≈ 90 minutes · With intermission
Last updated: December 10, 2021
PROKOFIEV Troika from Lieutenant Kijé, Op. 60
ELLINGTON (arr. Strayhorn/Tyzik) Peanut Brittle Brigade from The Nutcracker Suite
ANDERSON A Christmas Festival
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (arr. Greaves) Fantasia on Greensleeves
WENDEL Carribean Sleigh Ride
TRAD. I Saw Three Ships
TCHAIKOVSKY Arabian Dance from The Nutcracker
- - - INTERMISSION - - -
TCHAIKOVSKY Pas de deux from The Nutcracker
LEONTOVICH (arr. Wilhousky/Hayman) Carol of the Bells
ELLINGTON (arr. Strayhorn/Tyzik) Overture from The Nutcracker Suite
FALLA Danza from La Vida Breve
TCHAIKOVSKY Spanish Dance, Chinese Dance and Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from The Nutcracker
ANDERSON Sleigh Ride
TCHAIKOVSKY Waltz of the Snowflakes from The Nutcracker
Canada’s National Arts Centre (NAC) Orchestra is praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary learning and engagement programs, and its unwavering support of Canadian creativity. The NAC Orchestra is based in Ottawa, Canada’s national capital, and has grown into one of the country’s most acclaimed and dynamic ensembles since its founding in 1969. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, engaging communities from coast to coast to coast through inclusive programming, compelling storytelling, and innovative partnerships.
Since taking the helm in 2015, Shelley has shaped the Orchestra’s artistic vision, building on the legacy of his predecessor, Pinchas Zukerman, who led the ensemble for 16 seasons. Shelley’s influence extends beyond the NAC. He serves as Principal Associate Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the U.K. and Artistic and Music Director of Artis—Naples and the Naples Philharmonic in the U.S. Shelley’s leadership is complemented by Principal Guest Conductor John Storgårds and Principal Youth Conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser. In 2024, the Orchestra marked a new chapter with the appointment of Henry Kennedy as its first-ever Resident Conductor.
The Orchestra has a rich history of partnerships with renowned artists such as James Ehnes, Angela Hewitt, Renée Fleming, Hilary Hahn, Jeremy Dutcher, Jan Lisiecki, Ray Chen, and Yeol Eum Son, underscoring its reputation as a destination for world-class talent. 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.
A hallmark of the NAC Orchestra is its national and international tours. The Orchestra has performed concerts in every Canadian province and territory and earned frequent invitations to perform abroad. These tours spotlight Canadian composers and artists, bringing their voices to stages across North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Asia.
Michelle Merrill, conductor
Michelle Merrill has been inspiring audiences with her sharply detailed and vibrant performances. A passionate and dynamic artist, she served four years as the Associate Conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, where she also carried the title of Phillip and Lauren Fisher Community Ambassador. In addition to her growing guest conducting schedule, Ms. Merrill currently serves as Music Director of the Coastal Symphony of Georgia, where she has ignited the growth and expansion of the orchestra’s offerings both on and off the stage.
Ms. Merrill’s most recent and upcoming engagements include the Orchestre national d’Ile-de-France, National Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Opera, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Toledo Symphony Orchestra, Sarasota Orchestra, West Virginia Symphony, Symphoria (Syracuse), Princeton Symphony Orchestra, and the Round Top Music Festival Institute. In past seasons, she has conducted concerts with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Louisiana Philharmonic, Orlando Philharmonic, Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera, Boise Philharmonic, New Music Detroit, and the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, where she formerly served as Assistant Conductor.
Michelle Merrill is a proud recipient of a 2016 Solti Foundation US Career Assistance Award as well as the prestigious 2013 Ansbacher Conducting Fellowship as awarded by members of the Vienna Philharmonic and the American Austrian Foundation.
Fusing together elements of cirque acrobatics, classical dance, and contemporary theatre, Troupe Vertigo brings audiences on a spellbinding journey through the world of artistic movement. Consisting of world-class aerial artists, contortionists, and ballet dancers, the Los Angeles–based company was founded in 2009 by Artistic Director Aloysia Gavre, formerly of the internationally renowned Cirque du Soleil, and Technical Director Rex Camphuis, whose background is with the fabled Pickle Family Circus. Troupe Vertigo, whose “dizzying acts defy gravity and leave its lucky audiences in awe” (Los Angeles Times) has performed with major orchestras across North America.
