Ensemble contemporain de Montréal+

Ensemble contemporain de Montréal+ performs Generation 2008 on November 10 at Dominion-Chalmers United Church

Ottawa (Canada) – The National Arts Centre (NAC) and the Ottawa Chamber Music Society present Generation 2008, a performance by Montreal’s stellar Ensemble contemporain de Montréal+ celebrating some of Canada’s most talented and exciting young composers.

The performance takes place at 8 p.m. on Monday, November 10th , 2008, at Dominion-Chalmers United Church, 355 Cooper Street, Ottawa. Admission for this performance is on a “pay-what-you-can” basis.

This performance will showcase new works from composers Scott Good, Brian Harman and Fuhong Shi – all of whom have participated in the NAC Summer Music Institute Program – and by Michael Berger. The concert will also feature soloists Tim Brady on electric guitar and Scott Good on trombone. (See attached biographies).

PROGRAM:

Kaleidoscope, Fuhong Shi

Skeleton, Michael Berger

Gregarious Machines, Brian Harman (Soloist: Tim Brady, electric guitar)

Shock Therapy Variations, Scott Good (Soloists: Tim Brady, electric guitar; Scott Good, trombone)

BIOGRAPHIES

Composers

Michael Berger (b. 1980, British Columbia)

A graduate of the University of Victoria (2005) and the University of Alberta (2007), Michael is presently pursuing doctoral studies at Stanford University. In 2007 he was awarded a SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship for research in physical interaction design for electroacoustic performance practice. His music is often driven by extra-musical concepts, but always with careful consideration of sound as a physical medium and of energy in performance.

Scott Good (b. 1972, Ontario)

Scott completed his Doctor of Music degree at the University of Toronto in composition (2005) and is now appointed composer in residence at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Rooted in the classical tradition, Scott’s music draws infl uence from a wide variety of sources such as rock, jazz, and baroque as well as more abstract and esoteric musical concepts, such as serialism, extended techniques, and free improvisation.

Brian Harman (b. 1981, Quebec)

Now completing his doctorate at McGill, Brian holds degrees from McGill University and the University of Toronto. In 2007 he won a SOCAN prize for his piece sink. His music plays with the interaction between various musical layers, and is often inspired by non-classical music.

Fuhong Shi (b. 1976, Ontario)

Fuhong graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and from the University of Victoria. She is now pursuing her doctoral studies in composition at the University of Toronto. She was awarded the 2007 Karen Kieser Prize in Canadian Music. In her music, she explores colouristic effects, lyricism, as well as percussive sonorities.

Guest soloists

Tim Brady, electric guitar

Tim Brady is a composer and guitarist who has created music in a wide range of genres. He has been commissioned and performed by numerous ensembles and orchestras in North America, Europe and Australia. Brady regularly tours internationally as an electric guitar soloist, performing his own music as well as new works, which he commissions from other composers in his effort to create a new voice for the electric guitar. Tim Brady was awarded the Prix OPUS for «Composer of the Year» (2004), and the Jan V. Matejcek Award by SOCAN (2006).

Scott Good, trombone (See above)

Scott has served as a trombonist in many orchestras, including the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra, the National Ballet Orchestra, Esprit and Orchestra London, among others. Many of his works and performances have been heard on CBC radio.

Bach Children's Chorus, December concert

Bach Children's Chorus and Bach Chamber Youth Choir present Ring Bells Ring!—a family concert to celebrate the season

