Richard Egarr joins Handel and Haydn Society for "Mozart and Beethoven"

Music Director of the Academy of Ancient Music Joins Society for a Program of Beethoven and Mozart

Richard Egarr conducts symphonies and leads a Mozart piano concerto from the fortepiano

WHEN: Friday, November 7, 2008, at 8pm

Sunday, November 9, 2008, at 3pm

WHERE: Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston

WHAT: Richard Egarr, Music Director of the UK’s Academy of Ancient Music, joins the Handel and Haydn Society in the second program of its “Celebration 2009” Season, which commemorates the legacies of its two namesake composers. Hailed as “The Bernstein of Early Music” by National Public Radio, Egarr will lead Mozart’s virtuosic Piano Concert No. 23 from the fortepiano. Egarr will also conduct the Handel and Haydn Period-Instrument Orchestra in symphonies by Mozart and Beethoven, as well as the dramatic overture to Beethoven’s only full ballet score, Creatures of Prometheus.

This repertoire highlights the historical relationship of Mozart and Beethoven to the earlier works of Handel and to their Classical contemporary Haydn: Haydn and Mozart had a close personal relationship, Beethoven studied with Haydn for a brief time, and Handel’s works were quite popular in Vienna. Beethoven and Mozart built upon the musical ideas of the Society’s namesake composers to further develop the sound of the Classical orchestra.

PROGRAM:

Mozart: Symphony No. 1

Piano Concerto No. 23

Beethoven: Overture to Creatures of Prometheus

Symphony No. 8

WHO: Richard Egarr, conductor/fortepiano

Handel and Haydn Society Period-Instrument Orchestra

HOW: Tickets range from $20-$75, and may be purchased online at www.handelandhaydn.org, by phone at 617 266 3605, or in person at the Handel and Haydn office, Horticultural Hall, 300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston (M-F 10am-6pm).

BIOGRAPHIES:

Richard Egarr

Richard Egarr has performed keyboard music from fifteenth-century organ intabulations to Dussek and Chopin on early pianos, to Berg and Maxwell Davies on modern piano. He is in great demand as a soloist; as orchestral soloist he has worked with the Academy of Ancient Music, English Concert, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Orchestra of the 18^th Century and the Dutch Radio Chamber Orchestra. With violinist Andrew Manze he has toured extensively throughout Europe, North-America, Korea and Japan.

As a conductor Richard has worked with specialised ensembles and modern orchestras alike, in repertoire from Bach’s St. Matthew Passion to Taverner’s Ikon of Light. In 2006, he was appointed Music Director of the Academy of Ancient Music. Richard has directed many oratorios and operas, notably from Handel. He has conducted the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the Flemish Radio Orchestra and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Portland Baroque and Tafelmusik. Next year Richard will conduct the Residentie Orchestra, the Brabant Orchestra, the Flemish Radio Orchestra and Choir and Collegium Vocale Ghent.

Richard Egarr records exclusively for Harmonia Mundi USA. Recent additions to his vast discography are Bach’s Goldberg Variations, his Well-Tempered Clavier and Sonatas by Mozart and Schubert with Andrew Manze. With the AAM he has recorded the Bach harpsichord concertos and an entire set of Handel discs including the Concerti grossi Op. 3, the Organ Concertos Op. 4 and 7 and his Sonatas Op. 1 and 5.

The Handel and Haydn Society is a professional chorus and period-instrument orchestra and an internationally recognize­d leader in the field of historically-informed performance. Founded in Boston in 1815, the Society is the oldest continuously performing arts organization in the United States, with a long history of innovation: it gave the American premieres of Handel’s Messiah (1818), Haydn’s The Creation (1819), Verdi’s Requiem (1878), Bach’s Mass in B Minor (1887), and Bach’s St. Matthew Passion (1889). The Society today, under the leadership of Artistic Director Designate Harry Christophers, Artistic Advisor Sir Roger Norrington, Principal Conductor Grant Llewellyn, and Conductor Laureate Christopher Hogwood, is committed to its mission “to perform Baroque and Classical music at the highest levels of artistic excellence and to share that music with as large and diverse an audience as possible.” The Massachusetts Cultural Council has lauded the organization for its “willingness to take risks and explore new musical horizons.”

