Last updated: May 11, 2023
The May 10 concert is dedicated to Sara Vered in gratitude for her recent gift to the NAC Orchestra Mentorship Program.
Her generous contribution will provide young orchestral musicians with exceptional learning opportunities like the one you will see this evening for years to come. Sara and her family have supported the National Arts Centre since 1998 and have championed the NAC’s professional music education programs for young artists since 2012. In recognition of her generous support, Sara was Honorary Patron of the NAC’s former Young Artists Program from 2012 to 2019. A loyal and engaged performing arts lover, Sara enjoys dance and theatre as well as NAC Orchestra performances.
The May 11 concert is dedicated to the memory of Donald Renshaw, beloved Principal Trombone of the NAC Orchestra for over 36 years.
September 22, 1956—December 21, 2022
Born in Montreal, Donald Renshaw received his Bachelor of Music degree with distinction from McGill University in 1977, and a Master’s degree in Music from The Juilliard School in 1982. As a young professional, he freelanced in a wide array of genres, performing with early and contemporary music groups such as the Studio de Musique Ancienne de Montréal on sackbut, and the Société de Musique Contemporaine du Québec, in addition to jazz groups and big bands.
In 1983, Don was invited to play with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra as Principal Trombone. He was Principal Trombone of Orchestra London Canada from 1983 to 1986, and also taught at the University of Western Ontario. In 1986, Don became Principal Trombone of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, and taught trombone, tuba, and jazz ensemble, at the Conservatoire de Musique du Québec à Hull from 1987 to 1994. He was a founding member of the Rideau Lakes Brass Quintet (now the NAC Brass Quintet), the Capital BrassWorks, and the Ambassador Brass Trio. Education and community outreach were always close to Don’s heart. He gave hundreds of school concerts through the NAC education program, and also taught at the University of Ottawa. Don was the dear husband of Linda Renshaw, and proud father of two sons, Adam and Aaron.
Program
KEIKO DEVAUX Listening Underwater for orchestra* (12 min)
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18 (32 min)
I. Moderato
II. Adagio sostenuto – Più animato
III. Allegro scherzando
INTERMISSION
RICHARD STRAUSS Ein Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64 (51 min)
*World Premiere; NAC Orchestra commission as part of the Carrefour Composer Program, made possible by the Canada Council for the Arts
Repertoire
Listening Underwater
Keiko Devaux (b. 1982) is a contemporary music composer based in Montréal. Her approach embraces a love of electroacoustic sounds and methodology by manipulating and distorting acoustic sound with digital tools, and then transcribing or re-translating these back into musical notation and the acoustic realm. Her interests include emotional experience and affect, auto-organizational phenomena in nature and living beings, as well as “genre-blurring” by layering and juxtaposing contrasting melodic/harmonic skeletal elements of highly contrasting sonic sources. The distortion of the temporal, frequency, and timbral attributes allow the blurring between traditional tonal sounds and more electroacoustic-inspired “noise” gestures.
Keiko’s works have been performed in Canada, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, the United States, and Israel by various ensembles. She has received numerous prizes and awards, including most recently a JUNO Award for Classical Composition of the Year (for Arras, 2022), the Prix Opus for Composer of the Year (2022), and the inaugural Azrieli Commission for Canadian Music in 2020 (the largest of its kind in Canada and one of the largest in the world).
From 2020 to 2022, Keiko was in residence with the NAC Orchestra as a Carrefour Composer. Listening Underwater was commissioned by NACO as part of this program, and tonight’s performance is the work’s world premiere. She provides the following description about her piece:
The inspiration for this work brought together my general interest in hydro-acoustics with underwater noise pollution and the effect it has on sea-life communication. For this piece I focused particularly on the communicative sounds of toothed and baleen whales. Toothed whales, which include orcas and dolphins, use echolocation to communicate, navigate, and hunt whereas baleen whales produce a series of sounds or “songs” to communicate. Using these two types of vocalizations as inspiration points created a nice contrast between echolocation—a series of clicks and pops—in the ultrasonic range, with the pitch-bending/wavering “songs” produced by baleen whales in the infrasonic range creating two very distinct frequency bands.