Get into the spirit of the season with the fresh young voices of the Bach Children's Chorus and Bach Chamber Youth Choir. These award-winning choirs will present their annual seasonal concert on December 6th at 7:30 pm. in the Recital Hall of the Toronto Centre for the Arts, where they are a Company in Residence. Repertoire for this concert has been selected to carry
you to a carefree enjoyment of the pleasures of the season!The programme will include music to delight all tastes traditional and contemporary carol settings, a tender Chanukah song, and, of course, songs about winter! As the concert title suggests, several songs about bells will be sung, including an energetic version of "Ding Dong, Merrily on High" for two pianists with choir. The tongue-in-cheek "Good King Kong" by Professor Peter Schikele (also known as P.D.Q. Bach) will be sung by the young women and men of the Bach Chamber Youth Choir. Music by Canadian composers Eleanor Daley, Chris Dedrick, Edith Harhhy, Keith Bissell, Bruce Sled and Alan Bevan
will share the evening with American composers Johnny Marks, Anita Kerr and Jerry Herman. A highlight of the concert will be the very popular "Carol of the Drum" by Katherine D. Davis, sung by all four choirs with a guest choir of tenors and basses made up from the many singing dads in the organization. As is traditional in BCC concerts, the audience will be invited to assist in carols throughout the concert. Featured professional instrumentalists will add to the colourful musical presentation throughout the programme.The Bach Children's Chorus is made up of singers aged 6 through 23, selected by audition from throughout the Greater Toronto area and surrounding areas. BCC choirs are known for their beautiful, musical sound, and are regular recipients of top awards from the Kiwanis Festival of Toronto and both the provincial and national levels of the Federation of Canadian Music Festivals.Tickets are available for $20 and $24 at the box office of the Toronto Centre for the Arts or by phoning Ticketmaster at 416.870.8000.

The Lost Generation

The Lost Generation

Evocations of a world that vanished in the devastation of the First World War

Featuring Colin Ainsworth, tenor and Jesse Clark, baritone

Tuesday, November 11, 2008 and Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Trinity St. Paul’s Centre

For Immediate Release, October 7, 2008: In the week of Remembrance Day, Toronto’s innovative Talisker Players return to Trinity St. Paul’s Centre with a program that evokes of a world that vanished in the devastation of the First World War. The Lost Generation is based on settings from A.E. Housman's A Shropshire Lad. Tenor Colin Ainsworth and baritone Jesse Clark join the Talisker Players for two evenings of chamber music: Tuesday, November 11 and Wednesday, November 12, at 8PM.

A.E. Housman's A Shropshire Lad, a large collection of 32 poems, appeared in 1896, and was in part a response to the tragedy of the Boer War. But the longing for lost innocence and for the simple pleasures of English rural life, which Housman captured so eloquently in these lyrical poems, became even more poignant in the context of World War I, and resonated strongly with a later generation of composers and audiences.

As 2008 marks the 50th anniversary of Ralph Vaughan Williams' death, The Lost Generation features one of his loveliest works, On Wenlock Edge. This setting of six of the poems, for tenor with string quartet and piano, is certainly the most famous and most popular song-cycle from A Shropshire Lad. Talisker Players complements this work by the little-known but equally beautifully Along the Field (also by Vaughan Williams), a simple setting of eight of the poems for tenor and violin.

The evening also includes music by two British composers of the generation hardest hit by WWI. The Western Playland is a setting of five of the Housman poems, for baritone with string quartet and piano, by Ivor Gurney, a gifted poet and composer whose physical and mental health were permanently impaired by his battlefield experiences. Songs from A Shropshire Lad is a cycle for baritone and piano by C.W. Orr, whose settings of Housman are some of the most beautiful ever, but who has been unjustly neglected both in his own lifetime and since.

To complete the programme, Talisker Players have commissioned a new work from Juliet Hess, a young Toronto composer who has begun to attract a lot of attention. The Poplars is a setting of four of the poems for baritone with string trio and piano.

Talisker Players’ concerts always include words as well as music. Readings for The Lost Generation will be from letters by Vera Brittain to the four young men – her brother, her fiancé and two of their close friends – whose experiences in World War I inspired her famous autobiography, Testament of Youth. Her letters powerfully evoke the experience of the war, with courage and humour. All four of the young men were killed in the war. Vera Brittain eventually returned to Oxford, studied international relations, and devoted her life to promoting peace and international cooperation.

Talisker Players is thrilled to welcome back tenor Colin Ainsworth, who has built an international reputation based on his lyric sound, impeccable diction and a diverse range of repertoire requiring emotional commitment and stylistic sophistication. Fresh from his debut with Lake George Opera in New York as Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi and Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance, Ainsworth continues to garner praise on the recital stage as well as in the opera world. This season’s highlights include performances in the title role of Pygmalion with Philharmonic Baroque of San Francisco (Nicolas McGegan conducting); in Die Zauberflöte with Opera Hamilton and Pacific Opera Victoria; and in Les Pêcheurs de perles and La Fille du Régiment with Edmonton Opera.

