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Calypso Magic

Caribbean Rhythms with the NAC Orchestra

Feb 27, 2025

Southam Hall 1 Elgin Street Ottawa Canada

Music Classical music Pops Global music Children

In-person event
Bilingual
Ages 5-12
Approx. 1 hour

Performance options	Start time	Language	Availability
Thursday, February 27, 2025	11:00 am	bilingual	Seats available

Student Matinee performance

Set sail on a Caribbean adventure with Captain Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser (Principal Youth Conductor and Creative Partner) and special guests for an exhilarating performance of Calypso rhythms and orchestra magic! Dance in your seat, feel the beat, and dive into the vibrant world of island music with the NAC Orchestra.

Featuring steelpan soloists, this brand-new concert celebrates the history of Afro-Caribbean calypso music. Let the music transport you to a place of warm sunshine and salty ocean breezes as we say farewell to February.

Don’t miss this co-commission with the NAC Orchestra and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra!

Presented in association with the NAC Orchestra's POPS series.

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Let your students experience one of the most outstanding ensembles of its kind in the world!

The NAC Orchestra boasts many of the finest musicians in the country who enthusiastically share the common goal of bringing music to young people. Perfectly suited to both the novice student and musical apprentice, this weekday matinee is bound to delight students and teachers alike!

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Calypso Magic Dance Workshop:

Pre- or Post-concert offering (in-school)

Enhance your “Calypso Magic” experience with a dance workshop presented by MASC!

In advance of (or following) the NAC Orchestra student matinee, immerse your students in an Afro-Caribbean dance workshop led by professional dancer and arts educator of Caribbean descent Julianne Lavertu. Students will delve into the fundamentals and traditional movements of Afro-Caribbean dance and integrate them into a short choreography. They will explore the history of Indigenous Caribbean peoples, music, and traditional attire, grounding participants' learning in the rich cultural context from which these dances originate.

Available in English or French throughout the 2024-2025 school year (September to June). Additional fee required.

Reservations will be made available as of August 2024.

Reserve now to guarantee availability!

$ 9 / student (HST included)

Reserve Now

Financial assistance

Arts Alive has limited financial aid available for schools in need.

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Adults & chaperones

1 Free adult per 15 students

Free admittance for personal support workers

$ 9 (HST included) for additional chaperons At the discretion of the National Arts Centre

Payment deadlines

3 weeks before the performance

Full payment is required by the payment deadline. The NAC reserves the right to cancel any orders submitted but not paid for by the payment deadline.

Seating

There are no reserved seats for NAC student matinee performances.

Instead of tickets you will receive a letter of admission and groups will be seated on a first-come, first-served basis at the performance.

The letter of admission will be issued upon receipt of full payment.

If you have any questions, please contact us at education@nac-cna.ca

Artists

Conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser
Conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser

A passionate communicator, Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser brings clarity and meaning to the concert hall, fostering deep connections between audiences and performers. He is concurrently the Principal Youth Conductor and Creative Partner of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Principal Education Conductor and Community Ambassador of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Artist in Residence and Community Ambassador of Symphony Nova Scotia, and Resident Conductor of Engagement and Education of the San Francisco Symphony.

Daniel served as Assistant Conductor of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and Associate Conductor of the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. He has performed with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, and was Cover Conductor with the Washington National Opera in 2020.

Daniel is the host of Canadian Broadcasting Company’s (CBC’s) nationally broadcast weekly radio show Centrestage.

He was also the subject of an award-winning, full-length CBC documentary called Disruptor Conductor, focussing on his concerts for neurodiverse, prison, African diaspora, and LGBTQ2S+ populations.

Daniel earned his Bachelor degrees in Music Performance and Education from the University of Calgary, and his Master of Philosophy in Performance from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England.

Communicateur passionné, Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser apporte clarté et sens à la salle de concert, tissant des liens profonds entre le public et les interprètes. Il œuvre actuellement comme premier chef des concerts jeunesse et partenaire de création de l'Orchestre du Centre national des Arts, premier chef des concerts éducatifs et ambassadeur communautaire de l’Orchestre symphonique de Toronto, artiste en résidence et ambassadeur communautaire de l’ensemble Symphony Nova Scotia, et chef résident des concerts éducatifs et de rayonnement de l’Orchestre symphonique de San Francisco.

Il a œuvré comme chef d’orchestre adjoint de l’Orchestre symphonique de Kitchener-Waterloo et chef d’orchestre associé de l’Orchestre symphonique de Thunder Bay. Il s’est produit avec l’Orchestre symphonique de Vancouver, l’Orchestre symphonique d’Edmonton, l’Orchestre philharmonique de Calgary, et a été chef d’orchestre substitut avec le Washington National Opera en 2020.