Opera Atelier presents The Abduction from the Seraglio

Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio fuses comedy and exoticism to brilliant effect

Toronto, ON (October 2, 2008) …Opera Atelier’s 2008/09 season begins with a new production of Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio which runs at the Elgin Theatre November 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, and 15, 2008. Originally commissioned by Austrian Emperor Joseph II, the opera was an instant success upon its 1782 premiere in Vienna. Opera Atelier’s resident designer Gerard Gauci has created a spectacular new production that evokes the exoticism that enthralled 18^th-century Europe at the time of the opera’s premiere.

The Abduction from the Seraglio presents a classic commedia dell’ arte scenario in which a beautiful young person (male or female) is sequestered away from the world by a controlling guardian or spouse. In the opera, the Spanish nobleman Belmonte and his servant Pedrillo plot to rescue their girlfriends Konstanze and Blondie from the harem of Pasha Selim. Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio allows this classic commedia dell’ arte plot line to be played out to brilliant effect as the Turkish and European worlds collide in hilarious contrast.

The Abduction from the Seraglio marks the company debut of Canadian tenor Frédéric Antoun as Belmonte, American coloratura soprano Amanda Pabyan as his fiancée Konstanze, and Norwegian-American bass Gustav Andreassen as Osmin, overseer for the Pasha. The production also features soprano Carla Huhtanen in the role of Blondie, Konstanze’s British maid, tenor Lawrence Wiliford as Pedrillo, bass-baritone Curtis Sullivan as Pasha Selim, and Artists of Atelier Ballet. David Fallis conducts the Tafelmusik Orchestra.

This new production is directed by Marshall Pynkoski and choreographed by Jeannette Lajeunesse-Zingg, Opera Atelier's co-artistic directors, with set designs by Gerard Gauci, costumes by Margaret Lamb, and lighting by Kevin Fraser.

Performances are at Toronto’s Elgin Theatre (189 Yonge Street) and begin at 7:30 p.m. with the exception of the November 9^th matinee at 3 p.m., and will be sung in German with English SURTITLES^TM with the spoken text delivered in English.

Mozart Brahms Festival includes Pinchas Zukerman, Itzhak Perlman, Zubin Mehta, and more!

The NAC Orchestra launches its 08-09 season with a Mozart Brahms Festival led by Music Director Pinchas Zukerman, including special guests Itzhak Perlman, Zubin Mehta, Janina Fialkowska, the Tokyo Quartet and more, Sept. 23-Oct 2

Ottawa, Canada – Pinchas Zukerman opens his tenth season as Music Director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra on Tuesday, September 23 with a Mozart Brahms Festival that runs until Thursday, October 2. For ten magnificent days these two classical titans meet face to face in concerts featuring such superstars as violinist Itzhak Perlman, conductor Zubin Mehta, pianist Janina Fialkowska, the Tokyo and Escher String Quartets and Pinchas Zukerman as conductor, violinist and violist. Audiences will hear how each composer illuminates the other through orchestral, vocal, chamber and family concerts including pre- and post-concert talks given by media and musical celebrities. There are five orchestral concerts on September 23, 24 and 27, and October 1 and 2 in Southam Hall at 8 p.m.; four chamber music concerts at the National Gallery of Canada on September 26 and 28 and October 1 and 2 (at various times); and two separate daytime family events on September 27. (A chronological listing of concerts follows.)

