≈ 90 minutes · No intermission
Last updated: November 3, 2020
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Grande Polonaise Brillante, Op. 22
Symphony No. 41 in C major, “Jupiter”
Born in Salzburg, January 27, 1756
Died in Vienna, December 5, 1791
Mozart’s valedictory effort as a symphonist has, in its 200-plus years of existence, never been out of favour. It represents the supreme height of symphonic craftsmanship welded to artistic inspiration, inviting the most eloquent praise and poetic expression from those who experience its beauties and perfection. It was composed, along with Symphonies Nos. 39 and 40, during a six-week period in the summer of 1788.
Mozart did not assign the nickname “Jupiter” (it came years after his death from the impresario Salomon, Haydn’s London sponsor), but it seems absolutely appropriate for music that evokes images of Olympian pomp, nobility, grandeur and perfect mastery of construction. Klaus G. Roy sees in this music a “classic divinity… Nowhere else in his entire output does Mozart convey so directly the atmosphere of mastery, imperiousness, even omnipotence. There is a sense of total command over the materials chosen… it is in this music that he defeated the cruel, thoughtless world in which he lived; he celebrated a conquest in the spiritual sphere that has proved over the centuries to have been decisive. It was, in this medium, the final thunderbolt of the chief of the musical gods.”
The first movement contains three distinct themes, each a perfectly balanced entity in itself. The first consists of a brusque, imperious call to attention followed by a graceful, lilting figure. The second also reveals within itself contrasts and balances: of ascending and descending scale-like fragments, of strings alone and then combined with woodwind coloration, as well as being an overall contrast to the first theme. The third theme has a mischievous and capricious quality to it. Mozart borrowed this closing theme from a comic aria he had written for bass just months before, “Un bacio di mano,” K. 541, written as an additional number for an opera by Pasquale Anfossi.
In the second movement, Mozart turns from the proud, extroverted mood of the opening movement to one of profound expression, pensive eloquence and restrained elegance. The first theme is one of the longest he ever wrote. The use of muted violins throughout lends a shadowy, introverted character to the music. Trumpets and timpani are silent.
The dignified Menuetto, like the first movement, combines contrasts of loud and soft, graceful and imperious, smoothly lyrical and sharply detached in music of exquisitely balanced form. Other features of this movement include a greater degree of chromatic writing than normally found in minuets of the time, and the only instance in a Mozart minuet of separate parts for cellos and basses. In the Trio section Mozart engages in some Haydnesque humour, beginning with a classical cadential figure that sounds more like an ending than a beginning.
The final movement opens with a four-note motif. Several new themes and motifs are presented as well in the course of this sonata-form movement. Mozart builds everything into an effortlessly flowing web of counterpoint involving a veritable catalogue of devices: double and triple counterpoint, thematic inversion, canon, stretto, augmentation and diminution, all fashioned into a dazzling display of tonal architecture. The Olympian coda simultaneously combines all five thematic ideas into an incredible contrapuntal tour de force.
– Program note by Robert Markow
Artists
(1875-1912)
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was an English composer, conductor and political activist who fought against race prejudice with his incredible compositions.
Born in Holborn in 1875 to an English mother and a father originally from Sierra Leone, he liked to be identified as Anglo-African – and was later referred to by white New York musicians as ‘Black Mahler’, owing to his musical success.
His name was given to him after the famous poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge who, interestingly, became a great source of inspiration during his career.
Raised in a family of keen musicians, Taylor’s father taught him to play the violin at a young age.
Taylor’s classical compositions were heavily influenced by traditional African music and this made him one of the most progressive writers of his time.
He also became well-known for his use of poetry – particularly in his cantata trilogy, The Song of Hiawatha, which included the epic Hiawatha Overture and was based on a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
His work across music and politics was so well received that in 1904, he was even invited by President Theodore Roosevelt to visit the White House – a bold statement and a positive step forward for African Americans.
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor died of pneumonia on 1 September 1912 in Croydon, at the age of 37. Throughout his short life, he faced financial struggles and personal tragedy, which are both often linked to his early demise.
François Dompierre was born on July 1, 1943, in Ottawa.
As a young man, he studied at the University of Ottawa, the Orford Music and Conservatoire de musique in Montreal. While learning the technical theory of music, his true passion at this time was improvising and playing jazz.
After his studies, he wrote more than 200 songs, including the successes L’âme à la tendresse and Demain matin Montréal m’attend, and released an instrumental album.
He worked with Pauline Julien, Claude Gauthier, Monique Leyrac, Pierre Calvé and Renée Claude, amongst others, as orchestrator and music director. He also produced albums for Félix Leclerc’s including Le tour de l’île.
In collaboration with Michel Tremblay, he wrote the musical Demain matin Montréal m’attend. He also worked with Jacques Godbout on the movie IXE-13. After that, writing sound trakcs became his first mean of expression. Throughout his career, he wrote more than sixty sound tracks.
More recently, he worked on an opera inspired by Is Paris Burning (by Lapierre and Collins) with the American librettist Leonard H. Orr.
His orchestra compositions are played on a regular basis in Canada and abroad.
