≈ 2 hours and 20 minutes · With intermission
Last updated: June 19, 2024
Program
ANDREW BALFOUR ᓂᔭ niya (I Am) (10 min)
Ottawa Choral Society
ANNA CLYNE Glasslands* (25 min)
Jess Gillam, saxophone
INTERMISSION
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 (67 min)
I. Allegro ma non troppo un poco maestoso
II. Molto vivace – Presto
III. Adagio molto e cantabile
IV. Finale: Presto – Allegro assai
Kirsten MacKinnon, soprano
Allyson McHardy, mezzo-soprano
Andrew Haji, tenor
William Thomas, bass
Ottawa Choral Society
*Canadian premiere
Texts & Translations
ᓂᔭ niya
Niya
Hiy Hiy
Mawihkatamowin
Pimoheskanawon
Kookum
Pakaskitawew
Wekimakasikan
Kihewataniy
Niya
Cree text compiled by Andrew Balfour
I am
I am
to give thanks
crying, mourning
s/he continually walks the same path
grandmother
s/he hears her/him
smudge
eagle feather
I am
Beethoven Symphony No. 9
“Ode an die Freude”
Bass (recitative)
O Freunde, nicht diese Töne!
Sondern laßt uns angenehmere
anstimmen, und freudenvollere!
Soloists and Chorus
Freude, schöner Götterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische, dein Heiligtum.
Deine Zauber binden wieder,
Was die Mode streng geteilt;
Alle Menschen werden Brüder,
Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt.
Wem der große Wurf gelungen,
Eines Freundes Freund zu sein,
Wer ein holdes Weib errungen,
Mische seinen Jubel ein!
Ja, wer auch nur eine Seele
Sein nennt auf dem Erdenrund!
Und wer’s nie gekonnt, der stehle
Weinend sich aus diesem Bund!
Freude trinken alle Wesen
An den Brüsten der Natur;
Alle Guten, alle Bösen
Folgen ihrer Rosenspur.
Küsse gab sie uns und Reben,
Einen Freund, geprüft im Tod;
Wollust ward dem Wurm gegeben,
Und der Cherub steht vor Gott.
Tenor and Chorus
Froh, wie seine Sonnen fliegen
Durch des Himmels prächt’gen Plan,
Laufet, Brüder, eure Bahn,
Freudig, wie ein Held zum Siegen.
Freude, schöner Götterfunken, etc.
Chorus
Seid umschlungen, Millionen!
Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!
Brüder! Über’m Sternenzelt
Muß ein lieber Vater wohnen.
Ihr stürzt nieder, Millionen?
Ahnest du den Schöpfer, Welt?
Such’ ihn über’m Sternenzelt!
Über Sternen muß er wohnen.
Freude, schöner Götterfunken, etc.
Seid umschlungen, Millionen! Etc.
Ihr stürzt nieder, Millionen? Etc.
Soloists and Chorus
Freude, Tochter aus Elysium, etc.
Alle Menschen warden Brüder,
Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt.
Chorus
Seid umschlungen, Millionen
...Brüder! Über'm Sternenzelt
Muß ein lieber wohnen
Seid umschlungen!
Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!
Freude, schöner Götterfunken!
Tochter aus Elysium!
Freude, schöner Götterfunken!
Original German: Friedrich Schiller
“Ode to Joy”
Bass (recitative)
O friends—not these sounds!
Let us sing of more pleasant and
joyful things!
Soloists and Chorus
Joy, thou shining spark of God,
Daughter of Elysium,
Transported by your flame, we rise,
Yours is the holiness of heaven.
Your magic brings together again
Those whom social custom has parted;
All people become brothers
Where your sweet bird flies.
Those to whom
True friendship
And happy marriage are given
May join in jubilation!
Yes, whoever calls just one soul
On the earth’s sphere his own!
Whoever cannot, let him creep,
Weeping, out of our circle!
Nature nurses
Every creature with joy.
All the good and the wicked alike
Seek out our rosy scent.
She gave us kisses and wine,
And friendship that stands the test of death.
Pleasure is granted even to the worm –
And the cherub stands before God.