The Festival includes pre-concert talks at 7 p.m. prior to each of the five orchestral concerts, in English on Sept. 23, 27 and Oct. 2, and in French on Sept. 24 and Oct. 1. Speakers include CBC Radio personalities Eric Friesen, Alan Neal and Jill LaForty, and music critics Richard Todd, Jean-Jacques Van Vlasselaer and François Tousignant. In addition, on Sept. 27 principal bassoon Christopher Millard will record a podcast with Pinchas Zukerman and his daughter Arianna Zukerman in front of a live audience for the Orchestra’s renowned NACOcast series.

The musical content of the Festival includes all four Brahms symphonies, with Nos. 1, 3 and 4 conducted by Pinchas Zukerman and No. 2 conducted by Zubin Mehta in his NAC Orchestra debut. Mehta will also lead Pinchas Zukerman in the Brahms Violin Concerto; violinist Itzhak Perlman will join violist Zukerman for Mozart’s Duo for Violin and Viola in G major and Sinfonia Concertante; pianist Janina Fialkowska will perform Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24; and Pinchas Zukerman will conduct Mozart’s Requiem with his daughter soprano Arianna Zukerman, mezzo-soprano Heather Johnson, tenor Wesley Rogers and bass John Fanning, with the Cantata Singers of Ottawa, the Ottawa Choral Society and the Ottawa Festival Chorus under chorus master Duain Wolfe. The concerts on Sept. 23 and 24 are also the opening concerts of the Mark Motors Audi Signature Series, and the concerts on Oct. 1 and 2 are the opening concerts of the Ovation Series.

CBC Radio 2 (103.3) is the official broadcast partner of the Festival. All four Brahms Symphonies plus the Violin Concerto are being recorded by CBC Radio 2 for broadcast on Tempo hosted by Julie Nesrallah and Sunday Afternoon in Concert hosted by Bill Richardson.

The world-famous Tokyo String Quartet will perform two different programmes combining Mozart, Brahms, Haydn and Webern on September 26 at 8 p.m. and on September 28 at 2 p.m. (the latter doubling as the opening chamber music concert of the Music for a Sunday Afternoon series). The rising star Escher Quartet, made up of four of Pinchas Zukerman’s students from the NAC Summer Music Institute and the Manhattan School of Music, will perform Mozart, Brahms and Beethoven in two different programmes in the Rideau Chapel of the National Gallery at 12 noon on October 1 and 2.

There are two family events on Saturday, September 27. The Shoestring Opera will present a show for children aged 5 to 8 based on Mozart’s Magic Flute in the Panorama Room at 11 a.m. At 3 p.m. there will be an interactive workshop exploring the NAC’s Flentrop Organ for ages 8 to 15 given by organist Thomas Annand and Ian MacKay of the Royal Canadian College of Organists.

COMPLETE MOZART BRAHMS FESTIVAL PROGRAMMING

ITZHAK AND PINCHAS

Tuesday, September 23 at 8 p.m.

Mark Motors Audi Signature Series and Mozart Brahms Festival

Pinchas Zukerman, conductor, viola

Itzhak Perlman, violin

MOZART Duo for violin and viola in G major

MOZART Sinfonia concertante

BRAHMS Symphony No. 1

Pre-Concert Chat at 19:00 (in English)

“The Mozart/Brahms Connection”

with CBC Radio Network Host Eric Friesen

ITZHAK AND PINCHAS ENCORE

Wednesday, September 24 at 8 p.m.

Mark Motors Audi Signature Series and Mozart Brahms Festival

Pinchas Zukerman, conductor, viola

Itzhak Perlman, violin

MOZART Duo for violin and viola in G major

MOZART Sinfonia concertante

BRAHMS Symphony No. 4

Pre-Concert Chat at 19:00 (in French)

“Aimez-vous Brahms? Et Mozart?”

with music critic Jean Jacques Van Vlasselaer

TOKYO STRING QUARTET

Friday, September 26 at 8 p.m.