The piece establishes and builds an underwater environment of organic ambient noise including surface waves, deeper swells, general underwater movement, and an overall muffled quality with frequencies in the mid-range more attenuated highlighting the extreme high and low intermittent and droned sounds. Eventually the underwater communication, expressed as foreground melodic themes is introduced. These thematic motifs are presented as communicative calls in one section of the orchestra receiving a response in another section often truncated or diffused in nature. As these call-response motifs continue to build and develop in nature, the thrum of human noise (ships, machinery, drilling, etc.) begins its slow crescendo. As this crescendo builds, the calls adapt by adjusting their frequency range higher or lower. Eventually, as the noise builds, the responses become more distant, diffused, disfigured, and ultimately lost. As this crescendo reaches its climax, the underwater calls and responses are stamped out, and the ocean is “silent” again. As the piece comes to an end, melodies are slowly reborn and begin to call out again, first to no response, and eventually life and communication rebuilds and reemerges.
Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op.18
I. Moderato
II. Adagio sostenuto – Più animato
III. Allegro scherzando
In March 1897, Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943) was in St. Petersburg at the premiere of his first major work, Symphony No. 1. It was a total failure (he blamed it on Alexander Glazunov’s poor conducting), which led to a creative crisis lasting three years, during which he was unable to compose anything of significance. (He did, however, continue to perform as a pianist and began another career as a conductor.) Eventually, with the support and encouragement of his friends, as well as conversations with the hypnotherapist Dr. Nikolai Dahl, he resumed composing, and completed the Second Piano Concerto in 1901. A success from when he performed it on October 27/November 9 that year, it remains his most popular work today.
And it’s easy to see why. The Concerto (which is dedicated to Dahl) is a powerful—and superbly crafted--drama between piano and orchestra, filled with passionate melodies, sumptuous textures, and rich harmonies. After the striking introduction of sombre chords played by the pianist alone, the first movement is dominated by two themes: a brooding, chant-like main theme presented by the violins and violas, and later, an ardent arch-like melody first introduced by the piano. These are developed in the middle of the movement, as the piano and orchestra together build tension and momentum, ultimately surging towards a climactic return of the main theme in a march-like version. The piano continues, the music more achingly melancholy now, leading into a nostalgic version of the second theme played by solo horn. After a dreamy episode for the piano, the tempo gradually accelerates, and the movement is brought to an abruptly emphatic end.
From C minor sombreness, shifting harmonies played by muted strings progress to the luminous key of E major, at which point the piano enters with serene arpeggios hovering over descending chromatic lines and sustained bass notes. Solo flute enters with a nostalgically tender melody, which is then continued by the clarinet, and later, fully taken up by the piano. After subsiding in B major, the mode turns to minor, and the mood becomes more agitated, as the piano rhapsodizes on the main theme. It builds to a climax three times, each one becoming more intense and expansive; after the third peak, the piano suddenly drives forward, and brings us to an animated episode with fragments of the first movement’s opening theme in the violins and oboe sounding over the soloist’s flurry of notes. It culminates in a dazzling cadenza, after which the piano draws us back to a reprise of the main theme, now sung by muted violins. A sublime coda follows, unfolding like a passionate farewell, with the piano left alone at the close.