Toronto baritone Jesse Clark is one of the rising stars of his generation, praised as "vocally gripping" and "supremely inspired". As a participant in the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme in Aldeburgh, he appeared as Harlekin in an acclaimed production of Ariadne auf Naxos directed by Colin Graham. He later made his professional UK debut at the Aldeburgh Festival, as Henry Cuffe in Britten's Gloriana, conducted by Richard Hickox and recorded for the BBC. He is equally in demand in oratorio and as a recitalist. Jesse Clark graduated from the University of Toronto Faculty of Music's Opera Division. He also holds an Honours degree in English literature from Queen's University. This marks his debut with Talisker Players.

THE LOST GENERATION

Evocations of a world that vanished in the devastation of the First World War

Featuring Colin Ainsworth, tenor and Jesse Clark, baritone

Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 8PM and Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 8PM

Trinity St. Paul’s Centre: 427 Bloor Street West

TICKET INFORMATION

Individual tickets: $30 / $20 (seniors) / $10 (students)

Box office: 416-504-7529

Email: words.music@taliskerplayers.ca

Information: 416-466-1800

www.taliskerplayers.ca

New Works Calgary presents the Gryphon Trio Sept. 22, 8 pm

CALGARY - New Works Calgary presents Canada's premier chamber ensemble the GYPHON TRIO (Annalee Patipatanakoon, violin; Roman Borys, cello; Jamie Parker, piano) on Monday, September 22, 8 pm at the Eckhardt-Grammatté Hall, Rosza Centre.

The Gryphon Trio returns to Calgary in a unique multi-media program that pushes the boundaries of chamber music. After an inspiring tour of the Pacific Northwest, the Gryphon Trio sought out renowned composer Chan Ka-Nin to create a work that would attempt to capture the spirit and majesty of the remote areas of British Columbia and the Gwaii Haanas also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands. Described as enigmatic, stunning and mysterious, the work fuses the aboriginal culture with Chan's own musical language, influenced by his upbringing in Hong Kong. In concert, huge images of dramatic contemporary masks created by First Nations artists are projected above the Trio while they perform the music in virtual darkness. Developed by producer Robert Dewey, the visual component of this work compliments and intensifies the music resulting in an experience that is hauntingly beautiful, immersive and mesmerizing.

The Gryphon Trio have been called one of Canada's "premier chamber groups" by The Washington Post, and saluted for their "beautiful sound, superb ensemble and the highest order of musical sensitivity" by the Ottawa Citizen, which said, "there is not...a better chamber ensemble in Canada."

The cross-cultural exploration continues with the new music of Ukraine, with works by Valentin Silvestrov and Bohdana Frolyak. The program also features "Owl Song" by Calgary composer William Jordan, Kelly-Marie Murphy's "Memory, Distance and No Time for Dances" and "Lunar Reflections" by Heather Schmidt.

Tickets are available in advance at Campus Tickets 220 7202 or at the door: adults $20, seniors and students $15. www.newworkscalgary.ca

TSMF continues until August 17, 2008

TORONTO SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL

Elegant start to the Festival by pianist André Laplante;

more of the world's top interpretive artists still to comeŠ

After the brilliant opening concert of the 2008 Toronto Summer Music Festival, with Canadian pianist André Laplante at the historic Carlu, John Terauds of the Toronto Star wrote: "Laplante made magic as he performed Romantic pieces that are at the core of his specialty Š There was even more magic in the air, as the 1,000-strong audience gathered at the Carlu Š But there is much more inspirational music-making on offer to August 17 at the festival."

The Festival, now in its third year, runs until August 17 at various venues in Toronto. Artistic Director Agnes Grossmann's concept of programming an entire festival around a central theme, In the Fire of Conflict, is an innovative way to engage artists and audience in a spiritual and aesthetic conversation that creates an intense musical experience.