Mozart Brahms Festival

National Gallery of Canada Auditorium

Tokyo String Quartet

HAYDN String Quartet No. 60 in G major, Op. 76, No. 1

MOZART String Quartet No. 22 in B-flat major, “Prussian 2”

BRAHMS String Quartet No. 1 in C minor

SHOESTRING MAGIC FLUTE

Saturday, September 27 at 11:00 (in English)

Mozart Brahms Festival

Panorama Room: mats for children and chairs for grown-ups (for ages 5-8)

Based on Mozart’s famous opera, Shoestring Opera presents the story of Allegra, lost in a dark forest on her way home from school. Enter Papageno, a feathered birdcatcher pursued by a Dragon – and the fun, adventure and glorious singing begin! Featuring two singer-actors, a cellist, a pianist and Mozart’s beautiful music this is an ideal child’s introduction to the joy of opera.

EXPLORE THE FLENTROP ORGAN

Saturday, September 27 at 3 p.m.

Mozart Brahms Festival

For ages 8-15

Southam Hall backstage

Thomas Annand, organ

Ian MacKay, Royal Canadian College of Organists

Ever wonder why the organ is called “the king of instruments”? Find out in this exciting interactive workshop especially for families held backstage in Southam Hall. Hear the music of Mozart and Brahms as your children explore the massive Flentrop organ, a thank-you gift to the NAC from the Dutch community in Canada.

MOZART’S TRANSCENDENT REQUIEM

Saturday, September 27 at 8 p.m.

Mozart Brahms Festival

Pinchas Zukerman, conductor

Arianna Zukerman, soprano

Heather Johnson, mezzo-soprano

Wesley Rogers, tenor

John Fanning, bass-baritone

Cantata Singers of Ottawa

Ottawa Choral Society

Ottawa Festival Chorus

Duain Wolfe, chorus master

MOZART Requiem

Musically Speaking Pre-Concert Chat at 19:00 (in English)

“Eyeing Eternity”

CBC Radio host Alan Neal leads a discussion with CBC Radio Music Producer Jill LaForty

Musically Speaking Post-Concert Talkback (in English)

NACOcast host and principal bassoon Christopher Millard hosts a podcast with Pinchas Zukerman and his daughter Arianna Zukerman.

TOKYO STRING QUARTET

Sunday, September 28

Music for a Sunday Afternoon and Mozart Brahms Festival

National Gallery of Canada Auditorium at 2 p.m.

Tokyo String Quartet

Pinchas Zukerman, viola

Amanda Forsyth, cello

WEBERN String Quartet, Op. 28

HAYDN String Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 50, No. 1
BRAHMS String Sextet No. 2 in G major, Op. 36

ESCHER STRING QUARTET

Wednesday, October 1 at 12 noon

Mozart Brahms Festival

National Gallery of Canada Rideau Chapel

Escher String Quartet

MOZART Quartet No. 14 in G major, K. 387
BEETHOVEN Quartet Op. 59, No. 3

MEHTA, ZUKERMAN AND BRAHMS

Wednesday, October 1 at 8 p.m.

Ovation Series and Mozart Brahms Festival

Zubin Mehta, conductor

Pinchas Zukerman, violin

BRAHMS Violin Concerto

BRAHMS Symphony No. 2

Pre-Concert Chat at 19:00 (in French)

“Après l’art pour l’art, voici la musique pour la musique”

with Montreal music critic and composer François Tousignant

ESCHER STRING QUARTET

Thursday, October 2 at 12 noon

Mozart Brahms Festival

National Gallery of Canada Rideau Chapel

Escher String Quartet

MOZART Quartet No. 17, B-flat major, K. 458, "The Hunt"
BRAHMS Quartet No. 3 in B-flat major

THE PASSION OF MOZART AND BRAHMS

Thursday, October 2 at 8 p.m.

Ovation Series and Mozart Brahms Festival

Pinchas Zukerman, conductor

Janina Fialkowska, piano

MOZART Overture to Così fan tutte

MOZART Piano Concerto No. 24

BRAHMS Symphony No. 3

Pre-Concert Chat at 19:00 (in English)

“What Mozart forgot to tell Brahms”

with Ottawa Citizen music critic Richard Todd

Tickets 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.