The third movement opens with a sprightly march that modulates out of the previous movement’s E major world back to C minor. From quiet tiptoe, the march crescendos to a noisy climax (with cymbals and bass drum), to which the piano responds with a brilliant cadenza, and eventually settles on the main theme with sparkling figuration. A grand transition in the piano arrives at the lyrical second theme, first sung by violas and oboe, then echoed by the piano. An enigmatic episode follows—the piano weaves a line through the march theme now slowed down, with haunting touches of cymbals and an unsettling timpani roll. The pace suddenly picks up, and the march theme is further developed, first gaining energy and speed, then via an orchestral fugue, with its initial rigor soon giving way to more flashy passages in the piano. Later, the second theme and the enigmatic slow march are reprised, after which piano and orchestra build to the ultimate climax: a blazing piano cadenza, silence, then a majestic presentation of the second theme by the strings, as the piano powers through virtuosic patterns of chords. In the final moments, the music rushes forth in jubilant C major, to the concerto’s exuberant finish.
Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64
In 1888, convinced that his artistic direction was to create new forms for every new subject, Richard Strauss (1864–1949) embarked on writing orchestral “tone poems.” A one-movement work that illustrates or evokes the content of an extramusical source, like a story, poem, or painting, a tone poem was a novel way to structure the experience of orchestral music compared to the traditional abstract forms of the four-movement symphony. With each one he composed—from Don Juan to Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks to Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life)—Strauss found innovative and ever expansive ways of using orchestral timbre, texture, and sonority to vividly convey the breadth of human experience.
Completed between 1911 and 1915, Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony) was Strauss’s last major symphonic work. Its sprawling length of 50 minutes suggests its more than a conventional tone poem (which tends to span only half that time) but like one, it explicitly conveys an extramusical topic. Employing a massive orchestra including off-stage brass, wind and thunder machines, and organ, the piece evokes an excursionist’s 24-hour journey up and down an alpine mountain—what they see and their physical, emotional, and psychological responses en route, which we, as listeners, experience alongside. For the atheistic Strauss, this subject was rooted in Friedrich Nietzsche’s anti-metaphysical philosophy, with which he had been preoccupied since the 1890s (his 1896 tone poem Also sprach Zarathustra is based on Nietzsche’s novel of the same title). As the composer had written in his diary in 1911, he originally thought to title “my alpine symphony: The Antichrist, since it represents: moral purification through one’s own effort, liberation through work, [and] the adoration of eternal, glorious nature.”
An Alpine Symphony unfolds in 22 tableaux, as indicated in Strauss’s score. The first 12 chronicle the hiker’s ascent, focused on conveying the act of climbing and the sights and sounds that are experienced. Along the way, several important “leitmotifs” appear, the ensuing recurrences of which form the sonic narrative. The opening tableaux, “Nacht (Night)”, begins with a solemn descent to the registral depths, at the bottom of which four trombones intone the “Mountain” theme. After dwelling in this murky sound world, figures in the strings begin to move more quickly, leading to an orchestral crescendo that culminates in the “Sonnenaufgang (Sunrise)” theme—a majestic full-orchestra descending scale. The excursionist basks in the glow, then begins their ascent (“Der Anstieg”), represented by a rigorous leaping melody introduced by the cellos and double basses (it’s derived from a motif in the coda of the finale of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony).
After clambering vigorously, we arrive at “Eintritt in den Wald” (Entry into the wood)”, in which Strauss conjures up the mystery of a dark forest, with rapid string crossings suggesting the wind moving through the trees. Then, as if we’ve emerged into a clearing, the music becomes serene and contemplative. Eventually, the excursionist wanders by a burbling brook (“Wanderung neben dem bache”), which leads to a rushing waterfall (“Am Wasserfall”). As we gaze at the waterfall’s tumbling spray, evoked by harps and celeste, ricochet glissandos in the strings and woodwind arpeggios, the English horn and solo viola present a naïve little tune (“Erscheinung”; Apparition), tinged by glints of glockenspiel. Later, horns and violas sing a warm melody of descending sighs—this is the “Admiration” theme, expressing wonder at the view.
