The National Arts Centre 2011 Gala – One Enchanted Evening with Sarah McLachlan, also featuring Music Director Pinchas Zukerman and the NAC Orchestra – is almost sold out!
On Saturday, September 24, a glittering evening beckons as the NAC Gala returns with One Enchanted Evening with Sarah McLachlan. The Gala features the National Arts Centre Orchestra conducted by Music Director Pinchas Zukerman in the first half, and Canadian superstar Sarah McLachlan and her hand-picked musicians join the full Orchestra in the concert’s second half.
This is the fifteenth edition of the fundraising Gala organized by Canada’s National Arts Centre. Both Maestro Zukerman and the NAC Orchestra donate their services for this event, and all monies raised benefit the NAC’s National Youth and Education Trust, which nurtures and develops the creativity of young people.
The NAC Gala – which is almost sold-out -- is now unquestionably Ottawa’s most exciting social event of the year, attracting A-list bold-face names from the worlds of politics, media, the arts, the judiciary, the public service, and the diplomatic corps. For the sixth year in a row, Honorary Chair of the Gala is Laureen Harper.
The spectacular event begins as all guests walk the red carpet into the NAC Foyer, where a pre-concert reception begins at 5:30 p.m. – featuring complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres devised by NAC Executive Chef Michael Blackie. The Gala concert begins in Southam Hall at 6:30 p.m. Maestro Pinchas Zukerman leads the National Arts Centre Orchestra in a sparkling program featuring the music of Rachmaninoff (Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14, with Pinchas Zukerman as violin soloist), Tchaikovsky (Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture), and Johann Strauss Sr. (Radetzky March).
Following intermission, iconic Canadian singer songwriter superstar Sarah McLachlan takes over the stage; Ms McLachlan will announce her program from the piano. Sarah McLachlan’s gorgeous mezzo-soprano voice and deeply emotional ballads have propelled her to the top of the music charts. Co-founder of the all-female Lilith Fair music festival and recipient of numerous JUNO and Grammy awards, Ms McLachlan has sold over 40 million albums worldwide. Her latest top-selling album, Laws of Illusion, is the culmination of a 20-year career. The singer’s life experiences have profoundly enriched her artistry and infused her songs with the full range and complexity of adult emotions. In Sarah McLachlan, we hear the strength of hard–earned independence, the trials of love won, lost, and found anew -- and the infinite joys of living. In June 2010 Margaret Wappler of The Los Angeles Times wrote, “McLachlan the artist … still has a deft sense of song construction, with parts that link together in revelatory ways. “Bring on the Wonder”: silvery layers of McLachlan's voice singing over only the barest slip of piano … it's a haunting, evocative thing we'd follow anywhere.”
The Presenting Sponsor for the NAC Gala is Sun Life Financial. Associate Sponsor is Vale. Major Sponsors for the NAC Gala include A&E Television Networks, RBC Royal Bank and Shaw Communications Inc. Amphitheatre Sponsor is TD Bank Group, Balcony Sponsor is Suncor Energy Inc., Martini Lounge Sponsor is Quebecor Inc. and Dinner Sponsor is Emond Harnden LLP. The U.S. Ambassador Reception Sponsor is CIBC. Event Partners are The Ottawa Citizen and Le Droit.
The National Arts Centre’s National Youth and Education Trust
The NAC Gala is an annual fundraiser that helps ensure the future of the performing arts in Canada. As a vibrant hub for performance, creation, and learning, the National Arts Centre is dedicated to developing the artistic leaders of tomorrow. Proceeds raised help the NAC provide vital programming that encourages creativity and instills a life-long love of the performing arts in young people across Canada. The NAC Gala has raised more than $7.1 million over the past 14 years to support the National Youth and Education Trust. Established by the NAC Foundation in 2001, the Trust is the primary resource for youth and education funding at the NAC. Supporters of the Trust help the National Arts Centre provide a wide range of artistic and educational programming that nurtures and develops the creativity of young people in the National Capital Region and across the country.
Last year alone, more than 100,000 young people participated in activities made possible by gifts to the National Youth and Education Trust. The NAC Gala is the leading contributor to the Trust, along with many generous individuals, corporations, and foundations that make vital contributions throughout the year. Funds from the National Youth and Education Trust allow the National Arts Centre to create superb programming for young audiences, develop the world’s best young artists and support performing arts education in Canadian classrooms. Funded programs include masterclasses, internships, and training programs for emerging artists; student matinees, open rehearsals, and subsidized tickets for young audiences and resources for teachers, including resource kits, teacher information nights, and online tools (found at www.ArtsAlive.ca).
The National Youth and Education Trust is supported by Founding Partner TELUS, Sun Life Financial, supporters and patrons of the annual NAC Gala, and donors of the NAC Foundation’s Corporate Club and Donors’ Circle.
One Enchanted Evening with Sarah McLachlan takes place in Southam Hall of the National Arts Centre on Saturday, September 24 starting at 5:30 p.m. The NAC Gala is almost sold out – an extremely limited number of tickets ($190) remain. Tickets can be purchased at the NAC Box Office (in person) and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at 613-755-1111; Ticketmaster may also be accessed through the NAC’s website www.nac-cna.ca.
For additional information, visit the NAC website at www.nac-cna.ca
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Information:
Gerald Morris
Communications Officer, NAC Music
613-947-7000, ext. 335
[email] gmorris@nac-cna.ca