Tickets for the NAC Orchestra concerts in Southam Hall at 8 p.m. (if available) are $39 to $115 on Sept. 23 and 24; $25 to $89 on Sept. 27 and Oct. 1; and $19 to $86 on Oct. 2 (5% GST and Facility Fee included). The Tokyo Quartet concerts in the Auditorium of the National Gallery are $29 and the Escher Quartet concerts in the Rideau Chapel are $ 20. The Shoestring Magic Flute and Explore the Flentrop Organ, both on Sept. 27, are $8 for children and $14 for adults.

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 at $11 (subject to availability) are available for full-time students aged 13 to 29 between 2 p.m the day before a performance until 6 p.m the day of the performance, 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. Subscriptions are also still available by calling the Subscription Office at 613-947-7000, ext. 620.

NACO, Sept. 23-Oct 2: Mozart Brahms Festival includes Pinchas Zukerman, Itzhak Perlman, Zubin Mehta, and more!

The NAC Orchestra launches its 08-09 season with a Mozart Brahms Festival led by Music Director Pinchas Zukerman, including special guests Itzhak Perlman, Zubin Mehta, Janina Fialkowska, the Tokyo Quartet and more, Sept. 23-Oct 2

Ottawa, Canada – Pinchas Zukerman opens his tenth season as Music Director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra on Tuesday, September 23 with a Mozart Brahms Festival that runs until Thursday, October 2. For ten magnificent days these two classical titans meet face to face in concerts featuring such superstars as violinist Itzhak Perlman, conductor Zubin Mehta, pianist Janina Fialkowska, the Tokyo and Escher String Quartets and Pinchas Zukerman as conductor, violinist and violist. Audiences will hear how each composer illuminates the other through orchestral, vocal, chamber and family concerts including pre- and post-concert talks given by media and musical celebrities. There are five orchestral concerts on September 23, 24 and 27, and October 1 and 2 in Southam Hall at 8 p.m.; four chamber music concerts at the National Gallery of Canada on September 26 and 28 and October 1 and 2 (at various times); and two separate daytime family events on September 27. (A chronological listing of concerts follows.)

The Festival includes pre-concert talks at 7 p.m. prior to each of the five orchestral concerts, in English on Sept. 23, 27 and Oct. 2, and in French on Sept. 24 and Oct. 1. Speakers include CBC Radio personalities Eric Friesen, Alan Neal and Jill LaForty, and music critics Richard Todd, Jean-Jacques Van Vlasselaer and François Tousignant. In addition, on Sept. 27 principal bassoon Christopher Millard will record a podcast with Pinchas Zukerman and his daughter Arianna Zukerman in front of a live audience for the Orchestra’s renowned NACOcast series.

The musical content of the Festival includes all four Brahms symphonies, with Nos. 1, 3 and 4 conducted by Pinchas Zukerman and No. 2 conducted by Zubin Mehta in his NAC Orchestra debut. Mehta will also lead Pinchas Zukerman in the Brahms Violin Concerto; violinist Itzhak Perlman will join violist Zukerman for Mozart’s Duo for Violin and Viola in G major and Sinfonia Concertante; pianist Janina Fialkowska will perform Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24; and Pinchas Zukerman will conduct Mozart’s Requiem with his daughter soprano Arianna Zukerman, mezzo-soprano Heather Johnson, tenor Wesley Rogers and bass John Fanning, with the Cantata Singers of Ottawa, the Ottawa Choral Society and the Ottawa Festival Chorus under chorus master Duain Wolfe. The concerts on Sept. 23 and 24 are also the opening concerts of the Mark Motors Audi Signature Series, and the concerts on Oct. 1 and 2 are the opening concerts of the Ovation Series.

