The National Arts Centre Orchestra announces its 2010-2011 season

Summary: The National Arts Centre Orchestra today announced programming details of its exciting 2010-2011 subscription season – Pinchas Zukerman’s twelfth season as Music Director.

The National Arts Centre Orchestra today announced programming details of its exciting 2010-2011 subscription season – Pinchas Zukerman’s twelfth season as Music Director.
Highlights of the 2010-2011 season include:
·       The Mozart-Haydn Festival (September 22-30): five evening concerts at the NAC and two lunchtime chamber music concerts in the Rideau Chapel at the National Gallery of Canada
·          Pinchas Zukerman conducting Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 “Ode to Joy”
·          Jonathan Biss performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor”
·       Radu Lupu performing Schumann’s Piano Concerto
·       Pinchas Zukerman conducting Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, interpreted by four different violin soloists
·          Angela Hewitt performing Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1
·       Pianist Emanuel Ax in recital
·       The NAC Gala with the NAC Orchestra and special guest Diana Krall
Other remarkable guest artists – from across Canada and around the world -- performing during the season include Jon Kimura Parker, Louis Lortie, James Ehnes, Daniel Taylor, Erin Wall, Arianna Zukerman, Yuja Wang, Sarah Chang, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre national de France, The Canadian Tenors, Kodo Drummers, and the Canadian Brass.
Music Director Pinchas Zukerman will conduct seventeen National Arts Centre Orchestra concerts. Jack Everly, Principal Pops Conductor, conducts four CTV Pops concerts, and Boris Brott, Principal Youth and Family Conductor, conducts two TD Canada Trust Family Adventures with the NAC Orchestra. Notable guest conductors during the season include Andrew Grams , Carlo Rizzi (in his NAC debut), Nicholas McGegan, Ludovic Morlot, Thomas Dausgaard, Alexander Shelley, Julian Kuerti, Thomas Søndergård, Graeme Jenkins, Peter Oundjian (conducting the Toronto Symphony Orchestra), Alexander Mickelthwate (conducting the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra), and Daniele Gatti conducting l’Orchestre national de France.
Canadian composing talent is also well-represented, with the world premiere of Malcolm Forsyth’s Ballad of the Canadian Land, an NAC Orchestra co-commission, as well as work by Peter Paul Koprowski and recently rediscovered Quebec composer André Mathieu.
Pinchas Zukerman says, “The symphony is a careful balancing of elements: musicianship, composition, programming, performance, and direction – all intensified in front of a live audience. An extraordinary symphony is created when these elements combine just so, becoming a celebration, an experience that resonates, infusing and informing your daily life. And this year, I assure you, the musical stars are aligned. It’s a truly spectacular season – one that I look forward to immensely. I hope you do as well. ”
Christopher Deacon, Managing Director of the NAC Orchestra, says, “Our concerts boast a breathtaking range of repertoire, from the familiar greats to undiscovered gems and new creations, as well as the world’s most talented and glittering star performers. Pinchas Zukerman and the musicians of the NAC Orchestra commit to artistic excellence every time they perform. When you join them for a concert, it’s like cheering for a winning team – and you can expect a Gold Medal performance every time you have a chance to share with them the joy, exhilaration, sadness, or heartbreak expressed in the music.”
Why subscribe to an NAC Orchestra series?
·       Exceptional experience – feel it live! NAC Orchestra concerts are thrilling experiences. They are energizing, fun, and sometimes life-changing. Whatever your personal taste in music, an NAC Orchestra concert will move and inspire you.
·       Incredible music. Enjoy familiar classical masterpieces (such as music in the Mozart-Haydn Festival, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons), exciting new works, and spectacular pops entertainment designed to delight and amaze you.
·       Affordability. NAC Orchestra concerts are accessible to all, with concert prices starting at $20.50. And our subscribers save even more – prices start at $17 per concert.
More ways to explore and enjoy the NAC Orchestra
“Musically Speaking” pre- and post-concert chats, interviews and music featuring music aficionados
and media personalities, including Eric Friesen, Jean-Jaques Van Vlasselaer, Jill LaForty,
Robert Harris, and William Littler.
NACOcasts and ‘Explore The Symphony’ podcasts
House programs can be e-mailed to patrons in advance of each concert
Online video interviews with Pinchas Zukerman, Jack Everly, and Boris Brott
E-mail alerts send concert reminders, news and announcements, and special offers
We also blog and tweet, and have launched NAC MusicBox, an online music archive with over 150 high-quality recordings by the NAC Orchestra – free of charge!