On August 5, MUSIC AND DANCE features dynamic cellist and Grammy-award winner, Denise Djokic, who will be joined by dance phenomenon Peggy Baker and percussionist Ryan Scott. The program pushes the barriers of convention in a sonic soundscape with the world premiere of In the Fire of Conflict, fusing classical music with elements of hip hop and play-back rapping, adding to the performance a new, younger sensibility.

PRESSLER AND FRIENDS, on August 9, brings pianist Menahem Pressler to the forefront. Honoured as one of the greatest chamber musicians of all time by the Concertgebouw and celebrated for his lifetime achievements by governments and cultural organizations around the world, Pressler will be accompanied by string superstars violinist Alexander Kerr, violist Roberto Diaz, and cellist Paul Watkins for a stellar piano quartet.

The four-week festival concludes with four fully-staged performances of Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos, conducted by Maestra Agnes Grossmann with stage direction by Titus Hollweg. Artistic Director and conductor Agnes Grossmann is one of the very few women on the international conducting circuit. She has just completed an extensive conducting tour of Asia and Italy, and is also the only woman to have held the position of Artistic Director of the Vienna Boys' Choir (during their 500th anniversary celebrations). Stage Director Titus Hollweg, son of famous tenor Werner Hollweg, is well known in the European opera world and has collaborated with Agnes Grossmann on a previous production of Ariadne auf Naxos, after initially meeting her as a young artist while singing with the Vienna Boys' Choir.

For a full listings or all concerts, master classes, and lectures, visit www.torontosummermusic.com.

TORONTO SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL

July 22 - August 17, 2008

Violin/Piano Recital: Mayumi Seiler & Tünde Kurucz: Thursday, July 24, 2008 at 8pm _*

In the Fire of Conflict: Suzie LeBlanc and Daniel Taylor: Saturday, July 26, 2008 at 8:00pm ***

Music and Painting: Molinari String Quartet: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 at 8pm _*

Revolution and Tyranny in Europe: Leipzig String Quartet: Saturday, August 2, 2008 at 8pm ***

Music and Dance: Denise Djokic: Tuesday, August 5, 2008 at 8pm _*

Chamber Music Treasures: Anton Kuerti: Thursday, August 7, 2008 at 8pm ***

Pressler and Friends: Saturday, August 9, 2008 at 8pm ***

Music and Masks: Gryphon Trio: Tuesday, August 12, 2008 at 8pm _*

Ariadne auf Naxos: Thursday, August 14, 2008 to Saturday, August 16, 2008 at 7:30pm;

Sunday, August 17, 2008 at 2:00pm ***

Festival passes ($175 - $250) and single tickets ($27 - $50) are available

online www.torontosummermusic.com or by calling 416.597.7840

* At Walter Hall, *** At MacMillan Theatre (Edward Johnson Building, Faculty of Music, 80 Queen's Park)

OCMS Festival Release

Countdown to Chamberfest 08!

(Early Bird passes available until June 30)

Ottawa (June 27, 2008) – The 15th edition of the world's largest Chamber Music Festival will open in 4 weeks time. For 16 days, from July 25 - August 9, chamber music will dominate Ottawa's cultural landscape with over 130 scheduled events and concerts, featuring some of the best musicians in the world. From morning chats with musicologist Harry Halbreich and Meet the Artist opportunities to Premium concerts and Late Night at the Legion jam sessions, there is something for everyone. So, don't forget to get your Early Bird pass by June 30 for extra savings!

"We've attempted to broaden the limits of chamber music collaboration as well as embrace the spirit of celebration. We believe chamber music is an art form of the future and it's been a thrill planning performances that include collaborations with multimedia, dance and choral components." - Roman Borys, Co-Artistic Director, Chamberfest

Programming Changes
Chamberfest regrets to announce that the internationally-renowned violinist Augustin Dumay has withdrawn from the Festival due to personal reasons. Dumay was scheduled to appear with acclaimed pianist, Louis Lortie on July 30 in a program of duets. Instead, Lortie will perform with protégés from the Imola Piano Institute in Italy. Philippe Ivanov, Orazio Sciortino, Jean-Philippe Sylvestre, Alessandro Taverna and Yingjia Xue will present dazzling works for one-piano, four-hands.

