In the fourth Great Performers Series concert of the NAC’s 2010-2011 season, charismatic conductor – and Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO) Music Director -- Alexander Mickelthwate leads the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and world-renowned violinist James Ehnes in a concert featuring a new work by Canadian composer Randolph Peters and two masterworks by Tchaikovsky. The concert takes place in Southam Hall of the National Arts Centre on Tuesday May 3 at 8 p.m. This concert takes place on the final day of the National Arts Centre’s wide-ranging Prairie Scene, which features 500 artists in 80 events over 13 days (April 26-May 8).

The program for the evening includes:
RANDOLPH PETERS   Io
TCHAIKOVSKY          Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35
TCHAIKOVSKY          Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64

Alexander Mickelthwate says, “Tchaikovsky’s music goes right to the heart -- he is unparalleled when it comes to melody and masterly use of orchestral resources. Sometimes he goes over the top in emotive angst but that’s more the result of a turbulent life than a compositional caveat. There’s a lesson too in Tchaikovsky, for no composer received more critical savaging in his lifetime than he did. Yet he went on to become one of the most popular composers of all time. We’ve chosen a mostly Tchaikovsky program because all of us feel as audiences do today when they hear him – it’s a heart-to-heart experience.”

The program opens with Io, a new work commissioned by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (with the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Manitoba Arts Council) from Winnipeg’s Randolph Peters. The composer says, “The 11-minute Io is a fanfare with a romantic, slow theme in the middle. The title comes from the fact that the opening texture is similar to Holst’s “Jupiter: The Bringer of Jollity”. Io is a moon of Jupiter, so naturally it might share some of Jupiter's music. At least for the first 15 seconds.” Mr. Peters is particularly known for his output of roughly 100 scores for Canadian films. A graduate of the University of Winnipeg and the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, Randolph Peters has also written much music for Canadian television, radio, dance, and theatre. From 1996 to 2001, he was the composer-in-residence and curator for the WSO, also serving as the director of the symphony’s annual New Music Festival. He has also composed several operas for the Canadian Opera Company, notably The Golden Ass (1999).

Hailed as "the Jascha Heifetz of our day" (Globe and Mail), Manitoba-born violinist James Ehnes is considered one of the most dynamic performers in classical music. He has performed in over 30 countries on five continents, appearing regularly with many of the world's most well-known orchestras and conductors. Mr. Ehnes was the recent winner of music's “triple-crown”, earning Grammy, JUNO, and Gramophone awards in 2008. In October 2009, The Times (London) raved, “… James Ehnes … succeeds impressively in being more than merely thrilling…this is not simply a high-wire act. It’s playing of phenomenal control, allied to musicianship of the highest order.” Mr Ehnes will perform Tchaikovsky’s dazzling Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 (1878), one of the best known of all violin concertos, and one of the most technically difficult works for violin,.

The second Tchaikovsky masterpiece of the evening is the emotionally-charged Fifth Symphony (1888), one of the composer's most popular works. The second movement, in particular, is considered to be classic Tchaikovsky: well crafted, colourfully orchestrated, and with a memorable melody for solo horn.

The 62-year legacy of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO) is integral to Winnipeg’s rich cultural life. It performs more than 80 concerts for approximately 100,000 people each year and offers a wide range of musical experiences ranging from great art of the master composers, to Pops, Family Concerts, educational performances, and other special concerts. The orchestra has performed hundreds of world and Canadian premieres and has embraced the concept of playing music by living composers while hosting the internationally recognized New Music Festival each February. The WSO continues to provide the musical foundation for other arts groups in the province, such as the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Manitoba Opera, and the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra. In addition to performing in Brandon, Manitoba on a regular basis, the orchestra tours rural Manitoba annually during the holiday season. The WSO also believes in the importance of providing education and outreach programs to all Manitobans. From nursery school through university, WSO education programs reach more than 25,000 students annually. The Orchestra also partners with local organizations and develops community initiatives.

From April 26 to May 8, 2011, Canada’s National Arts Centre presents Prairie Scene, the fifth in a series of national Scene festivals celebrating and showcasing our country’s finest established and emerging artists. Prairie Scene includes more than 500 Saskatchewan and Manitoba artists -- musicians, actors, choreographers, visual and media artists, filmmakers, writers, and master chefs -- bringing their unique talents to concert halls, theatres, galleries, bars, clubs, museums, and restaurants throughout the region. Prairie Scene also offers a chance for 70 national and international presenters to discover the best of Prairie culture, creating new performance opportunities for Prairie artists across the country and around the world. Prairie Scene presents a vast living portrait of the region – combining rural and urban, traditional and contemporary, shaking stereotypes and celebrating new voices.

Subject to availability, full-time students (aged 13-29) with valid Live Rush™ membership (free registration at www.liverush.ca) may buy up to 2 tickets per performance at the discount price of $12 per ticket. Tickets are available online (www.nac-cna.ca) or at the NAC box office from 10 a.m. on the day before the performance until 6 p.m. on the day of the show or 2 hours before a matinee. Groups of 10 or more save 15% to 20% off regular ticket prices to all NAC Music, Theatre and Dance performances; to reserve your seats, call 613-947-7000, ext. 634 or e-mail grp@nac-cna.ca.

Our latest web offering -- coming soon -- NACmusicbox TIMELINE 200 orchestral works, 80 Canadian compositions, 1 interactive TIMELINE. Explore unlimited music connections and discover Canada's contribution to orchestral history. The interactive TIMELINE includes the addition of 65 Canadian works thanks to financial investment by the Virtual Museum of Canada at the Department of Canadian Heritage. We also acknowledge our partner CBC Radio 2 for providing broadcast-quality recordings of the NAC Orchestra’s archival performances.

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Information:   
Gerald Morris
Communications Officer, NAC Music
613-947-7000, ext. 335  
[e-mail]  gmorris@nac-cna.ca