional musicians who serve as mentors.

Following is the schedule for an unforgettable summer music experience at the 22^nd Brott Music Festival, with locations:

Saturday, June 13, 7:30 p.m. – Lisiecki Plays Beethoven

St. Christopher’s Anglican Church, 662 Guelph Line (at New Street), Burlington

Fourteen-year old prodigy Jan Lisiecki (www.janlisiecki.com) joins Boris Brott and the NAO for Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3. The program includes the composer’s rousing Symphony No. 2. Tickets: $25 $20 seniors $10 students

Saturday, June 20, 7:30 p.m. – A Fifth of Beethoven

St. Christopher’s Anglican Church, 662 Guelph Line (at New Street), Burlington

Pianist Valerie Tryon (www.artset.net/ValerieTryon.html) performs Franck’s Variations Symphoniques and a piano concerto by Hamilton composer David Fawcett. Beethoven’s immortal Fifth Symphony rounds out this program. $25 $20 seniors $10 students

Saturday, June 27, 7:30 p.m. – Mendelssohn Meets Beethoven

St. Christopher’s Anglican Church, 662 Guelph Line (at New Street), Burlington

The Festival marks the 200^th anniversary of Mendelssohn’s birth as Hamilton pianist Shoshana Telner (www.shoshanatelner.com) – whom Hamilton Magazine calls one of the city’s “most fascinating people and inspired individuals” – plays the composer’s Piano Concerto No. 1. Boris Brott and the NAO also play Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. $25 $20 seniors $10 students

Saturday, July 4, 7:30 p.m. – Manoukian Plays Beethoven
Mohawk College, McIntyre Theatre, 135 Fennell Ave. W. (at West 5^th), Hamilton
Beethoven continues in Hamilton as violinist Catherine Manoukian (www.catherinemanoukian.com) returns to the Festival to perform the Beethoven Violin Concerto. Also on the program is Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4. $25 $20 seniors $10 students

Sunday, July 5, 3 p.m. – High Tea with Shoshana Telner

Adas Israel Synagogue, 125 Cline Ave. S., Hamilton

Pianist Shoshana Telner returns to serve up an afternoon of piano favourites, including Chopin’s Nocturne, Op. 27 No. 2, Bartok’s Rumanian Folk Dances, Alexina Louie’s Memories in an Ancient Garden and Liszt’s Venezia e Napoli. Tea is served at intermission. $40 $35 seniors and students

Thursday, July 9, 8 p.m. – The Gryphon Trio Plays Mendelssohn

Christ`s Church Cathedral, 252 James St. North, Hamilton

Annalee Patipatanakoon, violin; Roman Borys, cello; Jamie Parker, piano
The extraordinary musicianship of the Gryphon Trio (www.gryphontrio.com) is on display in Christos Hatzis’ Old Photographs, Chan Ka Nin’s ... and the masks evoke..., Mendelssohn’s Trio in D minor and a seductive selection of Piazzola tangos. $25 $20 seniors $10 students

Saturday, July 11, 8 p.m. – Pictures At An Exhibition

Christ’s Church Cathedral, 252 James St. North, Hamilton

Mussorgsky’s brilliant Pictures at an Exhibition has inspired 10 new works of art by local artists – one for each of Pictures’ movements. They will be unveiled this evening, and projected behind the orchestra as it performs. The NAO and Maestro Brott complete the musical tableau with Harry Freedman’s Images and Respighi’s Trittico Botticelliano (Botticelli Triptych). $25 $20 seniors $10 students

ART CRAWL NOTE: NAO players will be playing in galleries in downtown Hamilton as part of the James North Art Crawl, Friday, July 10 between 7 and 11 p.m. Free admission.

Wednesday, July 15, 7:30 p.m. – Beethoven’s Emperor

Mohawk College, McIntyre Theatre, 135 Fennell Ave. W. (at West 5^th), Hamilton
Acclaimed pianist Sara Davis Buechner (www.sarabuechner.com) performs Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 (“Emperor”). Boris Brott and the NAO also play Dvorak’s cheery, folk-inspired Symphony No. 8 in G and Michael Parker’s Shanadithit, a 1983 composition inspired by Native Canadian folklore. $25 $20 seniors $10 students

Saturday, July 18, 7:30 p.m. – Gilbert & Sullivan Go to the Proms!
Mohawk College, McIntyre Theatre, 135 Fennell Ave. W. (at West 5^th), Hamilton
Arcady Singers and NAO; Brian Jackson, guest conductor
British operetta meets Proms highlights and hijinks in arias, duets and ensemble pieces from The Mikado, Pirates of Penzance, HMS Pinafore and other G&S creations. Guest conductor Brian Jackson leads the Arcady Singers (www.arcady.ca) and the audience in such favorites as Land of Hope and Glory and Rule Britannia. $25 $20 seniors $10 students