International pianist, Rian De Waal, has also withdrawn for personal reasons. De Waal was scheduled to perform Virtuosic Piano Transcriptions on July 29. This concert has been cancelled.

Premium Concerts:

July 25: Opening Gala: Tango Notturno with Isabel Bayrakdarian

July 26: Brass Bounty - Ottawa Festival Brass

July 28: Keller Quartet

July 30: Louis Lortie and Imola Pianists – Virtuosic Duets

August 2: St. Lawrence String Quartet and Friends Celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Banff Centre

August 3: Louis Lortie and Mathieu Roy's Death in Venice

August 7: Quartetto Gelato

August 8: Daniel Taylor and the Theatre of Early Music and Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie – Path to Paradise

August 9: Closing Gala: Chamberfest's 15th Anniversary Choral Extravaganza

Concerts FREE with Festival Pass

In addition to discounted tickets for the nine Premium concerts, with the purchase of a Festival Pass, holders can attend a phenomenal array of events including:

July 28: Messiaen @ 100 – Colour - For the End of Time The first of three concerts celebrating the centenary of Olivier Messiaen's birth, this concert will feature the Gryphon Trio and clarinettist James Campbell's celebrated rendition of Messiaen's monumental Quatuor pour la fin des temps that simulates the synesthetic experience through light projections. (Dominion-Chalmers, 8 pm)

August 4-6: Nexus "utterly spellbinding" – Montreal "picturesque - extraordinary" - Financial Times "mesmerizing, superbly musical" – Washington

Canada's own Nexus - one of the top percussion ensembles in the world - will delight concert-goers with a dazzling array of rhythms and sounds.

August 4: Nexus performs at Late Night at the Legion animating the silent movie Teddy at the Throttle (Royal Canadian Legion, 330 Kent St., 10:30 pm)

August 5: In concert (Museum of Civilization, 8 pm)

August 6: Young People's concert (Museum of Civilization, 1 pm)

July 27 & 29: Shauna Rolston "widely regarded as one of Canada's most exciting young artists" – Strad Magazine

Cellist Shauna Rolston will perform classical and romantic favourites including Rachmaninov's Élégiaque Trio, Op. 9. with Alexander Tselyakov and Erika Raum.

July 27: Meet the Artist (Perez Building, University of Ottawa, 1 pm)

July 27: In concert with Alexander Tselyakov (St. Andrew's, 8 pm)

July 29: In concert with pianist Heather Schmidt (St. Andrew's, 8 pm)

August 4: R. Murray Schafer @ 75 A celebration of R. Murray Schafer's 75th birthday. The concert will feature several artists performing works by the composer, including a world premiere of a duo for violin and piano that was co-commissioned by the OCMS, and will be performed by Duo Concertante. The event will also feature a performance of Schafer's Isfahan – where three brass quintets will use the entire performance space to perform this work. (Dominion-Chalmers, 8 pm) The evening begins with Schafer taking the first 30 concert goers on a "music walk" before the concert - a once-in-a-lifetime experience for these lucky festival patrons. (Dominion-Chalmers, 7 pm)

August 5: Wallis Giunta "The satin purity of her voice served the music to perfection." Richard Todd, Ottawa Citizen

Hugely popular at last year's Festival, Giunta returns to perform selections from Ravel's Shéhérezade and the Chants D'Auvergne by Joseph Canteloube. (St. John the Evangelist, noon)

Ticket Information Passes and tickets for Premium Concerts are available at the Chamberfest office, CD Warehouse, Books on Beechwood, The Leading Note, Collected Works and Ticketmaster. (See www.chamberfest.com for locations and phone numbers.)

Passes are $95 for adults and $45 for students. Until June 30th, they are available at an Early Bird rate of $85 for adults and $35 for students.

Premium concert tickets are $40 per person. Reserved seating is available for the Premium concerts for $55 per person. The purchase of a Festival pass will give patrons a 25% pass holder discount off the premium ticket price. Patrons can save up to $90 off the cost of premium tickets; in effect, offsetting the purchase price of the pass.