The entire season comprises 53 separate events and 97 performances – and that doesn’t include programming for summer 2011 or our internationally acclaimed Summer Music Institute. The 2010-2011 season opens with the spectacular Mozart-Haydn Festival, and is quickly followed by the National Arts Centre Gala with special guest Diana Krall.
The remainder of the season is divided into nine separate series -- Mark Motors Audi Signature Series; Ovation Series; Bostonian Bravo Series; Great Performers Series; Special Concerts; CTV Pops Series; TD Canada Trust Family Adventures with the NAC Orchestra; Kinderconcerts; Music for a Sunday Afternoon (MFASA)
MOZART-HAYDN FESTIVAL -- A Musical Friendship
September 22-30, 2010
This tribute to an unparalleled and unique musical friendship features the music of two master composers, 24 years apart in age. Pinchas Zukerman conducts all five spectacular evening concerts, which include appearances by no fewer than five exceptional pianists – Emanuel Ax, Jeffrey Kahane, Shai Wosner, Benjamin Hochman, and Juho Pohjonen, in his Canadian debut. The Festival concerts include four symphonies, chamber music, and an interactive performance/chat with Pinchas Zukerman and writer/broadcaster Eric Friesen. The Mozart-Haydn Festival concerts are:
·       Emanuel Ax and Mozart featuring Pinchas Zukerman, conductor/violin and Emanuel Ax, piano performing Mozart’s Sonata for Violin and Piano, K. 454 and Piano Concerto No. 22 as well as Haydn’s Symphony No. 101, “The Clock”
·       Mozart’s Serenade, featuring Pinchas Zukerman, conductor and Juho Pohjonen, piano, performing Mozart’s Piano and Wind Quintet, Piano ConcertoNo.12, and Serenade No.10,“GranPartita”
·       The Concerto according to Pinchas Live! (presented in English only) featuring host Eric Friesen and Pinchas Zukerman, conductor/violin, performing Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 and Serenade No. 7, “Haffner”
·       A Piano Celebration featuring Pinchas Zukerman, conductor; Jeffrey Kahane, piano/conductor; Shai Wosner, piano; and Benjamin Hochman, piano, performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24 and Concerto for Two Pianos, and Haydn’s Symphony No. 98
·       Mozart’s Triple Crown featuring Pinchas Zukerman conducting Mozart Symphonies No. 39, 40, and 41 “Jupiter”
There are also two chamber music concerts – featuring the Escher Quartet -- taking place at noon in the Rideau Chapel of the National Gallery of Canada.
Special thanks to our partner CBC Radio 2.
THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE GALA
An Intimate Evening with Diana Krall
On Saturday, October 2, a romantic, glittering, and glamorous evening beckons! It begins with Maestro Pinchas Zukerman leading the NAC Orchestra in a 60-minute concert, then, in the second half of the evening, sultry Diana Krall and her quartet take over the stage. Singer, pianist, and songwriter extraordinaire, British Columbia’s own Diana Krall is a superb Grammy Award-winning jazz musician with a unique style and a seductive voice. The Telegraph (London) wrote, “She draws people into an intimate space… simply to enjoy that feeling of being ‘up close and personal’… that makes us sit back with a sigh and simply enjoy that Krall really is very good.”
The NAC Gala – benefitting the National Youth and Education Trust – is honoured to welcome SunLife Financial as Presenting Sponsor, a sponsorship that reflects Sun Life Financial’s commitment to supporting the artistic development of young Canadians. The NAC Gala is also delighted to announce the return of Major Sponsor A&E for their fourteenth year as a leading Gala supporter, and Mezzanine Sponsor TELUS, also a Founding Partner of the National Youth and Education Trust.
MARK MOTORS AUDI SIGNATURE SERIES
The Mark Motors Audi Signature Series features a dazzling array of concerts that showcase a variety of classical favourites. Ranging from Baroque to Beethoven, from Mozart to Mahler, this series combines amazing artists, including stellar pianists Jon Kimura Parker and Jonathan Biss, and NAC Orchestra soloists Joanna G’froerer and Kimball Sykes, to celebrate music in all its forms.