Il anime l’émission de radio hebdomadaire Centrestage de la Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), diffusée à l’échelle nationale.

Il a également fait l’objet d’un documentaire primé de la CBC intitulé Disruptor Conductor, portant sur ses concerts destinés aux populations neuroatypiques, aux détenus, à la diaspora africaine et aux membres des communautés 2SLGBTQ+.

Détenteur de baccalauréats en Musique (interprétation) et en Éducation de l’Université de Calgary, il a obtenu sa maîtrise en Philosophie (interprétation musicale) du Royal Northern College of Music de Manchester, en Angleterre.
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Featuring NAC Orchestra
Featuring NAC Orchestra

Since its debut in 1969, the National Arts Centre (NAC) Orchestra has been praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary educational programs, and its prominent role in nurturing Canadian creativity. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, reaching and representing the diverse communities we live in with daring programming, powerful storytelling, inspiring artistry, and innovative partnerships.

Alexander Shelley began his tenure as Music Director in 2015, following Pinchas Zukerman’s 16 seasons at the helm. Principal Associate Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and former Chief Conductor of the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra (2009–2017), he has been in demand around the world, conducting the Rotterdam Philharmonic, DSO Berlin, Leipzig Gewandhaus, and Stockholm Philharmonic, among others, and maintains a regular relationship with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie and the German National Youth Orchestra.

Each season, the NAC Orchestra features world-class artists such as the newly appointed Artist-in-Residence James Ehnes, Angela Hewitt, Joshua Bell, Xian Zhang, Gabriela Montero, Stewart Goodyear, Jan Lisiecki, and Principal Guest Conductor John Storgårds. As one of the most accessible, inclusive, and collaborative orchestras in the world, the NAC Orchestra uses music as a universal language to communicate the deepest of human emotions and connect people through shared experiences.

Depuis sa création en 1969, l’Orchestre du Centre national des Arts (CNA) reçoit des éloges pour la passion et la clarté de ses interprétations, pour ses programmes éducatifs novateurs et pour son apport à l’expression de la créativité canadienne. Sous la direction du Directeur musical Alexander Shelley, l’Orchestre du Centre national des Arts est le reflet de la diversité des paysages, des valeurs et des communautés du Canada, et est reconnu pour sa programmation audacieuse, ses contenus nrratifs marquants, son excellence artistique et ses partenariats innovants.

Alexander Shelley a amorcé son mandat à la direction musicale de l’Orchestre du CNA en 2015, succédant à Pinchas Zukerman, qui a été aux commandes de l’ensemble pendant 16 saisons. Premier chef associé du Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Shelley a été le premier chef de l’Orchestre symphonique de Nuremberg de 2009 à 2017. Demandé partout dans le monde, il a dirigé entre autres la Philharmonie de Rotterdam, DSO Berlin, le Leipzig Gewandhaus et la Philharmonie de Stockholm, et il maintient des liens avec la Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie et l’Orchestre national des jeunes d’Allemagne.

Chaque saison, l’Orchestre du met en vedette des artistes de réputation internationale, tels que notre artiste en résidence James Ehnes, Angela Hewitt, Joshua Bell, Xian Zhang, Gabriela Montero, Stewart Goodyear, Jan Lisiecki et le premier chef invité John Storgårds. L’ensemble se distingue à l’échelle du monde pour son approche accessible, inclusive et collaborative. Par le langage universel de la musique et des expériences musicales communes, il communique des émotions profondes et nous rapproche les uns des autres.
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Stage Manager Tobi Hunt McCoy

Financial assistance

Arts Alive has limited financial assistance available to support schools who would not otherwise be able to participate in our school programming due to economic barriers. Schools in need may request financial assistance directly through the registration form, to help cover the cost of tickets to student matinees or applicable workshops offered by the NAC. Learn more

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Support Performing Arts Learning and Engagement!

Your donations through the NAC's National Youth and Education Trust help the NAC provide learning and engagement opportunities for all — from young children in the classroom, to artists, to the lifelong learner.

Support the Program

Learning and engagement at Canada’s National Arts Centre is made possible through the support of many generous individuals and organizations from across the country. Arts Alive is generously supported by the Azrieli Foundation, the Government of Nunavut, Canadian North, Calm Air, The River Philip Foundation, The Turnbull Family Community Building Foundation, and The Thomas Sill Foundation. Thank you also to Grant and Alice Burton, Canada Life, A Donor-Advised Fund at the Community Foundation of Ottawa, Friends of the NAC Orchestra, Donors to the NAC Foundation's Future Fund, The Janice and Earle O’Born Fund for Artistic Excellence, and the donors and sponsors of the NAC’s National Youth and Education Trust, the primary resource for youth and education funding at the National Arts Centre.

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