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.

Harmonia Choir of Ottawa

Harmonia Choir of Ottawa, directed by Kurt Ala-Kantti, Joanne Moorcroft accompanist, presents Canada Remembers, an all-Canadian programme of remembrance, with guests the Cross Town Youth Chorus, on Tuesday, November 11th, 7:30 pm at St. Barnabas Anglican Church, corner of Kent and James.

This concert will also premiere a new work by the choir's Composer-in-Residence, Christopher Askwith, In Beechwood Cemetery utilizing the text by Archibald Lampham, as well as one of the finalists from this year's Choral Competition, Anita Pari, also a member of the Cross Town Youth Chorus, who will accompany the piece.

With the choir's usual flair for a variety of styles of music, the concert will have something for everyone, from composers across the country, to right here at home with pieces by Gatineau's Pierrette Froment-Savoie, and Dr. James Wright, with accompaniment ranging from piano and violin, to Accordion and Bodhran.

The choir loves to have new pieces to premiere, says Harmonia's Director Kurt Ala-Kantti. It's an added bonus to give such a young composer an opportunity like this to have her work performed, and to have her perform it as well.

Tickets are $15, $10 students and seniors, (FREE to children and youth)
will be available at the door, or from The Leading Note, 370 Elgin St.

More information from the choir's website: www.harmoniachoir.com

Harmonia Choir of Ottawa
Canada Remembers
with Cross Town Youth Chorus
Tuesday, Nov. 11th, 7:30 pm
St Barnabas Anglican Church, corner Kent and James
Works by Mark Sirett, Stephen Hatfield, James Wright, and more!

Tickets: $15; seniors $10 (children and youth free)
Available at the door or in advance at: Leading Note: 370 Elgin near
Gladstone 569-7883

NACO, Oct. 21-22: Pinchas Zukerman and Jon Kimura Parker give preview of Western Canada Tour repertoire

NAC Orchestra led by Music Director Pinchas Zukerman with piano soloist Jon Kimura Parker gives Ottawa a preview of its Western Canada Tour repertoire on Oct. 21-22

Ottawa, Ontario – The National Arts Centre Orchestra will set off on October 24 on a 20-day Western Canada Tour across four provinces and to Whitehorse – the latter marking the ensemble’s first-ever trip to the Yukon. While on tour, Music Director Pinchas Zukerman and musicians will be involved in more than 130 activities in 26 communities, reaching some 8,000 participants. On Tuesday, October 21 and Wednesday, October 22 in Southam Hall, Pinchas Zukerman and guest pianist Jon Kimura Parker will give National Arts Centre audiences a preview of some of the repertoire they are taking on tour.

Jon Kimura Parker, one of Canada’s best known and most popular pianists, guarantees a definitive interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s iconic Concerto for Piano No. 1 in all its romantic ardour. Maestro Zukerman will also lead the Orchestra in the soaring melodies of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5.

There are free pre-concert talks at 7 p.m. both nights with William Littler, music columnist of the Toronto Star, hosted by Jill LaForty, Radio Music Producer of CBC Radio entitled “Tchaikovsky, the Loved and Hated”.

The NAC Orchestra musicians are joined by the five participants in the 2008-09 NAC Institute of Orchestral Studies. These apprentices have been selected by audition to rehearse, perform and be mentored by the NAC Orchestra musicians during five separate weeks throughout the season. They will join the Orchestra on tour for performances in five of the cities where the NAC Orchestra performs.

Concertgoers are invited to remain in Southam Hall after the concerts on October 21 and 22 for a post-concert talkback during which Jon Kimura Parker will interview the IOS apprentices.

Follow the NAC Orchestra’s Western Canada Tour online at www.NACOtour.ca where there are tour blogs, audio clips, a photo gallery, and more.

The National Arts Centre Foundation gratefully acknowledges support for the Western Canada Tour from Presenting Partner EnCana, Signature Education Partner Agrium, and the NAC Friends, a generous group of supporters including True Energy Trust and SaskTel and a number of individual donors who have made the Western Canada Tour possible.

The extraordinary career of internationally acclaimed pianist Jon Kimura Parker has taken him from Carnegie Hall and London’s Royal Festival Hall to Baffin Island and Zimbabwe. In recent seasons, he has performed as guest soloist with the New York Philharmonic, The Cleveland Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Warsaw Philharmonic and the NHK Tokyo Orchestra.

