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The Young Artists Program: the next generation of orchestral musicians
January 3, 2016Founded by Pinchas Zukerman in 1999, the National Arts Centre's Young Artists Program is an intensive training program for outstanding classical musicians. Alumni include NAC Orchestra musicians Jethro Marks (principal viola), Donnie Deacon (principal second violin), Jessica Linnebach…
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Anne & Gilbert: The Musical gives the gift of maritime spirit for...
December 18, 2015Featuring over twenty artists on stage, Anne & Gilbert: The Musical brings together members of the 2015/16 NAC Ensemble with artists who have previously been featured in the Prince Edward Island production, including Ellen Denny and Alex Furber. Vibrant fiddle music is a direct path to…
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Christmas Music and Eggnog with Patricia O’Callaghan
December 17, 2015Q & A with Patricia O’Callaghan For the past fifteen years, Patricia O'Callaghan’s career has taken her across genres, continents, and a range of disciplines and passions. Last October, she released her first Holiday album called "Deepest December", full of wonderful gems, from 15th…
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Young Artists Program teaches students to take musical risks
December 14, 2015When 24-year-old flutist Lara Deutsch was accepted into the National Arts Centre (NAC)’s Young Artists Program (YAP), she was thrilled. Already an accomplished musician, Lara, was keen to sharpen her skills by learning hands on experience from the program’s internationally-renowned…
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Inspiring Children through the Arts: Hip Hop Week at Rankin Inlet
December 11, 2015Students in Rankin Inlet were treated to some very special performing arts lessons when Hip-Hop artists Godson, Nelson Tagoona and local throat-singer Kathleen Merritt shared their skills at Simon Alaittuq School (SAS) from November 24 - November 26. Following the success of last year’s…
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An important stage for Canadian artists like Emilie-Claire Barlow
December 2, 2015Emilie-Claire Barlow, a Juno Award and National Jazz Award winning vocalist from Toronto, calls it a dream come true. On December 18th, Emilie-Claire and the NAC Orchestra will perform together in Southam Hall as part of the NAC Orchestra and NAC Presents 2015-16 Season. “I’m very much…
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The December Man: The private shadow of public violence
November 20, 2015On December 6, 1989, a young man by the name of Marc Lépine entered a college classroom at the École Polytechnique in Montreal carrying a gun. Stepping into a classroom, he separated the male and female students, claiming that he was "fighting feminism.” Overall, he killed fourteen women…
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WolfGANG Sessions: What chamber music was meant to be
November 6, 2015A chamber music concert is, by nature, more social than an orchestral performance. The smaller number of performers and more intimate setting create a more informal, inclusive vibe, and in turn, expands the musical conversation between players to include the audience. The NAC Orchestra's…
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A culinary tour de force
November 4, 2015NAC Executive Chef John Morris and his team know how to throw a party. During just over one hour at last September’s gala evening in support of arts education programs at the NAC, Chef Morris, three sous-chefs, 20 cooks and 50 servers prepared and served 1,500 plates of fine food – smoked…
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Tribute to Mario Bernardi 1930 – 2013
November 3, 2015As the founding conductor of Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra in 1969, Mario Bernardi helped realize the vision of a national centre for the performing arts in Canada. Under his leadership, the Orchestra flourished artistically, touring and recording widely. Notable among his…
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Adventures Behind the Scenes and on the Stage
October 30, 2015On October 22, 2015, National Arts Centre Foundation supporters attended a pre-chat featuring English Theatre Artistic director Jillian Keiley in conversation with playwright and director Djanet Sears. They spoke about Djanet’s emotionally charged play, The Adventures of a Black Girl in…
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Lucinda Davis speaks about The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search...
October 23, 2015NAC English Theatre opens its 2015/16 season with Djanet Sears’ The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God, arriving after a triumphant four-week run in Montreal at the Centaur Theatre. Created by Governor General's Literary Award-winning playwright Djanet Sears, Adventures is a…
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Sounds of Jazz Age: NAC Orchestra’s Roaring 20s Festival
October 19, 2015For five unforgettable nights (Oct-8-17), Music Director, Alexander Shelley and the NAC Orchestra brought the sounds of Jazz Age “Storytelling music” to the stage. Featuring the music of Elgar, Cole Porter, Sibelius, Weill, Gershwin, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Ravel, and even Charlie Chaplin,…
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Welcoming a new maestro to the podium: Alexander Shelley begins his tenure
October 13, 2015It’s like visiting an old friend. That’s how Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra’s new Music Director, describes the joy we feel when we listen to live classical music. “There’s nothing that compares with revisiting pieces you know and love, and the enjoyment of having them performed…
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Building Brilliance
October 6, 2015On Canada Day in 2017, the National Arts Centre will be opening its dazzling new addition to the public as part of Canada’s 150th anniversary. The “new” National Arts Centre will include a glittering entrance on Elgin Street, facing Confederation Square with improved performance and public…