Toronto Summer Music Festival

TORONTO SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL

Highlights include performances by André Laplante and Anton Kuerti

and a fully staged production of Ariadne auf Naxos

Now in its third year, the TORONTO SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL, Artistic Director Agnes Grossmann, will present some of the world's finest artists in concerts of chamber music and opera from July 22 - August 17, 2008. Worldwide conflicts, whether they are social, political or religious, have produced powerful outpourings of artistic expression and this year's festival will explore these struggles under one unifying theme, In the Fire of Conflict.

The Festival features three new concert series this year: on Tuesdays the series will celebrate links between music, visual arts and dance; Thursday evenings will be devoted to chamber music; and Saturday nights will bring the world to Toronto (French, German, and New Worlds). Distinguished performers include pianist Anton Kuerti; the Leipzig String Quartet; pianist Menahem Pressler with violinist Alexander Kerr, violist Roberto Diaz and cellist Paul Watkins; the remarkable young cellist Denise Djokic with one of Canada's most prominent and innovative dancers Peggy Baker; the Gryphon Trio; Molinari Quartet; and a duo recital with violinist Mayumi Seiler and pianist Tünde Kurucz. The Festival opens with a very special performance of pianistic virtuosity by André Laplante at the historic Carlu.

The four-week festival culminates with four fully-staged performances of Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos, conducted by Maestra Grossmann with stage direction by Titus Hollweg of Vienna and pre-concert talks with operatic expert Iain Scott. The opera will be double cast with some of the world's best young singers, accompanied by the National Academy Orchestra. New this year is a three part pre-opera lecture series providing context to the story of Ariadne auf Naxos with Corey Keeble, Domenico Pietropaolo and Bryan Gilliam. "A Day at the Opera" introduces opera lovers to Ariadne with a performance by master storyteller Clayton Scott, followed by a hands-on clay workshop at the Gardiner Museum and concluding with the final opera performance of the TORONTO SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL.

TORONTO SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL

July 22 - August 17, 2008

André Laplante: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 at 8pm *

Violin/Piano Recital: Mayumi Seiler & Tünde Kurucz: Thursday, July 24, 2008 at 8pm _*

Music and Painting: Molinari String Quartet: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 at 8pm _*

Revolution and Tyranny in Europe: Leipzig String Quartet: Saturday, August 2, 2008 at 8pm ***

Music and Dance: Denise Djokic: Tuesday, August 5, 2008 at 8pm _*

Chamber Music Treasures: Anton Kuerti: Thursday, August 7, 2008 at 8pm ***

Pressler and Friends: Saturday, August 9, 2008 at 8pm ***

Music and Masks: Gryphon Trio: Tuesday, August 12, 2008 at 8pm _*

Ariadne auf Naxos: Thursday, August 14, 2008 to Saturday, August 16, 2008 at 7:30pm;

Sunday, August 17, 2008 at 2:00pm ***

Festival passes ($175 - $250) and single tickets ($27 - $50) are available online www.torontosummermusic.com or by calling 416.597.7840

* At the Carlu
** At Walter Hall

*** At MacMillan Theatre

COC's September Listings

FREE CONCERT SERIES IN THE

RICHARD BRADSHAW AMPHITHEATRE

September 16 to September 30, 2008

Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts

145 Queen St. W. (at University Ave.)

The Free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre begins a new season with concerts, performances and presentations by young musicians, Canadian and international opera stars and COC staff. This is an exciting opportunity for Torontonians to experience the artistic excellence and cultural diversity of the city. All performances are free to the public.