·       A Piano Celebration (part of the Mozart-Haydn Festival) featuring Pinchas Zukerman, conductor; Jeffrey Kahane, piano/conductor; Shai Wosner, piano; and Benjamin Hochman, piano (part of the Mozart-Haydn Festival) performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24 and Concerto for Two Pianos, and Haydn’s Symphony No. 98
·       Mozart’s Triple Crown (part of the Mozart-Haydn Festival) featuring Pinchas Zukerman, conducting Mozart’s Symphony No. 39, No. 40, and No. 41 “Jupiter”
·       Brahms’s Serene Third Symphony featuring Andrew Grams, conductor and Alain Lefèvre, piano, performing Mathieu’s Piano Concerto No. 4 in E minor and Symphony No.3 by Brahms
·       Hymn of Praise featuring Carlo Rizzi, conductor; Simone Dinnerstein, piano; and combined Ottawa choruses performing Schumann’s Overture to Genoveva, J.S. Bach’s Piano Concerto No. 1, and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No.2 “Lobgesang” (“Hymn of Praise”)
·       Biss & Beethoven featuring Pinchas Zukerman, conductor, and Jonathan Biss, piano, performing Symphony No.1 and No.2 and Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor” by Beethoven
·       Beautiful Baroque featuring Nicholas McGegan, conductor; Dominique Labelle, soprano; Joanna G’froerer, flute; and Daniel Taylor, countertenor, performing Corelli’s Concerto grosso in D major, Op. 6, No. 4; Vivaldi’s Flute Concerto in C minor; Handel’s “Scherzando sul tuo volto” from Rinaldo, “Ti pentirai, crudel” from Tolomeo, “Domero la tua fierezza” from Giulio Cesare, and “Io t’abbraccio” from Rodelinda; and Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater.
·       Mahler’s Fourth featuring Pinchas Zukerman, conductor; Erin Wall, soprano; Kimball Sykes, clarinet; and Jon Kimura Parker, piano, performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 27, Schubert’s The Shepherd on the Rock, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 4
OVATION SERIES
Celebrate the symphony with five Ovation Series concerts. Mendelssohn’s “Italian” Symphony, Brahms’s Symphony No. 4, and Sibelius’s Symphony No. 1, along with Ottawa favourites Angela Hewitt, Yuja Wang, and our own principal double bass, Joel Quarrington. Top it all off with Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and you’re guaranteed to be inspired.
·       “Italian” Symphony featuring Pinchas Zukerman, conductor, and Joel Quarrington, double bass, performing Rossini’s Overture to Il Signor bruschino, Nini Rota’s Divertimento concertante, and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4, “Italian”
·       Radu Lupu … Rapture & Fire featuring Pinchas Zukerman, conductor, and Radu Lupu, piano, performing Peter Paul Koprowski’s In Memoriam Karol Szymanowski, Schumann’s Piano Concerto, and Symphony No. 4 by Brahms
·       Hewitt Plays Liszt featuring Ludovic Morlot, conductor, and Angela Hewitt, piano, performing Berlioz’s Overture to Les francs-juges, Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1, and Franck’s Symphony in D minor
·       Vivaldi’s Four Seasons featuring Pinchas Zukerman, conductor; Jessica Linnebach, Caitlin Tully, and Jesus Reina, violins, performing Brahm’s Serenade No. 2 in A major and Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons
·       Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody featuring Thomas Dausgaard, conductor, and Yuja Wang, piano, performing Albert Schnelzer’s A Freak in Burbank, Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, and Sibelius’s Symphony No. 1
BOSTONIAN BRAVO SERIES
The Bostonian Bravo Series delivers a fantastic musical experience during each concert. Brilliant guest artists such as Sarah Chang, Louis Lortie, Arianna Zukerman, and The Wild Rose Trio, and conductors Pinchas Zukerman, Alexander Shelley, and Thomas Søndergård all set the stage for incredible music, sure to leave you wanting more.