Wednesday, July 22, 7:30 p.m. – Russian Romantics

Mohawk College, McIntyre Theatre, 135 Fennell Ave. W. (at West 5^th), Hamilton
Wonny Song, piano (http://wonnysong.com); Martin MacDonald, guest conductor

Wonny Song (winner of the 2005 Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York, and the 2003 Prix d’Europe in Canada) plays Rachmaninoff’s enduringly popular Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor with Maestro Brott and the NAO. Conductor Martin MacDonald (a former NAO associate conductor) returns from Symphony Nova Scotia to conduct Rimsky-Korsakov’s Russian Easter Overture and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 2 in C minor (“Little Russian”). $25 $20 seniors $10 students

Tuesday, July 28, 7:30 p.m. – Cerovsek Plays Tchaikovsky

Mohawk College, McIntyre Theatre, 135 Fennell Ave. W. (at West 5^th), Hamilton
Sensational violinist Corey Cerovsek makes his Brott Festival debut, performing the scintillating Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D minor. Maestro Brott & the NAO perform Elgar’s Enigma Variations, and a work based on Canada’s only connection to the great Beethoven – his father Alexander Brott’s Paraphrase in Polyphony. The piece is based on a canon written by Beethoven and discovered on a document signed by Beethoven and dedicated to the Quebec music teacher composer Theodore Molt (1795-1856), who visited Beethoven in Vienna. $25 $20 seniors $10 students

(A bio on Corey Cerovsek is at www.mi.sanu.ac.yu/vismath/cerovsek/co7.htm. The National Library of Canada documents the Molt-Beethoven-Brott connection, with information and a picture of the Beethoven’s composition, at http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/202/301/bulletin_nlc/2003/no4/p2-0403-01-e.html.)

Thursday, July 30, 7:30 p.m. – Jeans n Classics: Tribute to Elton John

Mohawk College, McIntyre Theatre, 135 Fennell Ave. W. (at West 5^th), Hamilton
Jeans n Classics Band (drums, bass, piano and singer), Jean Meilleur, lead vocals; John Regan, vocals and piano

In an energetic fusion of symphonic rock, the band Jeans ’n Classics (www.jeansnclassics.com) returns by popular demand to perform some of the Rocket Man’s greatest hits, including Tiny Dancer, Bennie & The Jets and I’m Still Standing. Those who attended last year’s Queen tribute know the young and exuberant NAO loves to rock! $25 $20 seniors $10 students

Sunday, August 2, 3 p.m. – High Tea with Giampiero Sobrino

St. John’s Anglican Church, 272 Wilson St. E., Ancaster

Famed Italian clarinettist Giampiero Sobrino returns to the Festival, performing Mozart Clarinet Concerto, Rossini’s Variations for Clarinet and Mendelssohn’s jolly Symphony No. 4 “Italian”. Traditional High Tea is served at intermission. $40 $35 seniors and students

Thursday, August 6, 7:30 p.m. – Opera Favourites

Mohawk College, McIntyre Theatre, 135 Fennell Ave. W. (at West 5^th), Hamilton
Sinead Sugrue and Michele Bogdanowicz, sopranos; Mia Lennox-Williams, mezzo-soprano; Edgardo Ramirez, tenor; Alexander Hajek, baritone

The Festival’s superb selection of the world’s best loved operatic arias and duets has become an audience favourite. Tragedy and ecstasy spring to life in highlights from La Bohème, Carmen and many more. $25 $20 seniors $10 students

Saturday, August 15, 7:30 p.m. – Hot Jazz: A Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald & Oscar Peterson

Mohawk College, McIntyre Theatre, 135 Fennell Ave. W. (at West 5^th), Hamilton
Darcy Hepner Jazz Orchestra; Sophia Perlman, singer

Ella Fitzgerald was known as “The First Lady of Song.” Duke Ellington called Oscar Peterson the “Maharaja of the keyboard.” Jazz saxophonist Darcy Hepner (www.darcyhepner.com) and his 16-piece jazz orchestra and Sophia Perlman, a singer who scats like Lady Ella, celebrate the legacy of these two legends. From Peterson’s Canadiana Suite to such Ella hits as How High the Moon and Satin Doll, it’s a jazz lover’s dream concert. $25 $20 seniors $10 students