Tenor and Chorus
Happy as the sun is flying
Through the splendour of heaven,
Travel your path, brothers,
Joyful as a champion on his way to victory.
Joy, thou shining spark of God, etc.
Chorus
You are embraced, all you millions!
This is a kiss from the whole world!
Brothers, a beloved father
Must live above the canopy of stars.
Are you kneeling, all you millions?
Do you know the creator, O world?
Look for him above the firmament!
He must live above the stars.
Joy, thou shining spark of God, etc.
You are embraced, all you millions! Etc.
Are you kneeling, all you millions? Etc.
Soloists and Chorus
Joy, Daughter of Elysium, etc.
All people become brothers
Where your sweet bird flies.
Chorus
You are embraced, all you millions!
...Brothers, a beloved father
Must live above the canopy of stars.
You are embraced!
This is a kiss from the whole world!
Joy, thou shining spark of God!
Daughter of Elysium!
Joy, thou shining spark of God!
Repertoire
ᓂᔭ niya (I Am)
Of Cree descent, Andrew Balfour (b. 1967) is an innovative composer, conductor, singer, and sound designer with a large body of choral, instrumental, electro-acoustic, and orchestral works, including Take the Indian (a vocal reflection on missing children), Empire Étrange: The Death of Louis Riel, Bawajigaywin (Vision Quest), and Manitou Sky, an orchestral tone poem. His Indigenous opera, Mishaabooz’s Realm, was commissioned by L’Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal and Highlands Opera Workshop and premiered in 2017. He has been commissioned by many organizations, including the Winnipeg, Regina, and Toronto symphony orchestras, Tafelmusik, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, the Winnipeg Singers, the Kingston Chamber Choir, and Camerata Nova, among others. His works have been performed and/or broadcast locally, nationally, and internationally. Andrew is also the founder, conceptual creator, and Artistic Director of the vocal group Camerata Nova, which has performed early, contemporary, and Indigenous-infused vocal chamber concerts for local, national, and international audiences since 1996.
Andrew has become increasingly passionate about music education and outreach, particularly on northern reserves and inner-city Winnipeg schools where he has worked on behalf of the National Arts Centre, Camerata Nova, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and various Winnipeg school divisions over a period of seven years. Andrew was Curator and Composer-in-Residence of the WSO’s Indigenous Festivals in 2009 and 2010 and in 2007 received the Mayor of Winnipeg’s Making a Mark Award, sponsored by the Winnipeg Arts Council to recognize the most promising midcareer artist in the city.
Niya was commissioned by the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and was premiered by the orchestra and the Calgary Philharmonic Chorus in September 2022. Written as a companion piece to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Niya, as Balfour describes it,
…is an orchestral tone poem from a Cree perspective. This work is a journey (Ispiciwin) exploring the spirits of my ancestors through orchestral and choral forces. It’s a journey of self-discovery and hidden spirits regarding the ancient medicines, ceremony, music, and land of the prairies, where my ancestors lived and thrived for thousands of years until they and their spirits were almost wiped out with settler contact. Niya is a message of sorrow mixed in with hope for the future of all Indigenous peoples of Mother Earth, particularly those on Turtle Island.
Biography and program note compiled and edited by Hannah Chan-Hartley, PhD
Glasslands
Described as a “composer of uncommon gifts and unusual methods” in a New York Times profile and as “fearless” by NPR, Grammy-nominated Anna Clyne (b. 1980) is one of the most in-demand composers today, working with orchestras, choreographers, filmmakers, and visual artists around the world. Clyne was named by Bachtrack as one of the top ten most performed contemporary composers in the world and the most performed living female British composer in both 2022 and 2023. Clyne has been commissioned and presented by the world’s most dynamic and revered arts institutions, including the Barbican, Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Los Angeles Philharmonic, MoMA, Philharmonie de Paris, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, San Francisco Ballet, and the Sydney Opera House; and her music has opened such events as the Edinburgh International Festival, Last Night of the Proms, and the New York Philharmonic’s 2021–2022 season.
In 2023–2024, Clyne serves as Composer-in-Residence with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra as part of their Artistic Team, as Composer-in-Residence at the BBC Philharmonic, and as Artist-in-Residence with Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León. Clyne’s music is represented on several labels and her works Prince of Clouds and Night Ferry were nominated for 2015 Grammy Awards.