·       Emanuel Ax and Mozart (part of the Mozart-Haydn Festival) featuring Pinchas Zukerman, conductor/violin and Emanuel Ax, piano, performing Mozart’s Sonata for Violin and Piano, K. 454 and Piano Concerto No. 22, and Haydn’s Symphony No. 101, “The Clock”
·       Mozart’s Serenade (part of the Mozart-Haydn Festival) featuring Pinchas Zukerman, conductor, and Juho Pohjonen, piano, performing an all-Mozart program, including the Piano and Wind Quintet, Piano Concerto No. 12, and Serenade No. 10, “Gran Partita”
·       Love & Spring featuring Alexander Shelley, conductor and Louis Lortie, piano, performing Copland’s Appalachian Spring, Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1, and Schumann’s Symphony No. 1, “Spring”
·       Stravinsky’s Firebird featuring Julian Kuerti, conductor, and Johannes Moser, cello, performing J.S. Bach’s Suite No. 1, Stravinsky’s The Firebird Suite (1919), and Dvořák’s Cello Concerto
·       Dvořák’s “New World” featuring Thomas Søndergård, conductor, and Sarah Chang, violin, performing Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture (Fingal’s Cave), Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1, and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”
·       Beethoven’s Triple Concerto featuring Pinchas Zukerman, conductor, and Wild Rose Trio (Jessica Linnebach, violin; Amanda Forsyth, cello; and Angela Cheng, piano,) performing Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture and Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Piano, Op. 56, “Triple Concerto” and Schubert’s Symphony No. 5
·       Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” featuring Pinchas Zukerman, conductor; Arianna Zukerman, soprano; Heather Johnson, mezzo-soprano; Thomas Cooley, tenor; Christopher Temporelli, baritone and combined Ottawa choruses performing Malcolm Forsyth’s Ballad of the Canadian Land (the world premiere of an NAC Orchestra co-commission with Edmonton Symphony Orchestra) and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, “Choral”
GREAT PERFORMERS SERIES
Four visiting artists – ranging from incredible orchestras to powerful pianists – grace the stage of Southam Hall to showcase talents from Canada and beyond.
·       The Toronto Symphony Orchestra featuring Peter Oundjian, conductor and Andreas Haefliger, piano, performing Glinka’s Overture to Ruslan and Ludmilla, Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2, Smetana’s The Moldau from “Má Vlast”, and Janáček’s Taras Bulba
·       Emanuel Ax in recital performing an all-Schubert program, including Impromptus, D. 935, Op. 142; Sonata in A major, D. 664, Op. 120; and Sonata in B-flat major, D. 960
·       Orchestre national de France featuring Daniele Gatti, conductor, and Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, piano, performing Debussy’s La Mer, Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major, and Stravinsky’s Le sacre du printemps
·       As part of the 2011 Prairie Scene, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra -- featuring Alexander Mickelthwate, conductor, and James Ehnes, violin -- perform a new work by Randolph Peters, and Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto as well as his Symphony No. 5
SPECIAL CONCERTS
·       September 25, 2010. The Concerto according to Pinchas Live! -- presented in English only -- (part of the Mozart-Haydn Festival) featuring host Eric Friesen and Pinchas Zukerman, conductor/ violin, performing Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 and Serenade No. 7, “Haffner”
·       December 14-15, 2010. Handel’s Messiah featuring Graeme Jenkins, conductor; NAC Orchestra; Ann Monoyios, soprano; Elizabeth Turnbull, mezzo-soprano; James Taylor, tenor; Robert Gleadow, bass-baritone; Cantata Singers of Ottawa; and Seventeen Voyces
·       December 16, 2010. A Canadian Tenors Christmas with the NAC Orchestra. The Canadian Tenors’ fabulous voices and powerful, lush arrangements create a crossover style that's guaranteed to add special excitement to your holiday celebrations.
·       March 7, 2011. Kodo Drummers. For almost three decades Japan’s spectacular Kodo Drummers have electrified audiences with their rhythmic virtuosity and breathtaking graceful athleticism. Exploring the limitless possibilities of the traditional Japanese drums – most notably, the taiko – and the closely related Japanese music and movement arts, Kodo forge new directions for a vibrant living art form. A co-presentation of NAC Dance and NAC Music
CTV POPS SERIES
Another spectacular season of entertainment awaits you! NAC Orchestra Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly has planned six spectacular evenings designed to delight, inspire and amaze you. Join us for the fun and excitement.
·       The season starts off on the right foot in November with Gotta Dance!, an extravaganza which features performers showcasing all manner of show-stopping dance – and the music that makes these dancers move – conducted by Jack Everly. In a dozen different numbers, you’ll see classical ballet, sensual tango, Irish step dance, and exuberant tap dance – even a high-stepping Can-Can.