Sunday, August 16, 3 p.m. – High Tea with Valerie Tryon

St. John’s Anglican Church, 272 Wilson St. E., Ancaster

Pianist Valerie Tryon, a Festival favorite, performs an all-Mendelssohn program to mark the 200^th anniversary of the composer’s birth. She has selected Variations Sérieuses, Songs Without Words, Andante and Rondo Capriccioso and other works to perform. Traditional High Tea served at intermission. $40 $35 seniors and students

Thursday, August 20, 7:30 p.m. – Carmina Burana

Mohawk College, McIntyre Theatre, 135 Fennell Ave. W. (at West 5^th), Hamilton

National Academy Orchestra conducted by Boris Brott; Leslie Fagan, soprano; John MacMaster, tenor; Peter McGillivray, baritone; Arcady Singers, Brott Music Festival Choir
Carl Orff’s choral masterpiece Carmina Burana stuns the senses and runs the musical gamut with bawdy drinking songs, exquisite soprano solos and the overwhelming O Fortuna chorus.

Canadian tenor John MacMaster opens with three great tenor arias. The 2009 Festival and NAO take their final bows with Richard Strauss’s virtuosic tone poem Don Juan. $25 $20 seniors $10 students

OCNA, le 28 mars : Le maestro Boris Brott dirige « Bravo Beethoven »

Le maestro Boris Brott dirige « Bravo Beethoven » – le prochain concert des Aventures familiales TD Canada Trust, le 28 mars

Ottawa (Canada) – Le grand Ludwig Van Beethoven est à l'honneur au cours du prochain concert de la série Aventures familiales TD Canada Trust avec l'Orchestre du Centre national des Arts sous la direction du premier chef des concerts jeunesse et famille Boris Brott, le samedi 28 mars à 13 h 30 et 15 h 30. Le concert « Bravo Beethoven » met en vedette le comédien d'Ottawa Peter Duschenes, du Théâtre Platypus, dans le rôle du compositeur, avec le violoniste Nikki Chooi, le percussionniste de l'OCNA Kenneth Simpson au synthétiseur et un rassemblement de chœurs de jeunes de la région et du secteur scolaire coordonné par Barbara Clark. Les Aventures familiales TD Canada Trust sont des concerts bilingues parfaitement adaptés aux enfants de cinq ans et plus accompagnés de leurs amis adultes.

Le billet inclut les activités « Dorémiville » présentées avant le concert dans le Foyer du CNA par les Amis de l'Orchestre du CNA, 45 minutes avant le début de chaque concert, soit à 12 h 45 pour le premier concert et 14 h 45 pour le second.

Retrouvez Ludwig van Beethoven (incarné par Peter Duschenes) tandis qu'il redécouvre sa propre musique grâce à une prothèse auditive du XXI^e siècle. Les jeunes spectateurs pourront partager la joie de Beethoven à l'écoute de chefs-d'œuvre musicaux tels que la Cinquième Symphonie, la Symphonie « Héroïque », « La Bataille de Vitoria » et la tempête de la Symphonie « Pastorale ». Nikki Chooi, violoniste originaire de Victoria, ancien élève des conservatoires de Victoria et du Collège Mount Royal, qui a également participé à l'Institut estival de musique du CNA, jouera un extrait du Concerto pour violon de Beethoven. À la fin du concert, les membres de l'auditoire seront invités à chanter avec le chœur d'enfants le magnifique « Hymne à la joie » de la Neuvième Symphonie!

Le Centre national des Arts Centre dédie ces concerts à la mémoire de Mario Duschenes, célèbre flûtiste, compositeur et chef d'orchestre (et père de Peter Duschenes) qui est mort un peu plus tôt cette année. Mario Duschenes a dirigé les tout premiers concerts de l'Orchestre du CNA destinés au public familial et a continué à exercer ce rôle de 1973 à 1988. Il a dirigé l'Orchestre du CNA pour la dernière fois en 2001 pour la présentation du spectacle musical Des rebuts et des rythmes, une commande du CNA qui a été reprise en janvier dernier sous son nouveau titre : Musique au clair de lune.