Anna has written several concertos, collaborating with such notable musicians as Jeremy Denk, Martin Fröst, Pekka Kuusisto, Yo-Yo Ma, and in the case of Glasslands (composed in 2022), saxophonist Jess Gillam. Clyne revealed in an Arts Desk interview (March 2023) that during her composition of these works, “I spent time contemplating the role of the soloist in relation to the orchestra, and wanting to break down that disconnect—it’s still a dialogue, but a more collaborative exchange rather than a battle between the soloist and the orchestra.” This collaborative aspect extends to “trying to capture the musical spirt of the soloist,” as Clyne told Gary Graff (The Oakland Press, February 2023). “Before writing a note, I listened to many of Jess’s recordings and was immediately struck by the range of emotions she communicates through her playing, so I knew that I wanted to write a piece that covers a lot of emotional and sonic territory,” she continues. “There’s also a vibrancy to Jess’s musical personality, so I also wanted to have moments of playfulness in the piece.”
Glasslands, as Clyne describes, “conjures an imaginary world of three realms governed by the banshee: a female spirit who, in Irish folklore, heralds the death of a family member, usually by wailing, shrieking, or keening in the silence of the night.” In the opening part, the saxophone plays “a very high gesture marked ‘wailing’ [that] unleashes the banshee”; it’s one of several extended techniques on soprano saxophone that Gillam demonstrated to Clyne during their meetings, and ultimately made their way into the concerto. In Gillam’s view, as told to Gemma Peacocke (I Care If You Listen), “The way [Anna] has allowed the saxophone to sing and soar in Glasslands, as well as utilizing its more raucous and powerful side, is a lot of fun (and a brilliant challenge!) to play with. The opening saxophone notes really do pierce the room and open the door to this mystical world that Anna has created.”
Tonight’s performance of Glasslands is the Canadian premiere of the work. Glasslands is a co-commission by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, BBC Radio 3, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Artis–Naples, Naples Philharmonic, and the Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León.
Biography (excerpt reprinted by kind permission of Boosey & Hawkes) and program note compiled by Hannah Chan-Hartley, PhD
Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125
I. Allegro ma non troppo e un poco maestoso
II. Molto vivace – Presto
III. Adagio molto e cantabile
IV. Finale: Presto – Allegro assai
Few works of Western classical music have been as influential and as significant over the past two centuries as Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Its famous “Ode to Joy”, notably, has been used to celebrate a wide gamut of political causes—from fascist regimes to the fight for democratic rights, from racial purity to unified diversity. Miraculously, the nefarious abuses of the work’s emotional force have not affected Beethoven’s reputation nor darkened the utopian ideal of a united humanity that he intended the symphony to convey. “It is unreasonable to expect that a mere piece of music could have the power to bring redemption to a troubled world, although the Ninth Symphony probably has come as close to reaching this goal as any work every composed, ” as musicologist David Benjamin Levy has observed. “The utopian ideals expressed in Friedrich Schiller’s ‘An die Freude’ and in the finale of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony remain unfulfilled, but the hope engendered by these ideals is still very much alive.”
As a musical artwork, the Ninth Symphony is a landmark piece that forever changed the direction of symphonic music’s composition, performance, and reception. After the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the performance of symphonies, particularly in Vienna, had declined, as many aristocratic patrons who commissioned them and had them played in their courts had become economically weakened, or in the case of those closest to the composer, had passed away. By the 1820s, concert life in Vienna was still not favourable towards “serious” symphonies (certainly not as the main fare of public concerts), so Beethoven (1770–1827), who himself hadn’t written a symphony since the completion of his Eighth in 1812, considered having his Ninth Symphony premiered elsewhere. However, after learning that he might give the premiere in Berlin or in London, a group of friends and close associates wrote the composer a letter, imploring him to do it in Vienna. Deeply moved by their support, Beethoven agreed to have it performed, along with his “Consecration of the House” Overture and selections from the Missa solemnis, in an Academie (concert) at the city’s Imperial Royal Court Theatre next to the Kärntnertor. On May 7, 1824, the premiere of the Ninth Symphony was given by the theatre’s orchestra and choir (augmented, respectively, by members of the Society for the Friends of Music and boy sopranos) plus a distinguished cast of soloists. For the first time in 12 years, Beethoven was on stage, at the podium. The performance was enthusiastically received; there are touching accounts of the contralto Caroline Unger pulling at the composer’s sleeve to get him to turn around to face the audience, because his deafness left him unable to hear their applause. From then on, symphonies became a permanent fixture of public concerts and composers would write them for this purpose, while grappling with Beethoven’s legacy.
