The NAC Orchestra Bursary Benefit Concert – a concert of chamber music favourites featuring musicians of the National Arts Centre Orchestra and last year’s winner of the NACO Bursary Competition – takes place in Le Salon of the NAC on Sunday April 10 at 2 p.m.

The NAC Orchestra Bursary provides recognition and financial support to help further the development of young Canadian orchestral musicians who have connections to the National Capital Region. The Bursary Benefit Concert is organized by the musicians of the NACO Bursary Committee to raise funds towards prizes for future NAC Orchestra Bursary Competition winners, some of whom will go on to pursue careers in professional orchestras.

The Friends of the National Arts Centre Orchestra have offered to match funds up to $2,000, so those attending this musical matinee know that their ticket price goes twice as far towards supporting talented local musicians.

The afternoon’s program – subject to change – includes:

Hindemith’s Harp Sonata performed by Robin Best* (2010 NAC Orchestra Bursary winner)

Ewald’s Brass Quintet No. 1 in B-flat minor performed by the Rideau Lakes Brass Quintet (Karen Donnelly, trumpet; Steven van Gulik (1993 NAC Orchestra Bursary winner), trumpet; Jill Kirwan, French horn; Donald Renshaw, trombone; Nicholas Atkinson, tuba)

Mozart’s Flute Quartet No. 1 in D major, K.285 performed by Camille Churchfield, flute; NAC Orchestra Concertmaster Yosuke Kawasaki, violin; Nancy Sturdevant, viola; and Leah Wyber, cello

Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro, performed by Robin Best, harp; Yosuke Kawasaki, violin; Mark Friedman, violin; Nancy Sturdevant, viola; Leah Wyber, cello; Camille Churchfield, flute; and Kimball Sykes, clarinet

*NACO Bursary winner Robin Best’s performance is made possible by the 2011 NAC Vernon G. Turner Performance Opportunity Award, a new award funded by the NAC Music Department to honour Vernon G. Turner. As Chair of the NAC Orchestra Bursary Committee for nine years (2001-2010) Mr. Turner demonstrated outstanding leadership in presiding over the organization and conduct of the Committee’s annual NACO Bursary Competition. Established in the 2010-2011 season, the purpose of the award is to showcase a young musician who has won a prize at the Finals of a recent NAC Orchestra Bursary Competition.

Roderick Bell has replaced Vernon Turner as Chair of the NAC Orchestra Bursary Committee. Mr. Bell has undergraduate and post-graduate degrees in history. He recently retired from the Department of Foreign Affairs, where he had postings in Cairo, the UN Mission in New York, Tel Aviv, and Brazil, and as Canadian Ambassador to Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Mr. Bell is a knowledgeable and passionate music lover; while posted abroad, he always sought to promote Canadian music and musician, particularly younger musicians. With the decline of music education in the public school system, Mr. Bell believes that the NAC outreach program to school children and the encouragement of talented young people is more essential than ever.

The NAC Orchestra Bursary was established in 1979 to commemorate the 10^th anniversary of the founding of the National Arts Centre Orchestra and to thank the people of the National Capital Region for their support during the Orchestra’s first decade. The first NAC Orchestra Bursary Competition took place in 1981, when one prize of $1,000 was awarded. Thanks to the generosity of additional organizations and individuals, other prizes have been added -- for a total in 2011 of $18,750. The NACO Bursary Trust Fund provides funding for the NACO Bursary of $7,000; the NACO Vic Pomer Award contributes $2,000; and the NACO Special Prize for Best Orchestral Excerpts is worth $750. The NACO Bursary Committee also has available three additional prizes to be awarded at the Jury’s discretion: the Harold Crabtree Foundation Award of $5,000; the Friends of the National Arts Centre Orchestra Award of $3,000, created in 1993 to celebrate the Orchestra’s 25^th season; and the Piccolo Prix of $1,000 initiated in 2001 by Pasqualina (Pat) Adamo.

Admission to the NAC Orchestra Bursary Benefit Concert is $15.00. Tickets are available at the NAC Box Office and through Ticketmaster. Donations towards the NACO Bursary Competition will also be gratefully accepted at the door.

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   
gmorris@nac-cna.ca" href="mailto:Gerald%20Morris,%20Marketing%20and%20Media%20Relations,%20NAC%20Dance%20Programming(613)%20947-7000,%20ext.%20249%5be-mail%5d%20%20gmorris@nac-cna.ca">[e-mail]  gmorris@nac-cna.ca