We then glide through flowery meadows (“Auf blumige Wiesen”)—smooth lyrical lines in the violins—and arrive at the sound of yodeling, cowbells, and twittering birds on the mountain pasture (“Auf der Alm”), where we pause with the hiker to take in the scene. Thereafter, the music becomes more agitated and dissonant, as we traverse difficult terrain: “through thicket and briar on wrong paths” (“Durch Dickicht und Gestrüpp auf Irrwegen”), then a perilous trek on a glacier (“Auf dem Gletscher”), signaled by a defiant trumpet theme. After surmounting that treachery, there’s a suspenseful moment, as fragments of the “Ascent” theme sound, depicting the final “dangerous moments” (“Gefahrvolle Augenblicke”) near the peak.
“Auf dem Gipfel (On the summit)” begins with a powerful statement of the “Nature” motif (similar to the one that opens Also sprach Zarathustra) intoned by trombones. An extended oboe solo follows, halting and delicate, as if pausing to catch one’s breath, in the stillness at the top. At this point, the music isn’t evoking what is being seen, but the climber’s emotional response to the view at the summit. The “Admiration” theme, last heard at the waterfall, returns as an effusive outpouring, and is later followed by a recall of the “Sunrise” melody in full glory.
Hereafter, the remaining tableaux, beginning with “Vision (Vision)”, emphasize the thoughts and feelings of the excursionist following their peak experience. We hear recalls of “Admiration” in the minor mode and “Sunrise” complicated by chromaticisms, thus suggesting a growing anxiety. After a grand statement of the “Mountain” theme, the music suddenly collapses, and the atmosphere becomes nebulous—the rising mists (“Nebel steigen auf”) and the gradual veiling of the sun (“Die Sonne verdüstert sich almählich”) also a metaphor, perhaps, for a developing spiritual crisis. In the ensuing “Elegie (Elegy)”, strings sing wandering, uncertain phrases, which musicologist David Larkin argues might represent the climber’s melancholy over the loss of religious or metaphysical certainty. Faith-shattering doubt is then evoked in its ecological parallel—a terrifying storm on the descent, beginning with the calm beforehand (“Stille vor dem Sturm”), then thunder, howling gales, and pouring rain (“Gewitter und Sturm, Absteig”).
At sunset (“Sonnenuntergang”), the “Sunrise” theme sounds in the violins and woodwinds in vastly elongated form, as the mood shifts to nostalgia. The entrance of the organ (a sonic reference intimating the world beyond) signals the start of the “Ausklang (After-echo)” tableaux. The “Admiration”, “Ascent”, and “Sunrise” themes, along with their variants, make final reappearances, like reminiscences, then dissolve into the closing realm of night (“Nacht”).
Program notes by Hannah Chan-Hartley, PhD
Artists
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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. He has spearheaded over 40 major world premieres to date, including 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 the Naples Philharmonic and the entire multidisciplinary arts organization. The 2024-2025 season is Shelley’s inaugural season in this position.
In addition to his other conducting roles, the Pacific Symphony in Los Angeles’s Orange County announced Shelley’s appointment as its next Artistic and Music Director. The initial five-year term begins in the 2026-2027 season, with Shelley serving as Music Director-Designate from September 2025.
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 Shelley’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).
Described by The Observer as the “definition of virtuosity,” Japanese pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii (Nobu), who has been blind from birth, won the joint Gold Medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2009 and has gone on to earn an international reputation for the passion and excitement he brings to his live performances.
Nobu has appeared in concert with leading orchestras worldwide including the Philharmonia, BBC Philharmonic, NHK Symphony, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony, Tokyo Symphony, and Japan Philharmonic orchestras, Seattle Symphony, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Filarmonica della Scala, and the Sinfonieorchester Basel under the baton of conductors such as Vladimir Ashkenazy, Vladimir Spivakov, Juanjo Mena, and Vasily Petrenko. Nobu’s past appearances as a recitalist have seen him perform at prestigious venues across the world such as Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium, the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris, Wigmore Hall and Royal Albert Hall in London, the Berlin Philharmonie, and Vienna’s Musikverein.