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony must have been quite an overwhelming experience for audiences at its first presentations. Clocking at over an hour to perform, the symphony was the longest for its time. The instrumental forces it uses are also relatively large; at the premiere, the string section alone had 58 players, about the size of most entire orchestras of the period. And then, in the finale, there’s the incorporation of text—an excerpt from Schiller’s poem—sung by four soloists and a chorus, which no symphonic work ever had before. In terms of execution and interpretation, the Ninth still demands much from today’s musicians, and its monumentality continues to impress.
Within Beethoven’s symphonic output, the Ninth can be seen as the culmination of ideas and techniques he had applied to earlier works, such as his third and fifth symphonies, but now pushed to their utmost extreme. For one, the traditional structures of the Classical symphony are greatly expanded to incorporate other forms and styles of music. The first movement employs the expected sonata form (exposition, development, recapitulation, coda), but with the developmental and concluding sections significantly extended; within the scherzo-trio structure of the second movement, the scherzo alone is in sonata form. A set of double variations (i.e., on two themes) features in the Adagio, while the fourth movement, for orchestra, solo voices, and choir, is a multi-part extravaganza combining all the forms of the earlier movements and more.
To unify the work, Beethoven creates a psychological journey through the symphony’s four movements that peaks with the finale (a concept he used in his Fifth Symphony). On one level, this is conveyed in the shift from the stormy D minor of the first movement to the triumphant D major of the fourth. Notably, he “seeds” this throughout the first three movements: for example, the falling motif and open fifths that quietly opens the symphony, not yet clear whether it’s in major or minor, returns forcefully at the first movement’s recapitulation, unequivocally in D major. Later, in the Scherzo, the pastoral Trio, featuring oboe and clarinet, appears in D major, as does the second theme of the Adagio movement, first played by second violins and violas. Furthermore, the melodies of these latter two moments foreshadow the “Ode to Joy” theme, thus, evoking a sense of organic inevitability when it’s finally introduced in the finale.
The lead-up to the “Ode to Joy” is one of classical music’s remarkable passages—a dramatic episode that seems to be lifted from an opera. After a shocking orchestral outburst (the Schrekensfanfare, or “terror fanfare” of a dissonant chord combining D minor and B-flat major harmonies), cellos and double basses play a bold recitative-like passage. They muse and question, as if in search of a new idea or vision. The orchestra offers suggestions, recalling the opening tunes of the previous three movements in turn, each of which the cellos and basses reject. Eventually, oboe and bassoon tentatively play the first notes of the “Ode to Joy” theme, which the cellos and basses seem to approve. As if in mutual agreement, they play the full melody together in unison, after which three instrumental variations follows. Then, the “terror fanfare” returns, but this time, the solo baritone clarifies the earlier drama, singing “Oh friends, not these sounds!” (referring to the music of the other movements). “Let us create more pleasant and happier ones!”
More variations on the Joy theme ensue, with a series sung by the vocal soloists and choir, followed by its transformation into a comic military march, introduced by a wind band and Turkish instruments (triangle, cymbal, and bass drum). The orchestra then takes up a double fugue (using two different thematic subjects), which culminate in a recap of the Joy theme on full chorus and orchestra. Thereafter, the music becomes stately and reverential, a moment of devotional reflection on the text: “Seid umschlungen, Millionen…Brüder! Über'm Sternenzelt / Muß ein lieber wohnen” (You are embraced, all you millions!…Brothers, a beloved father / Must live above the canopy of stars). The variations resume with the choir singing another double fugue, this time juxtaposing the Joy theme and the melody of “Seid umschlungen, Millionen!”—an ingenious climax to the fugal processes Beethoven integrated into the symphony’s earlier movements. Just before the coda, the soloists intone the message of universal brotherhood in a sublime cadenza, after which the music rushes forward ecstatically to a jubilant finish.