Jon Kimura Parker has a long history with the National Arts Centre Orchestra including a 1998 tour in Canada and a 1996 tour in the Eastern U.S. This season, he is the NAC Orchestra’s first artist-in-residence appearing in concert and in recital, and playing an integral role in education outreach. The Vancouver-born musician is an Officer of The Order of Canada, this country’s highest civilian honour.

Tickets for these Mark Motors Audi Signature Series concerts on Tuesday, October 21 and Wednesday, October 22 at 8 p.m. are on sale now at $19.00, $39.00, $49.00, $59.00, $69.00 with box seats at $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.

NACO, Oct. 9-10: Measha Brueggergosman

Measha Brueggergosman sings Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 and Bolcom cabaret songs with the NAC Orchestra on October 9 and 10

Ottawa (Canada) – Marvellous Measha Brueggergosman, Canada’s soprano sensation, returns to the National Arts Centre Orchestra to sing *Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, a musical interpretation of an elegant memory poem by James Agee (poet, novelist and scriptwriter of The African Queen), as well as three cabaret songs by William Bolcom. These opening concerts of the Bostonian Bravo Series on Thursday, October 9 and Friday, October 10 at 8 p.m. in the NAC’s Southam Hall are led by young American conductor James Gaffigan making his NAC debut. Gaffigan will also lead the NAC Orchestra in Rossini’s Overture to The Italian Girl in Algiers and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1.

James Gaffigan says, “This program is like the perfect dinner, the audience gets a taste of everything, without getting too full. A Rossini overture is the ideal appetizer in a concert program; it whets the appetite with loads of charming humour and unexpected drama in just eight minutes time. Measha then takes the stage with two contrasting but equally engaging vocal works. The first being the elegiac Knoxville: Summer of 1915 by Samuel Barber, followed by the effervescent cabaret songs of Wiliam Bolcom. These pieces will show the depth of diversity in these American composers as well as in Measha’s interpretive abilities. After intermission, the orchestra shifts gears to the classical meat and potatoes in Beethoven’s first symphony. This work combines the intensity often associated with the composer, as well as passages of alluring beauty.”

The cabaret songs by William Bolcom – “George”, “Total Stranger in the Garden” and “Amor” – will be heard in new orchestrations by the composer performed live for the first time in Canada after being recorded by Measha Brueggergosman on her Juno Award-winning Deutsche Grammophon recording entitled Surprise! She says, “What these songs do so brilliantly is to create highly theatrical mini-dramas in which the music is borne out by the texts – not the other way around. It’s catching the sly mix of the casual and the formal in these songs that is their particular challenge.”

Critically acclaimed by the international press as much for her innate musicianship and voluptuous voice as for a sovereign stage presence far beyond her years, Measha Brueggergosman has emerged as one of the most magnificent performers and vibrant personalities of the day. Her appearances this season include performances with Ensemble Intercontemporain, London Symphony Orchestra, l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, and concerts with the Cleveland Orchestra in Cleveland, Miami, and at Carnegie Hall. She has performed several times with the NAC Orchestra, most recently this past July during “Orchestras in the Park”.

James Gaffigan, born in 1979, is the Associate Conductor of the San Francisco Symphony and Music Director of CityMusic Cleveland, a chamber orchestra which presents free concerts throughout the city. His appearances as a guest conductor have included appearances with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Toronto Symphony, and Tonhalle Orchestra, and this season he makes his debut with, among others, the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic and Chicago Symphony as well as the NAC Orchestra.

Tickets for these Bostonian Bravo Series concerts on Thursday, October 9 and Friday, October 10 at 8 p.m. are on sale now at $19.00, $39.00, $49.00, $59.00, $69.00 with box seats at $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.

*Measha Brueggergosman requested a change of programme. The Barber and Bolcom will be performed in place of the previously announced Les Nuits d’été by Berlioz.

National Arts Centre Roundtable

Broadcaster Valerie Pringle and daughter Catherine Pringle to act as keynote speakers for National Arts Centre Foundation Roundtable on Media, Communications and Technology:
Healthy Mental Development for Children and Youth

Ottawa (Canada) –The National Arts Centre is delighted to announce that broadcaster Valerie Pringle and her daughter Catherine Pringle, will be this year’s keynote speakers at the National Arts Centre’s (NAC) Foundation Roundtable called Media, Communications and Technology: Healthy Mental Development for Children and Youth, to be held on Saturday, October 4, 2008, at 8:30 a.m. in the NAC Salon.