Nobu’s 2022–23 season sees him perform recital programs at Carnegie Hall, London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, Birmingham Town Hall, and the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. Nobu also features as a concerto soloist with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra under Domingo Hindoyan, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Vasily Petrenko, Seattle Symphony under Jiří Rozen, the Sarasota Orchestra, and the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra, in addition to numerous solo and concerto appearances across his native Japan.
Nobu’s growing catalogue of recordings encompasses the breadth of the piano concerto repertoire including Chopin’s Piano Concerto No.2, Grieg’s Piano Concerto, and Rachmaninoff’s Variations on a Theme of Paganini, Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No.2, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, and Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.5. Nobu has also recorded several recital programs of Chopin, Mozart, Debussy, and Liszt.
Nobu’s international tours are supported by All Nippon Airways (ANA).
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 UK and Artistic and Music Director of Artis—Naples and the Naples Philharmonic in the United States. In addition to his other conducting roles, the Pacific Symphony in Los Angeles’s Orange County announced Shelley’s appointment as its next Artistic and Music Director. The initial five-year term begins in the 2026-2027 season, with Shelley serving as Music Director-Designate from September 2025. Principal Guest Conductor John Storgårds and Principal Youth Conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser complement Shelley’s leadership. 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.
Conductor Naomi Woo, named by CBC in 2019 as a “Top 30 Classical Musicians under 30”, is the Assistant Conductor of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the first-ever Music Director of Sistema Winnipeg. Born in Newfoundland and raised in North Vancouver, Naomi conducts across Canada and is noted for her work as a socially-engaged artist and educator, with appearances at the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra, Regina Symphony Orchestra, and the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra. An advocate for opera and new music, Naomi recently led the Canadian premiere of Du Yun’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Angel’s Bone (re:Naissance Opera) and the world premiere of Ellis Ludwig-Leone’s The Night Falls (BalletCollective, American Opera Projects). She holds degrees from Yale, Université de Montréal, and Cambridge.
Keiko Devaux is a contemporary music composer based in Montreal.
Her approach embraces a love of electroacoustic sounds and methodology by manipulating and distorting acoustic sound with digital tools and transcribing or re-translating these interpretations into musical notation and the acoustic realm. Her interests include emotional experience and affect, auto-organizational phenomena in nature and living beings, as well as ‘genre-blurring’ by layering and juxtaposing contrasting melodic/harmonic skeletal elements of highly contrasting sonic sources. The distortion of the temporal, frequency, and timbral attributes allows the blurring between traditional tonal sounds and more electroacoustic-inspired ‘noise’ gestures.
Her works have been performed in Canada, France, Italy, Germany, the United States, and Israel by various ensembles, including Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, Quatuor Molinari, Trio Fibonacci, Ensemble Arkea, Quartetto Prometeo, musica assoluta, l’ensemble Sturm und Klang, the Jasper String Quartet, the Rolston String Quartet, the Talea Ensemble, and the Israel Contemporary Players among many other. She also regularly collaborates with choreographers and filmmakers.
She has received numerous prizes and awards, notably the JUNO Award for Classical Composition of the Year (for Arras, 2022), the Prix Opus for Composer of the Year (2022), the inaugural Azrieli Commission for Canadian Music in 2020 (the largest of its kind in Canada and one of the largest in the world), the Jan V. Matejcek New Classical Music Award (2019), the Rotary Club Siena Award for distinction in her master courses with Salvatore Sciarrino (2018), the OUM composition prize (2016 and 2018), and the Jury and Public prizes of the Accès Arkea competition (for Ombra, 2017).
From 2016 to 2018, she was the composer in residence with Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne in Montreal. From 2020 to 2022, she was in residence with the National Arts Centre Orchestra (Ottawa) as a Carrefour composer. She is an associate composer with the Canadian Music Centre, former president of the board of directors of Codes d’accès, and past organizer of the Montréal Contemporary Music Lab.