Date	Series	Artist
September 16, 2008 12 – 1 p.m.	Vocal Series	The COC Ensemble Studio and pianist Liz Upchurch present Meet the Young Artists, an opportunity for the 2008/09 Ensemble members to introduce themselves by singing their favourite arias.
September 17, 2008 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.	Piano Virtuoso Series	Canada’s premier piano duo James Anaganoson and Leslie Kinton present a dazzling piano-four-hands performance of Stravinsky’s Petrouchka suite in a spectacular arrangement by the composer.
September 18, 2008 12 – 1 p.m.	Jazz Series	Jazz pianist Chris Donnelly performs highlights from his highly anticipated debut CD Solo.
September 23, 2008 12 – 1 p.m.	Chamber Music Series	Under the direction of Mayumi Seiler, the acclaimed Via Salzburg Chamber Orchestra presents George Gershwin’s jazzy and lyrical Lullaby for String Orchestra and Marjan Mozetich’s Bassoon Concerto with special guest Michael Sweeney.
September 25, 2008 12 – 1 p.m.	Piano Virtuoso Series	In celebration of the COC’s staging of Prokofiev’s monumental opera War and Peace, 20-year-old award- winning Russian-Canadian pianist Alexander Seredenko presents Prokofiev Piano Sonatas 1 and 2. The complete piano sonatas of Prokofiev are presented throughout the season by some of the most exciting young pianists emerging from The Glenn Gould School.
September 30, 2008 12 – 1 p.m.	Vocal Series	The COC Ensemble Studio and pianist Liz Upchurch present Songs of Russia, an exploration of the passion and poignancy of the Russian operatic and art song repertoire, featuring some of the rarely heard songs of Prokofiev.

Last concert of the season

Come and hear why music and education go together! FACE School's Chamber Orchestra is raising money to participate in the 27^th World Conference of the International Society for Music Educators (ISME) in Bologna Italy. Play a part in helping 30 students travel to Bologna to represent Canada this summer.

Concerts are presented in cooperation with the Association Québécoise de Musicothérapie and the Learning Disabilities Association of Québec.

Tickets are $10 and available by calling 514-350-8899 ext 2412. For more information, you may also contact Kate Henderson at 514-499-7999 ext 6320.

Saturday, June 7, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.
Mountainside United Church
687 Roslyn Avenue corner The Boulevard
Westmount

Tickets for the concert are also available at :
Hogg's Hardware, Sherbrooke Street West, between Victoria and Grosvenor

NAC announces Summer Music at the National Arts Centre

Summer Music at the NAC includes Great Composers Series with Pinchas Zukerman, Orchestras in the Park, Through Roses, and visiting orchestras

Ottawa, Canada – The National Arts Centre today announced details of Summer Music at the NAC, a festival of summer concerts by the NAC Orchestra and others. The line-up includes three “Great Composers Concerts” featuring Pinchas Zukerman and the NAC Orchestra in Southam Hall; a special presentation of Marc Neikrug’s music-theatre piece Through Roses starring Pinchas Zukerman and Saul Rubinek; four Orchestras in the Park concerts outdoors in LeBreton Flats Park presented in collaboration with the National Capital Commission beginning with Measha Brueggergosman and Richard Margison in “Opera Under the Stars”; and concerts by the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, l’Orchestre de la francophonie canadienne and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. Concerts are either free or priced at special low summer prices.

The three “Great Composers Concerts” by the NAC Orchestra led by Pinchas Zukerman in Southam Hall take place on Thursday, July 3 (Rachmaninov’s White Night with pianist Katherine Chi and Pinchas Zukerman as violin soloist as well as conductor); Tuesday, July 8 (Zukerman’s Romance featuring the 2008 Gilmore Young Artist Adam Golka on piano, and Zukerman again as violin soloist as well as conductor), and Thursday, July 10 (Mendelssohn’s Italy featuring pianist Angela Cheng).

These three concerts start at 7:30 pm and are available at the special summer price of $19 per concert or $39 for all three. Le Café is providing a tempting summer menu in the newly renovated Outdoor Terrace for those who would like to begin or end their evening by the canal.

Through Roses is a gripping and sensitive music-drama for narrator and eight solo instruments depicting the inner turmoil of a Holocaust survivor who was once destined to be a great violinist. Through Roses was composed in 1980 by acclaimed composer Marc Neikrug (well known to Ottawa audiences as Pinchas Zukerman’s recital partner) and has been performed hundreds of times and translated into 11 languages. On Tuesday, July 15 and Wednesday, July 16 at 7:30 pm, Saul Rubinek, Canadian star of stage and screen, is the narrator and Pinchas Zukerman is the violinist for two special performances of Through Roses in the Barney Danson Theatre at the Canadian War Museum presented in conjunction with Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race, an exhibition organized and circulated by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Tickets at $24 are available at both the NAC and the Canadian War Museum.