Program note 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. 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 the Naples Philharmonic and the entire multidisciplinary arts organization. The 2024-2025 season is Shelley’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 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).
Jess Gillam has been forging her own adventurous path since she became the first saxophonist to reach the finals of BBC Young Musician and the youngest ever soloist to perform at the Last Night of the Proms. Passionate about inspiring and bringing joy to people through music, Jess invites audiences on journeys of musical discovery through her electrifying performances and eclectic programming. She is an Associate Artist of the Royal Albert Hall and signed exclusively to Decca Classics. She has won a Classic Brit Award and was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to music in 2021.
Jess performs in venues across the globe—from New York’s Carnegie Hall to Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie—and has worked with orchestras such as the BBC, DSO Berlin, Gothenburg, Iceland, Lahti, London, Houston, and Minnesota symphony orchestras as well as the London, Royal Liverpool, and Munich Philharmonics. This season, Jess makes her debuts with the Sydney Symphony and Dresden Philharmonic orchestras, and returns to the NDR Elbphilharmonieorchester to perform James MacMillan’s Saxophone Concerto under Marin Alsop. With her own band, the Jess Gillam Ensemble, Jess has appeared at festivals and venues including the Wigmore Hall, Latitude Festival, Mozartfest Augsburg, and Bath Festival, and has released Time, their chart-topping album on Decca Classics.
Jess became the youngest-ever presenter for BBC Radio 3 with the launch of her own Aria award–winning weekly show, This Classical Life, which is now in its fifth year.
Described by Opera UK as a “heroine [with] poise, expressive singing, excellent vocalism, and a dark and full tone,” Canadian soprano Kirsten MacKinnon has captured the attention of audiences across North America and Europe. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music under the mentorship of Professor Edith Wiens, she held the Alfred Greenberg Memorial Fellowship during her studies, and was also a grant holder of the Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation for Young Canadian Opera Singers. In the 2023–2024 season, Kirsten will debut with Opéra de Montréal, singing Contessa in Le nozze di Figaro, and will return to Vancouver Opera as Pamina in Die Zauberflöte. In concert, she will sing a tribute to Maria Callas with the Orchestre symphonique de Laval in Québec.
Recent operatic highlights have included the Canadian Opera Company and Glyndebourne Festival as Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte; Maggio Musicale Fiorentino as the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro; Oper Frankfurt for her debut as Inès in L’Africaine, described by Heute Musik as “dreamlike;” as well as the Countess in Capriccio, Micaëla in Carmen, the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro, and Hanna Glawari in The Merry Widow. Other notable appearances have included Micaëla at Opera Philadelphia, Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Aix-en-Provence Festival on tour to Beijing, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, and the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro with Garsington Opera Festival.
In addition to her operatic engagements, Kirsten has performed in concert with the Münchner Rundfunkorchester, the orchestra of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Curtis Chamber Orchestra, and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. She has also given recitals in Vancouver, Philadelphia, New York, Bayreuth, Neumarkt, and Spoleto.
Based in Montreal, Kirsten was a Grand Finals winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and the Grand Prize winner at the Canadian Music Competition in Montreal, and Classical Singer Magazine’s voice competition.
A unique vocal colour and commanding stage presence are the hallmarks of performances by mezzo-soprano Allyson McHardy. Featured at the Paris Opera and Opéra de Toulouse, McHardy debuts at the Drottningholm Opera in July 2024 in the title role of Lully’s Armide. A favourite with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, she comes to Ottawa from her performance at the Artrosphere Festival in Arkansas in Verdi’s Requiem. Her 2023–2024 season has included engagements with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Pacific Opera Victoria (Wagner’s Die Walküre), Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and Early Music Vancouver (Handel’s Messiah). Next season includes returns to Vancouver Opera (Minskwoman-Dove's Flight), Music of the Baroque (Handel’s Theodora), and the Victoria Symphony for Lieberson’s Neruda Songs.