The world-famous Tokyo String Quartet will perform two different programmes combining Mozart, Brahms, Haydn and Webern on September 26 at 8 p.m. and on September 28 at 2 p.m. (the latter doubling as the opening chamber music concert of the Music for a Sunday Afternoon series). The rising star Escher Quartet, made up of four of Pinchas Zukerman’s students from the NAC Summer Music Institute and the Manhattan School of Music, will perform Mozart, Brahms and Beethoven in two different programmes in the Rideau Chapel of the National Gallery at 12 noon on October 1 and 2.

There are two family events on Saturday, September 27. The Shoestring Opera will present a show for children aged 5 to 8 based on Mozart’s Magic Flute in the Panorama Room at 11 a.m. At 3 p.m. there will be an interactive workshop exploring the NAC’s Flentrop Organ for ages 8 to 15 given by organist Thomas Annand and Ian MacKay of the Royal Canadian College of Organists.

COMPLETE MOZART BRAHMS FESTIVAL PROGRAMMING

ITZHAK AND PINCHAS

Tuesday, September 23 at 8 p.m.

Mark Motors Audi Signature Series and Mozart Brahms Festival

Pinchas Zukerman, conductor, viola

Itzhak Perlman, violin

MOZART Duo for violin and viola in G major

MOZART Sinfonia concertante

BRAHMS Symphony No. 1

Pre-Concert Chat at 19:00 (in English)

“The Mozart/Brahms Connection”

with CBC Radio Network Host Eric Friesen

ITZHAK AND PINCHAS ENCORE

Wednesday, September 24 at 8 p.m.

Mark Motors Audi Signature Series and Mozart Brahms Festival

Pinchas Zukerman, conductor, viola

Itzhak Perlman, violin

MOZART Duo for violin and viola in G major

MOZART Sinfonia concertante

BRAHMS Symphony No. 4

Pre-Concert Chat at 19:00 (in French)

“Aimez-vous Brahms? Et Mozart?”

with music critic Jean Jacques Van Vlasselaer

TOKYO STRING QUARTET

Friday, September 26 at 8 p.m.

Mozart Brahms Festival

National Gallery of Canada Auditorium

Tokyo String Quartet

HAYDN String Quartet No. 60 in G major, Op. 76, No. 1

MOZART String Quartet No. 22 in B-flat major, “Prussian 2”

BRAHMS String Quartet No. 1 in C minor

SHOESTRING MAGIC FLUTE

Saturday, September 27 at 11:00 (in English)

Mozart Brahms Festival

Panorama Room: mats for children and chairs for grown-ups (for ages 5-8)

Based on Mozart’s famous opera, Shoestring Opera presents the story of Allegra, lost in a dark forest on her way home from school. Enter Papageno, a feathered birdcatcher pursued by a Dragon – and the fun, adventure and glorious singing begin! Featuring two singer-actors, a cellist, a pianist and Mozart’s beautiful music this is an ideal child’s introduction to the joy of opera.

EXPLORE THE FLENTROP ORGAN

Saturday, September 27 at 3 p.m.

Mozart Brahms Festival

For ages 8-15

Southam Hall backstage

Thomas Annand, organ

Ian MacKay, Royal Canadian College of Organists

Ever wonder why the organ is called “the king of instruments”? Find out in this exciting interactive workshop especially for families held backstage in Southam Hall. Hear the music of Mozart and Brahms as your children explore the massive Flentrop organ, a thank-you gift to the NAC from the Dutch community in Canada.

MOZART’S TRANSCENDENT REQUIEM

Saturday, September 27 at 8 p.m.

Mozart Brahms Festival

Pinchas Zukerman, conductor

Arianna Zukerman, soprano

Heather Johnson, mezzo-soprano

Wesley Rogers, tenor

John Fanning, bass-baritone

Cantata Singers of Ottawa

Ottawa Choral Society

Ottawa Festival Chorus

Duain Wolfe, chorus master

MOZART Requiem

Musically Speaking Pre-Concert Chat at 19:00 (in English)

“Eyeing Eternity”

CBC Radio host Alan Neal leads a discussion with CBC Radio Music Producer Jill LaForty

Musically Speaking Post-Concert Talkback (in English)

NACOcast host and principal bassoon Christopher Millard hosts a podcast with Pinchas Zukerman and his daughter Arianna Zukerman.

