Betty Riddell: Touching the lives of many people for years to come

Independent… alert… well-read… warm… determined… feisty… Colonel Michel Drapeau, barrister and solicitor, uses all these words to describe his dear friend and client, Betty Riddell.  And he uses two others as well, extremely generous. Up to the day of her passing at age 96, Betty was a…

A radical departure from the everyday

Romeo and Juliet by The National Ballet of Canada (January 31-February 2, 2013)

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was one of the first works of literature to inspire ballet choreographers because its drama, romance and tragedy are so perfectly suited to dance. Since the 1930s, choreographers have also been fortunate to have Prokofiev’s grand, magisterial score — including…

Nurturing Artistic Process

Creation spaces. Sometimes they exist as part of a well managed, state-of-the-art performing arts facility. A lot of the time, however, they don’t. They’re tucked in an old warehouse in the wrong part of town, or in a church basement with terrible light. There might be a noisy nightclub…

Metamorphoses, Part 2: The Pool

West Side Story with the NAC Orchestra

Musical Snapshots of the North

In this edition of the NACOcast Maclean's columnist Paul Wells speaks with composer Alexina Louie about her composition Take The Dog Sled which was performed by the NAC Orchestra as part of the 2012 Northern Canada tour. Alexina talks about the daunting process of composing an orchestral…

Metamorphoses : Part 1 Construction

NAC Niçoise

NAC Niçoise quail egg | tuna | anchovy | new lettuce What makes a classic dish? The essence of a recipe’s success is perfectly-matched flavours. Take the niçoise made famous in America by Julia Child in her cookbook The French Chef. Our version pushes the dish into new territory with…

The Gershwin Influence

Leonard Bernstein was fascinated with the American cultural landscape and through his music he sought to bring about social change. His hope to connect all Americans is clearly illustrated in the love that blossoms amid the violent rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks of West Side…

WE ARE HERE!

Over the past few months, English Theatre Artistic Director Jillian Keiley and Associate Artistic Director Sarah Garton Stanley, have been visiting cities across Canada, meeting and greeting with artists, while conducting general auditions. Since September, the ‘Audition Tour’ has been in…

Meet Conductor Kirill Karabits

A test of proficiency and stamina

This month legendary Russian pianist and Van Cliburn Competition Winner Alexander Toradze returns to the NAC to perform Rachmaninoff’s beloved and technically demanding Piano Concerto No. 3. In 1909, Sergei Rachmaninoff was at the height of his fame in Russia when he decided to come and…

Interview with Peter Duschenes

Peter Duschenes is the Artistic Director of Platypus Theatre, who will join forces with the NAC Orchestra for Student Matinée performances of “Music Under a Midnight Moon” on January 14th, 2013. The show is an original NAC commission, includes pre-concert study guides for teachers and…

Delivering Christmas Cheer

As many of us rush to purchase gifts and prepare for the holidays it is easy to forget that not everyone can afford to celebrate Christmas in manner they would like. NAC employees Maggie Barbosa, Luc Lumieux and Diane Meunier have taken lead roles in running the NAC Employee Christmas Cheer…