In 2022–2023, Allyson McHardy appeared in the world premiere of Le beauté du monde at Opéra de Montréal, Bach Cantatas with Rafael Payare and Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, with the Grand Philharmonic Choir in Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and Handel’s The Resurrection with Opera Atelier. Other recent credits include Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Orchestre symphonique de Québec and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, and Mahler’s Rückert Lieder with the Victoria Symphony. She has appeared with major orchestras across the globe, including the Royal Concertgebouw for Ligeti’s Requiem, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and St. Louis Symphony Orchestra for Handel’s Messiah, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra for Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde, Mozart’s Mass in C Minor for Symphony Nova Scotia, and a staged production of Mozart’s Mass in D Minor for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Allyson is a Juno–nominated artist and has won two Prix Opus awards for performances with Opéra de Montréal and Opéra de Québec.
Tenor Andrew Haji is one of the most sought-after voices on operatic and concert stages across North America and Europe. Applauded at his debut for the Edinburgh Festival in Handel’s Saul, Haji’s upcoming season includes debuts with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Dresden Philharmonic, Kansas City Symphony, and NDR Hannover. As well, he will be heard with the Houston Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and at Carnegie Hall with Orchestra of St. Luke’s. During the 2023–2024 season, the Ontarian appears with the Seattle Symphony and Grand Philharmonic Choir (Bach’s Johannes Passion), Victoria Symphony (Messiah), Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (Bruckner’s Te Deum), Carnegie Hall (Bach’s Weihnachtsoratorium), and at the National Arts Centre (Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9), where he last appeared as Don Ottavio in Mozart’s Don Giovanni.
Recent highlights include appearances with Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (Haydn’s Creation), Boston’s Handel and Haydn Society (Bach Cantatas), Chorus Niagara (Beethoven’s Missa solemnis), Orchestre Philharmonique et Cœur des Mélomanes (Rodolfo, La bohème), at the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts in Taiwan (Nemorino, L’elisir d’amore), and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony).
On the opera stage, Haji soon debuts the title role in Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito for Pacific Opera Victoria and has been heard with the Canadian Opera Company in La bohème and L’elisir d’amore. Further appearances include Mozart’s Requiem with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Handel’s Messiah with the Houston Symphony and the NAC Orchestra, La bohème with Edmonton Opera and the Canadian Opera Company, La traviata and Macbeth with Calgary Opera, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Victoria Symphony, and Bach’s B Minor Mass with the Elora Festival.
A graduate of the Opera Course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and recipient of a number of major awards, British bass William Thomas is fast making a name for himself as one of today’s most promising young singers.
The 2023–2024 season sees William sing Hobson in a new production of Peter Grimes in his debut at Teatro alla Scala, Milan and make his debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as Colline in La bohème. Highlights on the concert platform include Rossini’s Stabat Mater with the Hallé Orchestra and Sir Mark Elder, and Verdi’s Requiem with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Ryan Wigglesworth.
He has also sung at the Wiener Staatsoper, the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival, English National Opera, Garsington Opera, and the Grange Festival, and for the Opéra de Rouen Normandie. Future seasons see him return to the Royal Opera and the Glyndebourne Festival, and make debuts at Oper Köln and the Bayerische Staatsoper.
On the concert platform he has appeared at the Salzburg Festival with Camerata Salzburg and Manfred Honeck, with the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra and Dinis Sousa, at the BBC Proms with the Britten Sinfonia and David Bates, at the Edinburgh Festival with The English Concert and John Butt, with the London Symphony Orchestra and François-Xavier Roth, and with the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra and Phillip von Steinacker.
One of Canada’s premier large choral ensembles, the Ottawa Choral Society (OCS) draws its auditioned voices from across the National Capital Region. As well as presenting an annual subscription series, the Society appears regularly with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, performs under renowned conductors with acclaimed vocal artists, and tours internationally. Its programming is diverse and ambitious—from timeless masterworks to adventurous music by today’s leading composers.
With a vision of creating community through music, the OCS fosters Canadian talent by providing training opportunities for young soloists, conductors, and choral singers. The Society commissions and performs new works, engages leading Canadian musicians, offers bursaries and scholarships, and invites the region’s outstanding youth and children’s choirs to share its stage.
