News Releases

  1. Canadian Icon k.d. lang Announced as the NAC’s 2017 Gala Artist

    February 23, 2017

    Tickets go on sale March 3 for the 21st annual NAC Gala in support of youth and education programming! OTTAWA (Canada) – The NAC is pleased to announce Canadian superstar k.d. lang as the gala artist for the 21st annual NAC Gala in support of the National Youth and Education Trust. On Saturday September 16, 2017, k.d. lang—the Grammy- and Juno-Award winning singer/songwriter and her... Read more

  2. Young musicians can apply to compete in the National Arts Centre Orchestra Bursary Competition for $20,000 in cash prizes.

    February 10, 2017

    OTTAWA-- For emerging young orchestral musicians in the competitive world of classical music, acquiring financial support to jump-start a professional career can be a challenge. That’s why the National Arts Centre Orchestra is pleased to encourage students aged 16-24 to apply for the chance to compete for prizes totaling $20,000 in the Orchestra’s 2017 Bursary Competition. The 2017... Read more

  3. Alexander Shelley and the National Arts Centre Orchestra Brass Choir Perform the National Anthem at the Ottawa Senators Game on February 19

    February 2, 2017

    February 2, 2017 – OTTAWA (Canada) – Hockey fans tuning in to Hockey Night in Canada are in for an added thrill on Sunday, February 19, when NAC Music Director Alexander Shelley leads the Orchestra’s Brass Choir in an exciting performance of the Canadian National Anthem! The Ottawa Senators will square off against the Winnipeg Jets at 5:00 p.m. at Canadian Tire Centre. Along... Read more

  4. Matthias Pintscher Conducts the NAC Orchestra in Stravinsky’s Italian Ballet December 15 & 16

    December 13, 2016

    OTTAWA (Canada) – On December 15-16, acclaimed conductor Matthias Pintscher will lead the NAC Orchestra, in a delightful performance of Igor Stravinsky’s Italian-influenced music for the ballet Pulcinella, as well as Mozart’s overture to La clemenza di Tito and Sinfonia concertante which features two stellar musicians from the NAC Orchestra – Concertmaster Yosuke Kawasaki... Read more

  5. Commemorating Hamilton Southam on his 100th Birthday

    December 13, 2016

    The National Arts Centre (NAC) marked the 100th Birthday of the late Hamilton Southam at a concert dedicated to his memory on December 14, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. in Southam Hall. Mr. Southam would have turned 100 on December 19, 2016. The NAC will also dedicate one new commission of Music, Dance or Theatre each year for the  next five years to commemorate Mr. Southam’s role as the... Read more

  6. NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE SHARING THE BEST OF THE PERFORMING ARTS WITH CANADIANS IN 2017 Celebrating Canada’s 150th Birthday with Cross-country Orchestra and Theatre Tours, a Major Canada Scene Festival in the Nation’s Capital, and More!

    November 23, 2016

    OTTAWA (Canada) – At the National Arts Centre (NAC), Canada is our stage. That will be truer than ever in 2017 as the NAC celebrates our country’s 150th birthday by presenting a number of ambitious projects to mark Canada’s milestone year. The NAC’s plans include orchestra and theatre tours, a massive arts festival, and a Canada Day weekend extravaganza featuring the 25th... Read more

  7. The 20th Annual NAC Gala with Diana Krall and Alexander Shelley Raises $724,500 for Arts Education Program's Across Canada

    October 22, 2016

    Tonight’s 2016 National Arts Centre Gala – featuring five-time GRAMMY winning jazz pianist and vocalist extraordinaire Diana Krall and the NAC Orchestra, under the leadership of its Music Director Alexander Shelley, has raised $724,500 (net) for the National Youth and Education Trust (NYET) in support of the NAC’s arts and education programs across Canada. The annual NAC Gala has... Read more

  8. Experience the Dazzling Virtuosity of Beethoven and Schumann at the NAC Orchestra’s Festival

    October 6, 2016

    OTTAWA  — From October 12 to 20, join Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra, and a roster of world-renowned pianists, as they interpret the expressive and timeless masterpieces of Robert Schumann and Ludwig van Beethoven. The two-week Festival explores superb expressions of Romanticism in the complete collection of Schumann’s Symphonies and Beethoven’s Piano Concertos.... Read more

  9. A Night of Classical Collisions: Beethoven and Schumann Meet the turntables with DJ Skratch Bastid

    September 26, 2016

    OTTAWA (Canada) – It’s a night of Classical Collisions at the NAC! On Friday, October 14, Canadian DJ Skratch Bastid will give Beethoven and Schumann a turntable mash-up in the knockout party of the year! The event is part of the Beethoven and Schumann Festival and kicks-off at 9:30 p.m. with LiVE 88.5’s DJ Noah spinning in the NAC Main Foyer. A roster of Ottawa’s best... Read more

  10. Pinchas Zukerman and the NAC Orchestra capture the beauty of the Baroque era’s greatest composers in masterful new album

    September 16, 2016

    OTTAWA (Canada) – Indulge in the beauty of the Baroque era’s greatest composers in the magnificent new album by Pinchas Zukerman, a phenomenon on the music scene for over forty years, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Baroque Treasury, released by Analekta.  It also features Amanda Forsyth, one of North America’s most dynamic cellists, and wonderful oboist Charles... Read more