As a conductor, he had the opportunity to work at the Opéra de Paris and the Bulgarian Radio. He also conducted Vancouver, Montreal and Quebec symphony orchestras. In 2014, he chaired the panel for the Richard Lupien Improvisation Prize at the Montreal International Musical Competition.
Intrigued by the violin, Elizabeth Skinner began studying music at the age of nine in her hometown of Victoria, Canada. Since then, she has become an engaging and versatile performer and a dedicated educator, sharing music across America, Europe and Asia. An active chamber musician, she is a founding member of Trio Émerillon and a member of Montreal’s cutting-edge classical string band, collectif9. A recognized leader, Elizabeth has enjoyed the role of concertmaster with the McDuffie Center String Ensemble, the McGill Symphony Orchestra, and the McGill Contemporary Music Ensemble. She currently performs regularly with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra and is a substitute violinist with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. In 2015, Elizabeth was the winner of the Canadian Music Competition (19-30 years strings category) and the Jeunesses Musicales du Canada’s Peter Mendell Award. She won first prize in the Prix d’Europe competition strings category in 2016, as well as third prize in the overall competition, and the Guy Soucie prize for her interpretation of a Québécois work. The same year, Elizabeth won the McGill Chamber Music Competition with Trio Armonioso and they performed at the Salzburg Mozarteum. In 2017 she was a recipient of the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation award, and in 2018 she was a finalist in the Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition. Most recently she was named one of CBC’s “30 hot Classical musicians under 30”. Elizabeth graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University in Georgia, USA. She also holds a Master of Music in Violin Performance and recently completed her Doctor of Music in Performance Studies at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music where she studied with Axel Strauss.
With music described as “breathtaking” (Kitchener-Waterloo Record), “imaginative and expressive” (The National Post), “a pulse-pounding barrage on the senses” (The Globe and Mail), and “Bartok on steroids” (Birmingham News), Kelly-Marie Murphy’s voice is well known on the Canadian music scene. She has created several memorable works for some of Canada’s leading performers and ensembles, including the Toronto, Winnipeg, and Vancouver Symphony Orchestras, The Gryphon Trio, James Campbell, Shauna Rolston, the Cecilia and Afiara String Quartets, and Judy Loman.
Kelly-Marie Murphy was born on a NATO base in Sardegna, Italy, and grew up on Canadian Armed Forces bases all across Canada. She began her studies in composition at the University of Calgary with William Jordan and Allan Bell and later received a PhD in composition from the University of Leeds, England, where she studied with Philip Wilby. After living and working for many years in the Washington D.C. area, where she was designated "an alien of extraordinary ability" by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, she is now based in Ottawa, quietly pursuing a career as a freelance composer.
Seventeen-year-old Jessica Yuma began her piano lessons at the age of 3, and completed both the Associateship (ARCT) and Licentiate (LRCM) Performance Diplomas from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto by the age of 11. Jessica has won numerous prizes in competitions at the provincial, national and international level. Recent accomplishments include: 1st prize at the Canadian Music Competition National Final, the Steinway Young Artists Competition, the CFMTA National Final (Canadian Federation of Music Teachers Association); 3rd prize at the Orford Music Awards Competition as well as the Canadian Chopin Competition (and as a result she will be participating at the 18th International Chopin Competition in 2021, in Warsaw, Poland). Jessica has given numerous solo recitals since the age of 9 and has worked with orchestras, such as the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Edmonton Philharmonic Orchestra, Calgary Civic Symphony Orchestra and the Brunesis Virtuosi Orchestra in Italy since the age of 11. The venues in which she has appeared include: the Winspear Centre in Edmonton, Jack Singer Hall in Calgary, Steinway Hall and Carnegie Hall in New York. Jessica has participated in several music festivals including the Morningside Music Bridge in Boston, Orford Music Academy in Quebec, the Young Artists Program in Ottawa, Music fest Perugia in Italy and Coimbra World Piano Meeting in Portugal. Recently, she was selected as one of the top “30 Under 30” Classical Musicians in Canada by CBC Radio and had a live radio debut at CBC Edmonton. Jessica studies piano with Prof. Krzysztof Jablonski. She is currently studying at the New England Conservatory in Boston, in the studio of Proffessor Wha Kyung Byun.
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 Florida. Shelley’s leadership is complemented by Principal Guest Conductor John Storgårds, an internationally renowned conductor and violinist who has led some of the world’s finest ensembles, and Principal Youth Conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, known for creating innovative and engaging community programming. 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 U.K., Europe, and Asia.