A prominent group of leaders in the medical and social policy fields, as well as arts supporters and senior public policy makers, will join Valerie and Catherine Pringle to discuss how media and the arts can contribute effectively and creatively to improved mental health for children and youth. Mother and daughter will also share their personal experience coping with mental illness.

Participants will discuss topics ranging from pure science to clinical applications, in a language that is both simple and engaging.

The Roundtable is held each year in tandem with the National Arts Centre’s Annual Gala, which raises funds for the Centre’s National Youth and Education Trust. The Trust supports the artistic development of young Canadians through educational resources, professional training, mentoring programmes and young audience performances. This year’s Gala, featuring Tony Bennett, takes place on the same day as the Roundtable.

“It is an honour for the National Arts Centre to host this important discussion with so many of Canada’s brightest minds, as well as leading Canadian arts supporters,” said Darrell Louise Gregersen, CEO of the National Arts Centre Foundation.

Roundtable participants include Dr. Stan Kutcher, Sun Life Chair in Adolescent Mental Health, Dalhousie University; Dr. Bruce Ballon, head of the Adolescent Clinical and Educational Services for Problem Gambling, Gaming and Internet Use at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH); Dr. Michael Rich, Director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Harvard and Children’s Hospital, Boston, and; Dr. David Wolfe, RBC Investments Chair in Children’s Mental Health Chair at the CAMH.

Beginning in 2002, three NAC roundtables on philanthropy in the performing arts explored the importance of adequate financial resources for arts organizations, to ensure that they can fulfill their vital role of fostering a creative culture in Canada. In 2005, the Roundtable began a series of discussions on healing and the arts, exploring the profound role that music and other performing arts play in different aspects of human health and development. Each year, results of the discussions from Roundtables are shared with more than 3,000 arts and health organizations.

The Roundtables have featured a wide range of Canadian and international participants including the Hon. Michael Wilson, Canadian Ambassador to the U.S.; Louise Blouin MacBain, international arts philanthropist; Richard Bradshaw, the late General Director of the Canadian Opera Company; Martha Piper, former University of British Columbia; President, James Wolfensohn, business leader, arts patron, former President of the World Bank and Chairman Emeritus of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; Frank O’Dea, Second Cup co-founder, as well as a long list of federal Cabinet ministers.

The National Arts Centre Foundation gratefully acknowledges Sun Life Financial as the Presenting Sponsor and the University of Ottawa and Rx&D as Associate Sponsors of the NAC Roundtable.

NAC Gala with Tony Bennett on Oct. 4

NAC Orchestra programme announced for NAC Gala with the legendary Tony Bennett on Oct. 4

Ottawa, Canada – The National Arts Centre Gala has been sold out for some time and lucky ticket-holders have a truly spectacular night ahead on Saturday, October 4. Tony Bennett, famously described by Frank Sinatra as “the best singer in the business”, together with his quartet will give a one-hour command performance in the second half of the Gala. And, to launch this night of glamour and style, Pinchas Zukerman will lead the NAC Orchestra in a complementary classical programme.

Two young Ottawa string virtuosos will join Maestro Zukerman and the Orchestra in the opening half. Stanley Leong, a 13-year-old cellist, and his brother 11-year-old violinist Kerson Leong will join forces to perform the Allegro from Vivaldi’s Concerto in B-flat major for Violin and Cello, filled with acrobatic highjinks requiring nimble fingers! Both have been multiple top prize winners in the Canadian Music Competition, and both participated in last summer’s Tenth Anniversary NAC Summer Music Institute in the Junior Strings Programme.

The five participants in this season’s Institute for Orchestral Studies (IOS) will be onstage performing with the National Arts Centre Orchestra. They are Emily Westell (violin, 23, Calgary, AB), Améline Chauvette-Groulx (violin, 25, Ottawa, ON), Tali Kravitz (viola, 24, Israel), Leat Sabbah (cello, 21, United States), and Theodore Chan (double bass, 24, Ottawa, ON).

The NAC Gala is a benefit for the National Youth and Education Trust, investing in young Canadians through the performing arts. Both the Summer Music Institute and the Institute for Orchestral Studies are among the NAC programmes that are supported by the National Youth and Education Trust.