·       The Music of Motown features vocal quartet Spectrum … and Spectrum has SOUL. They bring a gorgeous show – featuring colourful costumes and intricate choreography – directly to the NAC from the Las Vegas Strip. And nobody does it better when it comes to recreating Motor City and its long list of hits by groups such as The Temptations, the Four Tops, and Otis Redding.
·       The new year gets off to a splashy start as The Canadian Brass and the NAC Orchestra join forces for a crowd-pleasing brass spectacular, playing everything from Gershwin to the blues to The Beatles. In their trademark sneakers, the Fabulous Five combine talent and musicianship with infectious humour, hilarious hijinks -- and a truly entertaining rapport with audiences.
·       All three of the next concerts also feature Jack Everly at the conductor’s podium:
·       The Great White Way comes to Ottawa with Broadway’s Leading Men (and one Leading Lady). They’ll sing and dance their way into your hearts, with such Broadway hits as “Maria” from West Side Story, “Ya Got Trouble” and “Seventy-Six Trombones” from The Music Man, as well as classic tunes from The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables. This concert also features a young men’s chorus, highlighting up-and-coming Ottawa talent.
·       We can all travel over the rainbow with an incomparable Tribute to Judy Garland. With her distinctive voice, striking stage presence, and emotional range, Broadway and cabaret star Linda Eder creates a spectacular showcase for the Judy Garland songbook, ranging from upbeat tunes to heartrending ballads. Judy garland was unique – but her spirit and her star power live on.
·       Enjoy an evening at the NAC Big Top with Cirque de la Symphonie! Aerialists flying high above the orchestra in a gravity-defying ballet, astonishing acrobats, sinewy strongmen, nimble jugglers, virtuosic mimes, and amazing contortionists... these artists have played to capacity crowds in concert halls all over the world, and it’s all part of the art of cirque.
TD CANADA TRUST FAMILY ADVENTURES WITH THE NAC ORCHESTRA
Join us for a season of musical discovery! Dazzling performances, fun-filled audience participation and entertaining storytelling make this unique 4-concert series a great way to enjoy a Saturday afternoon. Each 60-minute bilingual concert (performed without intermission) also features TUNETOWN pre-concert activities organized by the Friends of the NAC Orchestra. This series is made possible in part by the NAC Foundation’s National Youth and Education Trust, which is supported by Founding Partner TELUS, supporters of the NAC Foundation annual Gala, and the NAC Foundation Donors’ Circle.
·       Trick or Treat to a wicked beat featuring Boris Brott, conductor, and Natalie Choquette, soprano. Ghosts and goblins come out from every corner of the orchestra to play frightful favourites, such as Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain. Comic diva Natalie Choquette entertains with her special brand of operatic comedy.
·       Rhythm & Shoes featuring Rob Kapilow, conductor, and Ayodele Casel, tap dancer. Who says you can’t make music using a paper bag or a typewriter or your feet?! The NAC Orchestra’s percussion section will be in the spotlight, and you’ll be part of the action – clapping, tapping, and singing the music of Rob Kapilow’s Paddywack: A Tap Dance Concerto.
·       A Musical Zoo! Featuring Boris Brott, conductor; Alexander Malikov and TieDan Yao, pianists; and Les 7 doigts de la main (The 7 Fingers). Animals of every stripe and colour entertain as you enjoy favourites such as Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals, Prokofiev’s tale of Peter and the Wolf, and Leroy Anderson’s “Waltzing Cat.”
·       Charlotte and the Music-Maker featuring Alain Trudel, conductor; Platypus Theatre; and Peter Duschenes, writer/performer. Since no one appreciates Charlotte’s musical talents, she sets off into the big wide world only to become lost in a raging blizzard... until the Music-Maker comes to the rescue. Alain Trudel’s score features favourite classical and popular tunes.
KINDERCONCERTS
The National Arts Centre Orchestra and Jeunesses Musicales of Canada present four exciting chamber music concerts for children aged 3 to 8. Music, instruments, theatre, and storytelling... discover the magic of Kinderconcerts, held in the Panorama Room.