Troupe Vertigo’s 2023–2024 season includes performances at Grant Park Music Festival, The Florida Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Oregon Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and Colorado Springs Philharmonic in the U.S., and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, National Arts Centre Orchestra, and Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra in Canada. Notable conductors that Troupe Vertigo has performed with include Jack Everly, Jeff Tyzik, Enrico Lopez-Yañez, Stuart Chafetz, Michelle Merrill, Sarah Hicks, Daniel Meyer, Nicholas Hersh, and Norman Huynh.
Troupe Vertigo’s recent seasons have brought them to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Utah Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Canada. The company is known for their collaborative custom thematic programs with symphony orchestras from Cirque España, Cirque Noir, Cirque Goes to Broadway, Cirque Goes to Hollywood, Cirque Dances featuring The Firebird to complete cirque-ballet presentations of The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Cinderella.
Their unique perspective on the circus arts have led to a variety of speaking engagements including with The Center Theater Group Los Angeles, Directors Lab West, TEDx Talk, and The Chicago Contemporary Circus Festival, as well as in publications for the cover story of Dance Teacher Magazine (August 2016) and in the book Ordinary Acrobat.
The ensemble premiered its first offering, Big Top for a New Generation, in 2010 at the Ford Amphitheater and has gone on to present Nighthawks: A Film Noir Circus, inspired by American jazz, Edward Hopper paintings, and crime novels. In 2016, they brought Tableaux, featuring five women grappling with the constrictions of society, to life at the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles. Husband-and-wife team Aloysia and Rex frequently bring their gifts and knowledge to the film and television industry, most notably with Rebel Wilson’s aerial performance in Pitch Perfect 2 and with Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz in the film Water for Elephants.
Troupe Vertigo’s facility is also home to Cirque School Los Angeles, which inspires an appreciation for the circus arts for “Anybody with Any Body.” Cirque School uses training, performance, and community outreach to foster passion for the circus arts in a supportive, non-competitive environment. Encompassing over 50 weekly classes to the public, student performances, team-building workshops, pre-professional intensives, and television and film projects, Cirque School thrives as the premier cirque training program in Los Angeles.
FIRST VIOLINS
Yosuke Kawasaki (concertmaster)
Jessica Linnebach (associate concertmaster)
Noémi Racine Gaudreault (assistant concertmaster)
Elaine Klimasko**
Marjolaine Lambert
Jeremy Mastrangelo
Manuela Milani
Leah Roseman
Erica Miller*
Martine Dubé*
Heather Schnarr*
SECOND VIOLINS
Mintje van Lier (principal)
Winston Webber (assistant principal)
Mark Friedman
Carissa Klopoushak
Frédéric Moisan
Edvard Skerjanc**
Karoly Sziladi
Emily Westell**
Andréa Armijo-Fortin*
Renée London*
Sara Mastrangelo*
Sarah Williams*
VIOLAS
Jethro Marks (principal)
David Marks (associate principal)
David Goldblatt (assistant principal)
Paul Casey
Ren Martin-Doike**
David Thies-Thompson
Sonya Probst*
CELLOS
Rachel Mercer (principal)
Julia MacLaine (assistant principal)
Timothy McCoy
Marc-André Riberdy
Leah Wyber
Desiree Abbey*
DOUBLE BASSES
Hilda Cowie (acting assistant principal)
Marjolaine Fournier
Vincent Gendron
Paul Mach*
FLUTES
Joanna G'froerer (principal)
Stephanie Morin
Dakota Martin*
OBOES
Charles Hamann (principal)**
Anna Petersen
Melissa Scott*
CLARINETS
Kimball Sykes (principal)
Sean Rice
Shauna Barker*
BASSOONS
Christopher Millard (principal)**
Vincent Parizeau
Ben Glossop*
HORNS
Lawrence Vine (principal)
Julie Fauteux (associate principal)
Elizabeth Simpson
Louis-Pierre Bergeron
Lauren Anker*
TRUMPETS
Karen Donnelly (principal)**
Steven van Gulik
Luise Heyerhoff*
Andrew McCandless*
TROMBONES
Donald Renshaw (principal)
Colin Traquair
Douglas Burden
TUBA
Chris Lee (principal)
TIMPANI
Feza Zweifel (principal)
PERCUSSION
Jonathan Wade
Andrew Johnson*
Matthew Moore*
Louis Pino*
HARP
Angela Schwarzkopf*
KEYBOARD
Patrick Cashin*
JAZZ BASS
John Geggie*
SAXOPHONE
Mike Tremblay*
PRINCIPAL LIBRARIAN
Nancy Elbeck
ASSISTANT LIBRARIAN
Corey Rempel
PERSONNEL MANAGER
Meiko Lydall
*Additional musicians
**On leave
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees