Featuring Pekka Kuusisto performing Daníel Bjarnason’s Violin Concerto

Ian Cusson © John Arano
hero-pekka-kuusisto-byfelixbroede
Pekka Kuusisto © Felix Broede
pekka-kuusisto-byfelixbroede
Pekka Kuusisto © Felix Broede
johnstorgards-nac-credit-freestyle-photography
John Storgårds © Freestyle Photography
Indigenous arts Music Classical music Masterworks Violin New works Festival events
Performance options Start time Language Availability
Friday, September 27, 2019 10:00 am bilingual Seats available

Métis composer Ian Cusson, one of the NAC’s inaugural Carrefour Composers, is known for crafting intricate pieces that explore the intersection of cultures. John Storgårds conducts Cusson’s Le loup de Lafontaine*, inspired by the legend of a menacing wolf that terrorized one of Ontario’s oldest French-speaking villages, ultimately uniting the diverse and disparate groups who founded the town against a common enemy.

Then Daníel Bjarnason’s Violin Concerto bends and pushes technical boundaries, making it the perfect vehicle for guest violinist Pekka Kuusisto’s fresh approach to repertoire and love of improvisation. The result is a spot-on match between two artists who are strong advocates of new music and ground-breaking techniques. Don’t miss this fantastic collaboration!

*World Premiere; NAC Orchestra commission as part of the Carrefour Composer Program, made possible by the Canada Council for the Arts

 

Music. Food. Wine. Friends. 
A Perfect Way to Enjoy it All.

Unwind at the end of your week with our wildly popular Casual Fridays!

5:30 PM    Pre-concert 5 à 7 with music in the Southam Hall Lobby, OPEN TO ALL whether or not you attend the concert. Enjoy cocktails and tapas, available for purchase. All tapas are prepared by the NAC culinary team drawing inspiration from individual Casual Fridays concerts for an original and authentic flair. You can purchase tapas tickets onsite the night of the concert.

Métis fiddler Kathleen Nesbitt sets the stage for the legend to unfold! She is joined by a trio of musicians for the pre-concert performance in our public spaces.  The lively sounds of the fiddle will be set to the tune of traditional Métis songs, bluegrass tunes and toe-tapping jigs.

7 PM    90-minute NAC Orchestra concert without intermission. Each guest concert host connects with the artists on stage to discover more about them and the music. Side screens give the audience a chance to get up close and personal with the evening's performers.

8:30 PM    Post-concert party in the Main Foyer, OPEN TO ALL whether or not you attended the concert. Mix and mingle with fellow music lovers and NAC Orchestra musicians!

Artists

  • Conductor John Storgårds
  • Violin Pekka Kuusisto
  • host Marjolaine Lambert
  • video director Ian Cameron
  • stage manager Tobi Hunt McCoy
  • ian-cusson-credit-john-arano
    composer Ian Cusson
  • daniel-bjarnason
    composer Daníel Bjarnason

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Learning and engagement at Canada’s National Arts Centre is made possible through the support of many generous individuals and organizations from across the country. Arts Alive is generously supported by the Azrieli Foundation, the Government of Nunavut, Canadian North, Calm Air, The River Philip Foundation, The Turnbull Family Community Building Foundation, and The Thomas Sill Foundation. Thank you also to Grant and Alice Burton, Canada Life, A Donor-Advised Fund at the Community Foundation of Ottawa, Friends of the NAC Orchestra, Donors to the NAC Foundation's Future Fund, The Janice and Earle O’Born Fund for Artistic Excellence, and the donors and sponsors of the NAC’s National Youth and Education Trust, the primary resource for youth and education funding at the National Arts Centre.