·       Annabelle Canto. Christina Tannous, soprano; Dominic Boulianne, piano; François Racine, concept and stage direction
·       Orfea and the Golden Harp. Brooke Dufton, soprano; Theatre Cotton Robes, concept; Lawrence Cotton, bass-baritone; Sue Miner, stage direction; Rachad Feizoullaev, piano
·       Peter and the Wolf. Impact Brass Quintet; Samuel Véro, trumpet; Frédéric Demers, trumpet; Maude Lussier, French horn; Jean-Michel Malouf, trombone; Philippe Legault, tuba; Hugo Bégin, piano; Anne Millaire, text and stage direction
·       How Great Turtle Rebuilt the World. Sixtrum Percussion Ensemble; Michel G. Barette, concept and stage direction; Alexis Diamond, translation
MUSIC FOR A SUNDAY AFTERNOON (MFASA)
Four captivating concerts take place in the Auditorium of the National Gallery of Canada.
·       November 21, 2010. Johannes Moser, cello; Vadim Serebryany, piano; Joanna G’froerer, flute; Charles Hamann, oboe; Kimball Sykes, clarinet; Lawrence Vine, horn; Christopher Millard, bassoon; and Yosuke Kawasaki, violin, perform Barber’s Summer Music for Wind Quintet, Op. 31, Takemitsu’s Orion for Cello and Piano (1984), Janáček’s Pohadka (Fairy Tale) for Cello and Piano, and Schumann’s Piano Trio No. 2 in F major, Op. 80
·       January 30, 2011. Benjamin Hochman, piano; Jessica Linnebach, violin; Yosuke Kawasaki, violin; and Amanda Forsyth, cello, perform Lutoslawski’s Partita for Violin and Piano (1984), Bach’s Partita No. 6 in E minor, BWV 830, and Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 49
·       March 5, 2011. Pinchas Zukerman, violin; Angela Cheng, piano; Jethro Marks, viola; and Amanda Forsyth, cello, perform Fauré’s Piano Quartet No.1 in C minor, Op. 15 and Brahms’s Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25. Please note that this concert takes place on a Saturday.
·       May 8, 2011. Malcolm Lowe, violin; Darren Lowe, violin; Blair Lofgren, cello; Kimball Sykes, clarinet; Jethro Marks, viola; and Suzanne Beaubien, piano, perform an all-Brahms program: Violin Sonata No. 1 in G major, Op. 78, Piano Trio No. 1 in B major, Op. 8, and Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115
MUSICALLY SPEAKING
The NAC Orchestra offers many ways to enhance your concert experience. Join us at 7 p.m. for a total of 15 pre-concert chats offered in English or French, 8 pre-concert music concerts (new this year), or stay for any of 5 post-concert talkbacks where you can ask questions directly to conductors, soloists, and other special guests. Speakers include well-known CBC Radio personalities, artists, and knowledgeable music lovers and critics.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
The National Arts Centre thanks our partner for the Mozart-Haydn Festival, CBC Radio 2; Mark Motors of Ottawa, title sponsor of the Mark Motors Audi Signature Series and provider of the official Audi car of the NAC Orchestra; Bostonian Executive Suites Hotel, title sponsor of the Bostonian Bravo Series; TD Bank Financial Group, title sponsor of the TD Canada Trust Family Adventures; TELUS, supporters of the NAC Foundation Donors’ Circle, and the Ottawa Citizen for its ongoing media support.
Subscribers enjoy exclusive benefits, including the best seats in the house, the best prices, and free ticket exchanges. Patrons who purchase their subscriptions by April 30, 2010 save 8% and beat the Ontario Harmonized Sales Tax. Contact our Box Office:
·       By phone: call 613-947-7000 x620 or 1-866-850-ARTS x620
·       In person: visit the box office in the NAC lobby, Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
·       Online: www.nac-cna.ca/subscribe
For additional information, visit the NAC website at www.nac-cna.ca
Photos for all 2010-2011 NAC Orchestra events can be viewed and downloaded at: http://www.nac-cna.ca/en/naco/media/
BIOGRAPHIES
Pinchas Zukerman
Music Director, National Arts Centre Orchestra
Pinchas Zukerman has been a musical phenomenon for four decades. His genius, prodigious technique and exceptional artistic standards are a marvel to critics and audiences. His devotion to younger generations of musicians inspired by his magnetism has been applauded worldwide. Equally respected as a violinist, violist, conductor, pedagogue and chamber musician, Pinchas Zukerman is a master of our time.