Our 2023–2024 season begins with A Christmas Playlist at the National Arts Centre. On December 17, we perform a concert of seasonal music (at St. Francis of Assisi Church) featuring renowned actor Pierre Brault as storyteller. On March 5, 2024, we present Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and other works by Jewish composers (at Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre). On May 26 we perform the Te Deums by Haydn, Dvořák, and Pärt, at St. Francis of Assisi. Our season closes with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at the National Arts Centre on June 19 and 20.
ottawachoralsociety.com
Gabrielle Gaudreault is the Artistic Director of the Ottawa Choral Society and the Saint-Lambert Choral Society. She is also an instructor in the Choral Department at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music, where she directs the choral ensembles and supervises the graduate students in choral conducting. A sought-after conductor, pedagogue, and collaborative pianist, Dr. Gaudreault has previously served as Assistant Conductor to Kent Nagano at the Staatsoper Hamburg; Associate Conductor of the National Children’s Chorus in Washington, DC; Artistic Director of the South Shore Children’s Chorus in Saint-Lambert, Quebec; Music Director of the St-Augustine’s Church Choir in St-Bruno, Quebec; and Apprentice Conductor of the National Youth Choir of Canada.
In 2020, she co-founded CG Music Academy in Arlington, Virginia, with her husband Chris. Gabrielle completed her Doctorate in Choral Conducting at McGill University in spring 2020 and holds an MA in Music Theory and Choral Conducting from Indiana University. Her research focuses on pedagogical approaches to the choral rehearsal and late 20th-century choral works by Québécois composers.
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.
Tobi Hunt McCoy is enjoying another year as season Stage Manager with the National Arts Centre Orchestra. In past seasons, she stage-managed Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Christopher Plummer in 2001 and Colm Feore in 2014. She co-produced the 1940s Pops show On the Air with Jack Everly for the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, a show they co-produced in 2007 for the NAC Orchestra.
In 2018, McCoy made her Southam Hall acting debut in the role of Stage Manager in the Magic Circle Mime Co.’s production of Orchestra from Planet X. Additional professional duties have included aiding Susanna and the Countess in schooling the Count and Figaro on the finer points of marital love during The Marriage of Figaro, keeping her eyes open (for the first time ever) during the flying monkey scene in The Wizard of Oz, mistakenly asking Patrick Watson for proof of identity backstage, holding her breath while marvelling at the athletic ability of the cast during Cirque Goes Broadway, continuing to implement feedback on her British-Columbian French with the choruses of Ottawa, and cheering on Luke and Princess Leia with Charlie Ross, Émilie Fournier, and Eric Osner during the Star Wars Pops concert.
In her spare time, McCoy is the Head of Arts, Drama, English, and Library at Lisgar Collegiate Institute.
Credits
NAC Orchestra
First Violins
Yosuke Kawasaki (concertmaster)
Jessica Linnebach (associate concertmaster)
Noémi Racine Gaudreault (assistant concertmaster)
Emily Westell
Marjolaine Lambert
Carissa Klopoushak
Manuela Milani
*Martine Dubé
*Erica Miller
*Oleg Chelpanov
*Renée London
*Heather Schnarr
Second Violins
Emily Kruspe
Jeremy Mastrangelo
Frédéric Moisan
Leah Roseman
Winston Webber
Edvard Skerjanc