TOKYO STRING QUARTET

Sunday, September 28

Music for a Sunday Afternoon and Mozart Brahms Festival

National Gallery of Canada Auditorium at 2 p.m.

Tokyo String Quartet

Pinchas Zukerman, viola

Amanda Forsyth, cello

WEBERN String Quartet, Op. 28

HAYDN String Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 50, No. 1
BRAHMS String Sextet No. 2 in G major, Op. 36

ESCHER STRING QUARTET

Wednesday, October 1 at 12 noon

Mozart Brahms Festival

National Gallery of Canada Rideau Chapel

Escher String Quartet

MOZART Quartet No. 14 in G major, K. 387
BEETHOVEN Quartet Op. 59, No. 3

MEHTA, ZUKERMAN AND BRAHMS

Wednesday, October 1 at 8 p.m.

Ovation Series and Mozart Brahms Festival

Zubin Mehta, conductor

Pinchas Zukerman, violin

BRAHMS Violin Concerto

BRAHMS Symphony No. 2

Pre-Concert Chat at 19:00 (in French)

“Après l’art pour l’art, voici la musique pour la musique”

with Montreal music critic and composer François Tousignant

ESCHER STRING QUARTET

Thursday, October 2 at 12 noon

Mozart Brahms Festival

National Gallery of Canada Rideau Chapel

Escher String Quartet

MOZART Quartet No. 17, B-flat major, K. 458, "The Hunt"
BRAHMS Quartet No. 3 in B-flat major

THE PASSION OF MOZART AND BRAHMS

Thursday, October 2 at 8 p.m.

Ovation Series and Mozart Brahms Festival

Pinchas Zukerman, conductor

Janina Fialkowska, piano

MOZART Overture to Così fan tutte

MOZART Piano Concerto No. 24

BRAHMS Symphony No. 3

Pre-Concert Chat at 19:00 (in English)

“What Mozart forgot to tell Brahms”

with Ottawa Citizen music critic Richard Todd

Tickets 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.

Tickets for the NAC Orchestra concerts in Southam Hall at 8 p.m. (if available) are $39 to $115 on Sept. 23 and 24; $25 to $89 on Sept. 27 and Oct. 1; and $19 to $86 on Oct. 2 (5% GST and Facility Fee included). The Tokyo Quartet concerts in the Auditorium of the National Gallery are $29 and the Escher Quartet concerts in the Rideau Chapel are $ 20. The Shoestring Magic Flute and Explore the Flentrop Organ, both on Sept. 27, are $8 for children and $14 for adults.

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 at $11 (subject to availability) are available for full-time students aged 13 to 29 between 2 p.m the day before a performance until 6 p.m the day of the performance, 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. Subscriptions are also still available by calling the Subscription Office at 613-947-7000, ext. 620.

L'amour est un opéra muet

À la demande générale
Pentaèdre, en collaboration avec OMNIBUS, le corps du théâtre
Présentent

L'amour est un opéra muet
D’après l’opéra Cosi fan tutte de Mozart
Arrangement pour quintette à vent de Ulf-Guido Schäfer

Mercredi 1er octobre 2008, 20 h

Une histoire d’amour et de trahison jouée et mimée
au cours de vingt-deux extraits du célèbre opéra.

Direction musicale Normand Forget
Maîtrise d’oeuvre Jean Asselin

Salle Pollack, 555, rue Sherbrooke Ouest
25 $ - 15 $ (étudiants/aînés) – 514-398-4547
www.pentaedre.com

Montréal, 4 septembre 2008 – Fort du succès remporté auprès du public et de la critique au printemps 2007, Pentaèdre et OMNIBUS sont fiers de présenter, à la demande générale et dans le cadre de la Journée internationale de la musique, L’amour est un opéra muet, d’après l’opéra Cosi fan tutte de Mozart, le mercredi 1er octobre 2008, 20 h, à la salle Pollack.