Maestro Zukerman will also lead the NAC Orchestra in Brahms’ Variations on a Theme of Haydn, and will close the first half with Ravel’s thrilling Bolero, an orchestral tour de force that is one of the most popular compositions in the entire classical repertoire.

In the second half Tony Bennett will take the stage with his quartet consisting of Lee Musiker (music director and piano), Gray Sargent (guitar), Jim Hughart (bass) and Harold Jones (drums). Mr. Bennett will announce his programme from the stage.

The Gala Committee NAC is chaired for the third year by Janet Yale, TELUS’ executive vice president, Corporate Affairs. Mrs. Laureen Harper is the Gala’s Honourary Chair.

There will be a pre-concert reception in the Foyer for all patrons at 5:30 p.m., followed by the concert at 6:30 p.m. Those who have purchased Encore Seating will join Gala sponsors at a post-concert reception in the Foyer, followed by dinner on the Southam Hall stage.

TELUS, Founding Partner of the NAC’s National Youth and Education Trust, is the Presenting Sponsor of the annual Gala. This commitment reflects TELUS’s continuing support of the National Youth and Education Trust, a primary resource for supporting the artistic development of young Canadians through educational resources, professional training, mentoring programmes and young audience performances. The Trust is also supported by SunLife Financial, patrons of the Gala and the National Arts Centre Foundation Donors’ Circle.

Tony Bennett is the stuff of legends. His unforgettable voice has touched the heart and moved the souls of admirers around the globe. For nearly 60 years he has entertained us, yet has remained forever young and wowed generation after generation of new fans. He is an international treasure, honoured by the United Nations as a “Citizen of the World”. With over 50 million records sold world-wide and platinum and gold albums to his credit, Bennett has received thirteen Grammy Awards and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. His appearance with the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the 1993 MTV Video Awards ceremony introduced him to a whole new generation with his recording “MTV Unplugged” garnering Grammy’s top award, “Album of the Year.” The New York Times declared “Tony Bennett has not just bridged the generation gap, he has demolished it.”

Tony Bennett is one of a handful of artists to have new albums charting in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and beyond. He introduced a multitude of songs into the Great American Songbook that have since become standards for pop music. He has toured the world to sold-out audiences with rave reviews whenever he performs. To celebrate his 80^th birthday in 2006, Tony Bennett recorded Duets - An American Classic with some of the top names in contemporary music, including Bono, Michael Bublé, Elvis Costello, Celine Dion, Billy Joel, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Sting, Barbra Streisand, James Taylor and Stevie Wonder.

The NAC Orchestra’s own Pinchas Zukerman was one of the instrumental superstars on Tony Bennett’s Duets – An American Classic. Named Music Director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra in 1998, Maestro Zukerman’s genius and prodigious technique have been a marvel to critics and audiences for over four decades. He is equally respected as a violinist, violist, conductor, and chamber musician while his dedication to teaching has been a major catalyst for many of the education initiatives supported by the National Youth and Education Trust. Pinchas Zukerman's discography contains over 100 titles, and has earned him 21 Grammy nominations and two Grammy awards. He was named first-prize winner of the 1969 Leventritt Competition, and, in 1983, President Reagan awarded him a Medal of Arts for his leadership in the musical world. In October 2002, he became the first recipient of the Isaac Stern Award for Artistic Excellence at the National Arts Awards Gala in New York City. Pinchas Zukerman and the National Arts Centre Orchestra donate their services for the NAC’s annual Gala.

Kerson Leong, violin, and Stanley Leong, cello

Kerson Leong is 11 and has already won the Grand Prize at the Canadian Music Competition for four straight years, each time achieving the highest mark of any age group or instrument. In the recent 2008 competition in Quebec City, the judges awarded him a mark of 99% for his stunning performance. He was recognized in the Galaxie Rising Star Program of the CBC and was also the youngest finalist in the 2006 nationwide CBC Mozart Variation Contest held to celebrate Mozart’s 250^th birthday anniversary.

Stanley Leong is 13 and has been a top prizewinner at the Canadian Music Competition for 6 years in a row. At the recent 2008 competition in Quebec City, he won First Prize once again and made his solo debut at the CMC Gala with the Quebec Symphony Orchestra under Maestro Yoav Talmi.

Both young musicians have been guest soloists with the NAC Orchestra at a TD Canada Trust Young People’s Concert, as well as with I Musici de Montreal, and have performed at the 2008 Ottawa Chamberfest and at the CBC Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto.

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