Les activités « Dorémiville » présentées à l'occasion du concert « Bravo Beethoven » comprennent une exposition de la Bibliothèque publique d'Ottawa sur le thème de Beethoven; un coin d'activité animé par Musique pour Jeunes Enfants; une exposition touche-à-tout d'instruments à cordes présentée par l'Académie des orchestres des jeunes d'Ottawa; un coin de bricolage pour fabriquer des signets inspirés par Beethoven et une zone pour répéter l'Hymne à la joie de Beethoven en vue du concert. Le Chœur des jeunes de la région d'Ottawa, le Chœur d'enfants d'Ottawa, l'Ottawa Catholic School Board Choir, le chœur de jeunes filles Cantiamo d'Ottawa et l'École secondaire publique De La Salle disposeront de tables d'information.

Toutes les Aventures familiales TD Canada Trust bénéficient de l'OCNAtron présenté en collaboration avec la Télévision Rogers. Cinq caméras de télévision installées sur scène et dans la salle enregistrent en direct des images vidéo des musiciens pendant qu'ils jouent sur scène et les transmettent sur l'écran géant surplombant la scène, afin de permettre au public de suivre de près tout ce qui se passe.

L'Ottawa Citizen est le média partenaire des Aventures familiales TD Canada Trust avec l'Orchestre du CNA.

Les billets pour « Bravo Beethoven », spectacle présenté le samedi 28 mars à 13 h 30 et 15 h 30, incluant les activités « Dorémiville » avant le concert, sont en vente dès maintenant à 12 $ pour les enfants et 20 $ pour les adultes (TPS et frais d'établissement inclus dans les cas qui s'appliquent), à la Billetterie du CNA (du lundi au samedi de 10 h à 21 h) et par l'entremise du réseau Ticketmaster (frais de service en sus) au (613) 755-1111. Consultez le site Web du Centre national des Arts à l'adresse www.nac-cna.ca .

Formez un groupe de 10 personnes et plus et économisez de 15 % à 20 % sur le prix normal des billets pour l'Orchestre du CNA, la Danse et le Théâtre. Pour réserver, composez le 947-7000, poste 384, ou écrivez à grp@nac-cna.ca.

NACO, May 10: Eugene Levy - Music and Humour: TD Canada Trust Family Adventures

Ottawa (Canada) – Canada’s own crazy comedian Eugene Levy joins the National Arts Centre Orchestra for Music and Humour, the final TD Canada Trust Family Adventures concerts of the season on Saturday, May 10 at 13:30 and 15:30 in the afternoon. Eugene Levy and Principal Youth and Family Conductor Boris Brott, with the help of Ottawa actor Pierre Brault, pianist Gabriel Thibaudeau, and the Bangers and Smash percussion duo, will take the NAC Orchestra on a romp through the funny side of music. Meet the many composers who had a well developed funny bone in a concert that will leave you in hysterics! The one-hour bilingual TD Canada Trust Family Adventures with the NAC Orchestra 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 for the first concert and 14:45 for the second concert. Activities on May 10 include a percussion instrument petting zoo led by students from the Ottawa Youth Orchestra and the University of Ottawa; a display of humorous books from the Ottawa Public Library; a Tongue-Twister bowl; comedy improvisation with the students of Lisgar Collegiate Institute’s Improv Team; a sing-along of funny songs with Music for Young Children; a display of Chuckle Bros cartoons with NACO violinist Brian Boychuk, and a craft station where kids can make their own hippo pencil toppers.

Eugene Levy was one of the founding members of Second City (SCTV) and has appeared as supporting actor in a long string of movies including the American Pie series, three Christopher Guest “mockumentaries” which he co-wrote – A Mighty Wind, Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show – and four movies with Steve Martin including Father of the Bride. He has been inducted twice into the Canadian Walk of Fame – both as a member of SCTV in 2002 and solo in 2006 – and one week prior to the NAC Orchestra concert he is being honoured for Lifetime Achievement at the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards at the NAC where his longtime friend Martin Short will be his presenter.

The concert includes musical selections from Haydn’s Surprise Symphony; Leroy Anderson’s The Waltzing Cat; Big Business both written and performed by pianist Gabriel Thibaudeau, and themes from Hockey Night in Canada and The Simpsons. John Serry’s Waltz will be performed on percussion by Bangers and Smash, and Leopold Mozart’s Toy Symphony will be performed with the help of some young members of the audience. Eugene Levy together with Pierre Brault will provide the hilarious baseball sportscasting for Peter Schikele’s famous take on Beethoven’s Fifth. The concert will also incorporate cartoons by the NAC Orchestra’s own funnyman Brian Boychuk of the internationally syndicated Chuckle Bros comic strip.

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 Music and Humour with Eugene Levy on Saturday, May 10 at 13:30 and 15:30, including TuneTown Pre-Concert Activities, are $12.00 for children and $20.00 for adults (including GST and Facility Fee where applicable). They are on sale now at the NAC Box Office (Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 21:00), 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.