Originally from British Columbia, she began her musical career in piano performance studies as well as composing, touring, and recording several albums in independent rock bands. She holds a Bachelor of Music (Écriture), a Master of Music in instrumental composition, and a doctorate in music composition and creation from the Université de Montréal. She has also studied with Maestro Salvatore Sciarrino at l’Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy (2017-19).
Credits
NAC Orchestra
First Violins
Yosuke Kawasaki (concertmaster)
Jessica Linnebach (associate concertmaster)
Noémi Racine Gaudreault (assistant concertmaster)
Emily Kruspe
Marjolaine Lambert
Frédéric Moisan
Carissa Klopoushak
Zhengdong Liang
*Erica Miller
*Martine Dubé
°Austin Wu
°Yu Kai Sun
°Kimberly Durflinger
°Patrick Paradine
°Maria-Sophia Pera
°Hanna Williamson
Second Violins
Mintje van Lier (principal)
Winston Webber (assistant principal)
Jeremy Mastrangelo
Emily Westell
Manuela Milani
Leah Roseman
Mark Friedman
Karoly Sziladi
**Edvard Skerjanc
*Andréa Armijo Fortin
*Heather Schnarr
°Daniel Fuchs
°Lindsey Herle
°Delia Li
°Yan Li
°Sienna MinKyong Cho
Violas
Jethro Marks (principal)
David Marks (associate principal)
David Goldblatt (assistant principal)
Paul Casey
David Thies-Thompson
*Tovin Allers
°Christoph Chung
°Rebecca Miller
°Marie Vivies
°Ellis Yuen-Rapati
Cellos
Rachel Mercer (principal)
**Julia MacLaine (assistant principal)
Leah Wyber
Marc-André Riberdy
Timothy McCoy
*Desiree Abbey
*Thaddeus Morden
°Juliette Leclerc
°Justine Lefebvre
°Aidan Fleet
°Evelyne Méthot
Double Basses
Max Cardilli (assistant principal)
Vincent Gendron
Marjolaine Fournier
**Hilda Cowie
*Paul Mach
°Patrick Bigelow
°Jacob Diaz
°Logan Nelson
Flutes
Joanna G'froerer (principal)
Stephanie Morin
°Félicia Lévesque
°Aram Mun
Oboes
Charles Hamann (principal)
Anna Petersen
*Alex Liedtke
°Lucian Avalon
°Aidan Dugan
English Horn
Anna Petersen
Clarinets
Kimball Sykes (principal)
Sean Rice
°Xhovan Dimo
°Yanqing Zhang
Bassoons
Darren Hicks (principal)
Vincent Parizeau
°Nadia Ingalls
°Juan Antonio Rodriguez Diaz
Horns
Lawrence Vine (principal)
Julie Fauteux (associate principal)
Elizabeth Simpson
Lauren Anker
Louis-Pierre Bergeron
*Olivier Brisson
*Mark Constantine
°August Haller
°Chia-ying Lin
°Rachel O'Connor
°Taran Plamondon
Trumpets
Karen Donnelly (principal)
Steven van Gulik
*Curtis Dietz
°Luis Cardenas Casillas
°Matheus Correa de Moraes
Trombones
*Peter Sullivan (guest principal)
Colin Traquair
°Léonard Pineault Deault
Bass Trombone
*Luke Sieve
°Alexander Mullins
Tuba
Chris Lee (principal)
°Brandon Figueroa
Timpani
*Andrei Malashenko (guest principal)
°Hamza Able
Percussion
Jonathan Wade
*Robert Slapcoff
°Alec Joly Pavelich
°Leigh Wilson
Harp
*Angela Schwarzkopf
°Anna Dunlap
Organ
*Thomas Annand
Celeste
*Olga Gross
Principal Librarian
Nancy Elbeck
Assistant Librarian
Corey Rempel
Personnel Manager
Meiko Lydall
Assistant Personnel Manager
Laurie Shannon
*Additional musicians
**On leave
°Participants of the NAC Orchestra Mentorship Program