En 2001, le Centre d’art d’Orford commandait aux mimes d’Omnibus un divertissement visuel accompagnant un concert de Pentaèdre, qui a donné le spectacle Ce que fait la musique. Dans L’amour est un opéra muet, elles s’aventurent dans un domaine où le poids des corps dramatise la musique impondérable.

Depuis ses débuts en 1985, Pentaèdre se consacre à la découverte d'un répertoire de musique de chambre varié, original et souvent moins connu. Composé de cinq musiciens talentueux, dont la technique et la précision de jeu sont unanimement reconnues, Pentaèdre effectue des tournées au Québec, au Canada, aux États-Unis et en Europe. Récipiendaire du Prix OPUS 2002 du Meilleur concert de l’année, musique actuelle, contemporaine, électroacoustique, Pentaèdre collabore avec des artistes de renom et participe à des créations audacieuses, dont récemment l’opéra comique A Chair in Love ou L’Amour est un opéra muet avec les mimes Omnibus. Son enregistrement récent du Winterreise de Schubert (version de chambre de Normand Forget), avec le ténor Christoph Prégardien, s’est attiré des éloges de la critique internationale.

***

Dans le cadre des journées de la culture, le 26 septembre de 17 h à 18 h 30 : « Un opéra, deux visions », présentation de deux versions d’extraits de Cosi fan tutte de Mozart par Pentaèdre, l’un avec Omnibus, le corps du théâtre, l’autre avec les chanteurs de l’Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal, suivies de discussions avec les concepteurs et les artistes. Espace Libre, 1945, rue Fullum – gratuit

Le spectacle sera également présenté dans le cadre des Rencontres internationales du mime de Montréal du 23 au 27 septembre 2008, 20 h 30, à l’Espace Libre, 1945, rue Fullum - Informations 514.521.4191

Sinfonia Toronto Opens 10th Anniversary Season

Sinfonia Toronto and Conductor Nurhan Arman will open the orchestra's 10^th Anniversary season on Friday, October 17, 8 p.m. at Grace Church on-the-Hill (300 Lonsdale Road). The concert, titled 'Mozart in Love,' will feature the brilliant Canadian pianist Angela Park in Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 9.

Pianist Angela Park has established herself as one of Canada's leading young musicians. Equally accomplished in both the solo repertoire and chamber music, Angela's versatility has led to performances across Canada as well as in United States, Europe, and Mexico.

Born in London, Ontario, Angela began her musical studies at the age of three. With the guidance of James Anagnoson, she went on to become the youngest Gold Medal winner in history of the Western Ontario Conservatory of Music, as well as a consistent recipient of numerous awards and prizes at Ontario Provincial Festivals, the Canadian National Music Festival and the Canadian Music Competition.

Angela won the Grand Prize at the 2001 Grace Welsh Prize for Piano in Chicago, and Fifth Prize in the 2003 World Piano Competition in Cincinnati. In 2006 Angela was the only Canadian representative and prize winner at the Honens International Piano Competition in Calgary; and most recently, she obtained a medal at the 2007 Maria Canals International Competition in Barcelona.

Angela has performed as soloist with Orchestra London Canada, Sinfonia Toronto, the Canadian Sinfonietta, the UWO Symphony Orchestra, and the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Her live performances have been recorded and broadcast on CBC National Radio and on National Public Radio in the US.

The 'Mozart in Love' program will also include Elgar's beloved Serenade and Tchaikovsky's Souvenir de Florence.

There will be a free post-concert reception, giving audience members a chance to meet the orchestra members, conductor and soloist.

Online discount tickets are $35 adult, $27 senior, $7 student (16-29) and can be purchased at http://www.sinfoniatoronto.com or at regular price by phone 416-499-0403 or at the door.