Karoly Sziladi
Mark Friedman
Zhengdong Liang
*Andréa Armijo Fortin
*Sara Mastrangelo
*Sarah Williams
Violas
Jethro Marks (principal)
David Marks (associate principal)
David Goldblatt (assistant principal)
David Thies-Thompson
Paul Casey
Tovin Allers
*Mary-Kathryn Stevens
Cellos
Rachel Mercer (principal)
Julia MacLaine (assistant principal)
Marc-André Riberdy
Timothy McCoy
Leah Wyber
*Karen Kang
*Desiree Abbey
Double Basses
Max Cardilli (assistant principal)
Vincent Gendron
**Marjolaine Fournier
*Paul Mach
*Doug Ohashi
Flutes
Joanna G’froerer (principal)
Stephanie Morin
*Christian Paquette
Oboes
Charles Hamann (principal)
Anna Petersen
English Horn
Anna Petersen
Clarinets
Kimball Sykes (principal)
Sean Rice
Bassoons
Darren Hicks (principal)
Vincent Parizeau
*Carmelle Préfontaine
Horns
*Ryan Little (guest principal)
Julie Fauteux (associate principal)
Lawrence Vine
Lauren Anker
Louis-Pierre Bergeron
*Olivier Brisson
Trumpets
**Karen Donnelly (principal)
*Andrew McCandless (guest principal)
**Steven van Gulik
*Amy Horvey
*Patrick Smithers
Trombones
*Steve Dyer (guest principal)
Colin Traquair
Bass Trombone
Zachary Bond
Tuba
Chris Lee (principal)
Timpani
*Andrei Malashenko (guest principal)
Percussion
Jonathan Wade
*Andrew Johnson
*Joe Desotelle
Principal Librarian
Nancy Elbeck
Assistant Librarian
Corey Rempel
Personnel Manager
Meiko Lydall
Orchestra Personnel Coordinator
Laurie Shannon
*Additional musicians
**On leave
Ottawa Choral Society
Soprano
Elena Arsenault
Sandy Bason
Loretta Cassidy
Victoria Devita*
Kathy Dobbin
Mary Egan*
Adriane Epprecht*
Jane Flook
Deirdre Garcia
Beth Granger
Lucia Guidi-Mazzola*
Julie Henderson
Amy Heron
Floralove Katz
Alison Lamont
Amily Li*
Anna Lo
Joyce Lundberg
Pat MacDonald
Marie Magistry*
Anaïs Martin
Sarah McDermott
Amy McKay*
Logann McNamara
Shailla Nargundkar
Erin O’Manique*
Karleigh Palmer*
Nicole Park*
Kylie Pratt
Nancy Savage
Stephanie Sewell
Bronwyn Thies-Thompson*
Anita Tong
Ellen Tsai*
Liz Wiebe*
Jean Wylie*
Malaïka Zarrouki*
Alto
Joan Auden
Jo-Anne Bacon
Carolynne Ball*
Ruth Belyea
Mireille Bergeron*
Patricia (Trish) Broad
Jennifer Brown
Miriam Carpenter*
Heather David
Jennifer Davis
Raquel Farrar
Rachel Gagnon
Mary Beth Garneau
Adele Graf
Lisa Hans
Lisanne Hendelman
Natalie Hunter
Patricia Jackson
Eileen Johnson
Josée Lalonde*
Stéphanie Lalonde*
Samantha Larson
Emma Lassiter
Merlyna Lim*
Lois Marion
Mary Martel-Cantelon
Beth Martin
Lisa McMurray
Bridget Nardi*
Heather Reid
Peggy Robinson
Elizabeth Shore
Sally Sinclair
Victoria Sinclair
Christina Stapper*
Claire Thompson
Catherine Trinkwon
Tanya Vainet
Jenn Walsh
Karmen Walther*
Brendalee Wilson
Tenor
Jean-Sébastien Allaire*
Guy Bellemare
Bernard Cayouette*
Tim Coonen
Charlie Donnely
John Goldsmith
Toby Greenbaum
Wendy Hall*
Ross Jewel*
David Kidston*
Roy Lidstone
Iain MacPherson*
John McBride
Kathryn McCarthy
Jack McCracken*
Simon McMillan
Sebastian Rodriguez Mayén*
Jean-Francois Tardiff*
Dennis Van Staalduinen*
Bass
Paul Badertscher
Mike Beauchamp
Roger Butt
Christopher Devita*
Martin Edwards
Rowan Elsdon*
Daniel Godard*
Nikhil Gopal*
Etienne Grall
Doug Hall*
Greg Huyer*
Gary King
Jean-Bossuet Lazarre*
John Litster
Ian MacMillan
Christopher Mallory*
Blixa McCracken*
Bruce Pettipas*
Mathieu Roussel-Lewis
William Sanna
Daniel Savoie*
Glen Seeds*
Mark Silver
Victor Toma*
Geoff White
*Guest chorister
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Official Car of the NAC Orchestra
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With the support of the Delegation of the European Union to Canada
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees