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Seeing Things Differently: A Father’s Story
October 19, 2016Live music delivers a rich and rewarding multi-sensory experience. Alexandre’s dad relates how his autistic son has fostered a deeper connection with classical music, and how his newfound joy can be found in all of us. The Music Circle Program launched in 2012 and was developed…
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The Summit 2016: Deaf and disability arts
October 14, 2016For two and a half days, 13 Artist/Leaders and 12 institutional Respondents gathered at the Stratford Festival to steep themselves in discussions of theatrical work by and about artists from the Deaf and disability arts community, and to grapple with questions of history, point of view and…
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Q & A: Maurizio Ortolani – Director, Patron Services and New Media
October 5, 2016Q. The NAC New Media team’s podcasts such as the NAC Orchestra’s Explore the Symphony and L’Univers Symphonique, as well as those for dance and theatre, have seen four million downloads over the last decade. Which countries have the most downloads? A. The U.S. leads with almost a million…
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NAC Unveils $25 Million Fundraising Campaign & $5 Million Gift by Gail Asper
September 28, 2016The National Arts Centre (NAC) today launched a transformative $25 million fundraising campaign to support the creation of new works of Music, Theatre and Dance in collaboration with artists and arts organizations across the country. The campaign is the first-ever in the history of the 47…
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A gathering of Artist Leaders in Deaf and disability arts and inclusion
September 1, 2016For two and a half days, 13 Artist/Leaders and 12 institutional Respondents gathered at the Stratford Festival to immerse themselves in conversations led by artists from the Deaf and disability arts community, about theatrical performance. "We're building what we hope will be a living…
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Architect Jennifer Mallard discusses the inspiration behind the NAC’s architectural rejuvenation
August 30, 2016When the National Arts Centre was designed in the 1960s it was described as a 'fortress for the arts.' Attending a concert was a formal occasion; a departure from one's everyday activities. "Fred Lebensold, the original architect, envisioned the building as an outcropping of granite in the…
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Our new Elgin St. entrance takes shape
August 23, 2016The framework for the National Arts Centre's new Elgin St. entrance is almost complete. This drone footage provides a top down view of the new digital lantern that will function as a beacon for Canada's national stage. The new NAC will include improved performance spaces, public areas for…
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Kugluktuk students share message of hope and support through music
August 22, 2016Gordon Kaniak, a high school student in Kugluktuk, Nunavut, wrote this powerful song, "Suicide's Not the Answer," which he performed and recorded with fellow students. Gordon's work on this song was supported by Music Alive Program teaching artists Greg Brown, Andrew Morrison, Rita Claire…
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ENCOUNT3RS: a collaborative project with choreographer Emily Molnar
August 9, 2016Choreographer Emily Molnar's relationship with the National Arts Centre began when she first danced on stage with the National Ballet of Canada. She was seventeen years old. Now Artistic Director of Ballet BC, Molnar is one of three Canadian choreographers who have been commissioned by…
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Watch the NAC lantern take shape
July 29, 2016If you haven’t been near the NAC lately, you may have missed one of the most exciting and dramatic features of our renovation project so far. PCL Constructors Canada Inc. and their team from Delsan-AIM are approaching completion of the demolition phase of the project. Steel supplier Benson…
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Celestial sounds: the life of a harpist
July 23, 2016“People often associate the harp with heaven and angels,” says Manon Le Comte, a harpist who has been performing works like The Nutcracker, among many others, with the NAC Orchestra for over 35 years. “But there’s a very concrete aspect to it all: the pedals, the 2,000 metal parts, and one…
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NAC Music Circle Workshop at Woodroffe High School
July 20, 2016The NAC’s Music Circle Workshops for children, high school students and adults with special needs are run in partnership with the Lotus Centre for Special Music Education and the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and take place in schools and community organizations. NAC Orchestra…
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Soar above the NAC Construction site
July 20, 2016If only the sound of construction work was as cinematic as Brahms' Symphony No. 4. A great deal of progress has been made on the NAC renovation project. Vast sections of the precast concrete exterior have been removed and the Fourth Stage and Panorama terrace have been demolished to make…
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Red carpet moments with 2016 GG Award recipients
June 30, 2016The Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards (GGPAA) for Lifetime Artistic Achievement are Canada’s highest honour for the performing arts. This year's recipients are film producer Robert Lantos, singer-songwriter Susan Aglukark, choreographer Marie Chouinard, tenor Ben Heppner and…
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Southam Hall seats donated to three theatres
June 29, 2016The construction noise emanating from Southam Hall is very familiar to NAC employees now that we have entered the fourth month of the NAC renovations. Crews wasted no time in dismantling our historic venue. The first thing to go was the plush red seats. The NAC will donate more than 1,300…