Pinchas Zukerman was named Music Director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra in 1998, and he continues to guest conduct and perform with the world’s finest orchestras. The 2009-10 season includes over 100 performances on five continents, bringing him to Australia, New Zealand, China, Russia, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Germany, and throughout North and South America. Currently in his 11th season as Music Director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, he began with his first performances of
The Magic Flute with Opera Lyra Ottawa. Highlights of this season include a tour in Europe with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (of which he became Principal Guest Conductor in January 2009), and in the U.S. with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, plus orchestral appearances with the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, St. Louis, Utah, and Madison Symphonies, the Gulbenkian Orchestra Lisbon, and at the Beijing Music Festival.
Mr. Zukerman also leads the Zukerman ChamberPlayers, founded in 2003 – a string ensemble of talented musicians mainly from the NAC Orchestra. The ZCP continue to thrive with performance tours in Australia, New Zealand, South America and engagements at the Ravinia Festival, Concertgebouw, Kennedy Center, and the 92nd Street Y on their schedule. The group recently released Schubert's Trout Quintet and Mozart's Piano Quartet in E-flat with pianist Yefim Bronfman on Sony/BMG and has recorded quintets of Mozart, Brahms and Dvorak for Altara.
Pinchas Zukerman is the driving force behind the national role the NAC plays in education. In 1999, he founded the NAC Summer Music Institute (SMI), which now includes the Young Artists Program, Conductors Program and Composers Program. To date, the SMI has provided training with an international faculty headed by Zukerman to 668 participants from 37 countries. In 2007, Pinchas Zukerman launched the Institute for Orchestral Studies, a season-long institute charged with developing highly talented musicians for orchestral careers. A pioneer of distance learning, he champions the NAC’s broadband videoconferencing program known as Hexagon. He also continues his role as Director of the Pinchas Zukerman Performance Program at the Manhattan School of Music.
Since the arrival of Pinchas Zukerman, the National Arts Centre Orchestra has toured regularly both nationally and internationally. These tours now include a strong educational component. He led enormously successful Canadian tours in 1999, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008, as well as critically acclaimed tours to the Middle East and Europe in 2000, and to the United States and Mexico in 2003, all highlighted by unprecedented outreach activities and innovative internet activities on the NAC’s website at www.nac-cna.ca.
Pinchas Zukerman’s discography contains over 100 titles, and has earned him 21 Grammy nominations and two Grammy awards. He has made five recordings with the NAC Orchestra and has been involved in a number of national radio and television broadcasts.
Born in Tel Aviv in 1948, Pinchas Zukerman studied music with Ilona Feher and, in 1962, came to America with the support of Isaac Stern, Pablo Casals, and the America-Israel and Helena Rubenstein Foundations. He came to America in 1962 to study with Ivan Galamian on scholarship at The Juilliard School, and in 1967 was named first-prize winner of the 25th Leventritt Competition.
In 1983, U.S. President Ronald Reagan awarded Pinchas Zukerman 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, and in May 2006 he was appointed as the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative’s first instrumentalist mentor in the music discipline.
The National Arts Centre Orchestra
Consistent praise has followed this vibrant orchestra throughout its history of touring, both nationally and internationally, recording, and commissioning Canadian works. Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, under the direction of renowned conductor/violinist/violist Pinchas Zukerman since 1998, continues to draw accolades both abroad and at its home in Ottawa, where the Orchestra gives over 100 performances a year. The NAC Orchestra was founded in 1969 as the resident orchestra of the newly opened National Arts Centre. In addition to a full series of subscription concerts at the NAC each season, tours are undertaken to regions throughout Canada and around the world. Pinchas Zukerman has led the Orchestra on tours within Canada in 1999, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008, to Europe and Israel in 2000, and to the United States and Mexico in 2003. Education has been an extremely important component of these tours. In 1999, Pinchas Zukerman initiated the NAC Young Artists Program, which is now part of the NAC Summer Music Institute (SMI); the SMI also includes the Conductors Program, founded in 2001, and the Composers Program founded in 2003. In 2007, Pinchas Zukerman launched the year-round Institute for Orchestral Studies. The commissioning of original Canadian works has always been an important part of the National Arts Centre’s mandate with over 90 works commissioned to date. The NAC Orchestra discography comprises over 40 recordings.

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Add your news

As a community service, OttawaStart is pleased to offer community news and event listings. This free, self-serve tool is available to all local organizations, businesses, and individuals.

Click here to sign up and start posting your news & events...

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