From July 17 to 20 at 7:30 pm, the National Arts Centre Orchestra will present its second 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. The series begins on Thursday, July 17 with “Opera Under the Stars” featuring two Canadian superstars – soprano Measha Brueggergosman and tenor Richard Margison – in a programme of opera’s greatest hits conducted by Alain Trudel with the Opera Lyra Chorus directed by Laurence Ewashko. On Friday, July 18, the Orchestre de la francophonie canadienne takes over the outdoor stage led by Jean-Philippe Tremblay and featuring soprano Marianne Fiset, Grand Prize winner of the 2007 Montreal International Musical Competition. The National Arts Centre Orchestra returns on Saturday, July 19 with Canadian folk-country icon Ian Tyson celebrating his 75^th birthday. Orchestras in the Park concludes with pianist Jon Kimura Parker and NAC Orchestra violinist Jessica Linnebach as soloists with the NAC Orchestra led again by Alain Trudel in a programme including dazzling showpieces by Rachmaninov and Sarasate. Orchestras in the Park concerts are free with no tickets required.

Three visiting orchestras will perform in Southam Hall as part of Summer at the NAC. On Saturday, June 28 at 7:30 pm, the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra makes its NAC debut in an exciting programme by the best and brightest composers of today featuring the NAC Orchestra’s principal horn Lawrence Vine as soloist. Tickets are $15. Two free concerts complete the summer’s musical offerings: On Wednesday, July 23 at 7:30 pm, the Orchestre de la francophonie canadien led by Jean-Philippe Tremblay will return, and on Friday, July 25, the National Youth Orchestra of Canada led by Jacques Lacombe makes its annual visit to the Capital.

There are also numerous public concerts presented as part of the 10^th annual Summer Music Institute during the month of June. These have been announced separately.

And don’t forget to visit the National Arts Centre on Canada Day where activities will take place all day long including a massed choral performance by Unisong 2008 at 10 am in Southam Hall and two concerts by the NAC Orchestra led by Pinchas Zukerman at 2:30 pm and 7:30 pm.

Tickets for Summer at the National Arts Centre 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. Ticketmaster may also be accessed through the NAC’s website at www.nac-cna.ca.

CHRONOLOGICAL LISTING OF EVENTS

Manitoba Chamber Orchestra

Saturday, June 28

Southam Hall at 7:30 pm

Anne Manson, conductor

Lawrence Vine, horn

WOJCIECH KILAR Orawa

LARS-ERIK LARSON Concertino for Horn and String Orchestra, Op. 45

REGER Scherzino for Horn and String Orchestra

JOHN ESTACIO Such Sweet Sorrow (MCO commission)

BARTOK Divertimento

PETER HEIDRICH Theme and Variations on Happy Birthday

Tickets: $15

Canada Day

Tuesday, July 1

Southam Hall at 10 am

Unisong Massed Choir

Mark Sirett, director

A massed choir of 400 voices from across Canada sings in honour of Canada’s birthday.

Southam Hall at 2:30 pm and 7:30 pm

National Arts Centre Orchestra

Pinchas Zukerman, conductor

Unisong Massed Choir

Members of the NAC Summer Music Institute

Free admittance: No tickets required

Great Composers: Rachmaninov’s White Night

Wednesday, July 3

Southam Hall at 7:30 pm

National Arts Centre Orchestra

Pinchas Zukerman, conductor / violin

Katherine Chi, piano

RACHMANINOV Vocalise

PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No. 3

RACHMANINOV Symphony No. 2

Tickets: $19 (or all three Great Composers concerts for $39)

Great Composers: Zukerman’s Romance

Tuesday, July 8

Southam Hall at 7:30 pm

National Arts Centre Orchestra

Pinchas Zukerman, conductor and violin

Adam Golka, piano

BEETHOVEN Romance for Violin and Orchestra

MOZART Piano Concerto No. 23

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 1

Tickets: $19 (or all three Great Composers concerts for $39)

Great Composers: Mendelssohn’s Italy

Thursday, July 10

Southam Hall at 7:30 pm

National Arts Centre Orchestra

Pinchas Zukerman, conductor

Angela Cheng, piano

BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 1

MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 4, “Italian”