The NAC Orchestra has also established a rich discography, including many of the over 80 new works it has commissioned. These include:
- The 2024 album Truth in Our Time, including the premiere recording of Philip Glass’s Symphony No. 13, commissioned by the National Arts Centre Orchestra
- Clara - Robert - Johannes: a multi-year, multi-album exploration of the music of Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann, and Johannes Brahms, featuring pianists Angela Hewitt, Stewart Goodyear, and Gabriela Montero
- The groundbreaking Life Reflected, which includes "My Name is Amanda Todd" by the late Jocelyn Morlock (winner of the 2018 JUNO for Classical Composition of the Year)
- Ana Sokolović’s "Golden Slumbers Kiss Your Eyes," 2019 JUNO Winner for Classical Composition of the Year (from the 2019 JUNO-nominated New Worlds)
- The 2020 JUNO-nominated The Bounds of Our Dreams, featuring pianist Alain Lefèvre
- Angela Hewitt’s 2015 JUNO Award-winning album of Mozart Piano Concertos
The NAC Orchestra’s Learning and Community Engagement initiatives are rooted in creating inclusive and accessible programs for audiences in the National Capital Region and across Canada. These initiatives include family-focused performances, Music Circle workshops specifically designed for individuals on the autism spectrum, and sensory-friendly concerts. Additionally, the Orchestra offers exceptional programming for students, teachers, and learners of all ages, including matinee performances, open rehearsals, instrumental workshops, and digital resources, ensuring that arts learning and engagement in music remain a priority for young audiences and the broader community. The Orchestra’s annual Mentorship Program brings 50 early-career orchestral musicians from around the world to participate in a three-week professional development experience with the world-class NAC Orchestra. Through these efforts, the NAC Orchestra continues to foster meaningful connections with diverse audiences, making music a shared and inclusive experience.
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“A natural communicator, both on and off the podium” (The Telegraph), Alexander Shelley performs across six continents with the world’s finest orchestras and soloists.
With a conducting technique described as “immaculate” (Yorkshire Post) and a “precision, distinction and beauty of gesture not seen since Lorin Maazel” (Le Devoir), Shelley is known for the clarity and integrity of his interpretations and the creativity and vision of his programming. To date, he has spearheaded over 40 major world premieres, highly praised cycles of Beethoven, Schumann and Brahms symphonies, operas, ballets and innovative multi-media productions.
Since 2015, he has served as Music Director of Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra and Principal Associate Conductor of London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In April 2023, he was appointed Artistic and Music Director of Artis–Naples in Florida, providing artistic leadership for Naples Philharmonic and the entire multidisciplinary arts organization. The 2024-2025 season is Alexander’s inaugural season in this position.
Additional 2024-2025 season highlights include performances with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Colorado Symphony, the Warsaw Philharmonic, the Seattle Symphony, the Chicago Civic Orchestra and the National Symphony of Ireland. Shelley is a regular guest with some of the finest orchestras of Europe, the Americas, Asia and Australasia, including Leipzig’s Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Helsinki, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, Malaysian, Oslo, Rotterdam and Stockholm philharmonic orchestras and the Sao Paulo, Houston, Seattle, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Montreal, Toronto, Munich, Singapore, Melbourne, Sydney and New Zealand symphony orchestras.
In September 2015, Shelley succeeded Pinchas Zukerman as Music Director of Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, the youngest in its history. The ensemble has since been praised as “an orchestra transformed ... hungry, bold, and unleashed” (Ottawa Citizen), and his programming is credited for turning the orchestra “almost overnight ... into one of the more audacious orchestras in North America” (Maclean’s). Together, they have undertaken major tours of Canada, Europe and Carnegie Hall, where they premiered Philip Glass’s Symphony No. 13.
They have commissioned ground-breaking projects such as Life Reflected and Encount3rs, released multiple JUNO-nominated albums and, most recently, responded to the pandemic and social justice issues of the era with the NACO Live and Undisrupted video series.
In August 2017, Shelley concluded his eight-year tenure as Chief Conductor of the Nurnberger Symphoniker, a period hailed by press and audiences alike as a golden era for the orchestra.
Shelley’s operatic engagements have included The Merry Widow and Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet (Royal Danish Opera), La bohème (Opera Lyra/National Arts Centre), Louis Riel (Canadian Opera Company/National Arts Centre), lolanta (Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen), Così fan tutte (Opera National de Montpellier), The Marriage of Figaro (Opera North), Tosca (Innsbruck) and both Le nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni in semi-staged productions at the NAC.
Winner of the ECHO Music Prize and the Deutsche Grunderpreis, Shelley was conferred with the Cross of the Federal Order of Merit by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in April 2023 in recognition of his services to music and culture.
Through his work as Founder and Artistic Director of the Schumann Camerata and their pioneering “440Hz” series in Dusseldorf, as founding Artistic Director of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen’s “Zukunftslabor” and through his regular tours leading Germany’s National Youth Orchestra, inspiring future generations of classical musicians and listeners has always been central to Alexander’s work.
He regularly gives informed and passionate pre- and post-concert talks on his programs, as well as numerous interviews and podcasts on the role of classical music in society. In Nuremberg alone, over nine years, he hosted over half a million people at the annual Klassik Open Air concert, Europe’s largest classical music event.
Born in London in October 1979 to celebrated concert pianists, Shelley studied cello and conducting in Germany and first gained widespread attention when he was unanimously awarded first prize at the 2005 Leeds Conductors’ Competition, with the press describing him as “the most exciting and gifted young conductor to have taken this highly prestigious award.”
The Music Director role is supported by Elinor Gill Ratcliffe, C.M., ONL, LL.D. (hc).
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