J.S. Bach Meets the Great Glenn Gould at the next TD Canada Trust Family Adventures with the NAC Orchestra conducted by Boris Brott on February 9

Ottawa (Canada) - The TD Canada Trust Family Adventures with the National Arts Centre Orchestra series continues on Saturday, February 9 with J.S. Bach Meets the Great Glenn Gould at 13:30 and 15:30 in the afternoon with pre-concert activities in TuneTown beginning 45 minutes prior to each concert. Principal Youth and Family Conductor Boris Brott returns to the podium for the bilingual concerts which are perfect for kids 5 and up, and their grown-up friends. He is joined by the brilliant young Calgary pianist Jan Lisiecki, Ottawa's fiddling sensation Sarah Burnell and the Sarah Burnell Band, Stellae Boreales (SuzukiMusic senior string ensemble), organist Thomas Annand, and the Christ Church Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys.

Johann Sebastian Bach (performed by actor Luc Thériault) visits the NAC Orchestra to tell you about his life and times, and of course his music. Audiences will hear musical excerpts from Bach's Magnificat, Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring and the B-Minor Mass performed by the Christ Church Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys; the Suite No. 2 featuring flutist Camille Churchfield; as well as the Brandenburg Concerto No. 5.and Concerto for Two Violins in D minor featuring Stellae Boreales. Star fiddler Sarah Burnell and her ensemble improvise on the Orchestral Suite No. 3. Jan Lisiecki, the 12-year-old piano prodigy who studies at Calgary's Mount Royal College Conservatory and has participated in the NAC Young Artists Programme, has already performed three times with the NAC Orchestra including this series, Canada Day celebrations, and the prestigious 2006 NAC Gala. He will perform Bach's Goldberg Variations as well as the Keyboard Concerto in B-flat major by Bach's son Johann Christian Bach. The concert includes a special appearance on the giant NACOtron screen by Glenn Gould, the legendary Canadian pianist and Bach specialist.

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 for the first concert and 14:45 for the second concert. The activities and community partners for J.S. Bach Meets the Great Glenn Gould include short recitals by students of the Ontario Registered Music Teachers Association; an Ottawa Public Library book display; a demonstration of how pianos are constructed and tuned with NACO piano tuner Don Côté; a percussion demo with Music for Young Children; an info booth with the Christ Church Cathedral Men & Boys Choir; a craft station to make Bach and Glenn Gould ID tags; an instrument petting zoo with stringed instruments, and a chance for subscribers to meet "Boris the Explorer". After the concert, the audience also has the chance to meet fiddler Sarah Burnell in the Foyer.

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 J.S. Bach Meets the Great Glenn Gould on Saturday, February 9 at 13:30 and 15:30, 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 10:00 to 21:00), 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.

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Jane Morris

Communications Officer/Agente de communication

National Arts Centre Orchestra/Orchestre du Centre national des Arts

Telephone/Téléphone: 613-947-7000 x 335

Fax: 613-996-2828

www.nac-cna.ca

www.artsalive.ca

Boris Brott conducts Beethoven at famed Italian concert hall

December 19, 2007

For immediate release

Boris Brott conducts Beethoven at famed Italian concert hall

VERONA, ITALY –Boris Brott becomes the first Canadian to conduct the world famous Arena di Verona orchestra and choir - totalling more than 200 singers and musicians – when he takes to the podium to perform Beethoven's Ninth Symphony this weekend.

The Arena di Verona – built in 30 AD – is one of the best preserved amphitheatres in the world and has become renowned for opera performances by legends like Maria Callas and Renata Tebaldi. Brott's performances will take place in the Teatro Filharmonico – the winter venue of the Arena's orchestra, opera and ballet companies.

"It's a thrill to make music here," says Brott. "Musicians here are so physically passionate about their music and they capture the true spirit of the work and share that with each other, the conductor and the audience."

A choir of 120 singers and orchestra of 90 players will be joined by international soloists Anna Katharina Behnk (soprano), Annely Peebo (mezzo), Kurt Azesberger (tenor) and Manfred Hemm (bass).

The performances of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 "Choral" in D minor, op. 125 take place on Saturday Dec. 22 and 23, 2007. Much like Handel's Messiah, Beethoven's Ninth is an annual Christmas musical tradition, particularly in Europe and Japan.

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For more information

Mary Pat Elliott

Community Relations, Brott Music '07

905.525.7664 x.10 or cell 905.512.3789