It’s all about the loading dock

For musicians on tour it's all about the acoustics. Each venue provides a different sound that requires musicians to adjust their playing accordingly. For the NAC's technical crew it's all about the loading dock. A good loading dock will enable the crew to unload the instruments and…

A panda lullabye

The adminstration of the Beijing Zoo requested gentle muisc for the The Ambassador Brass Trio performance. Their selection of soothing lullabyes was enjoyed by many curious young children while the pandas did not seem to need any assistance with their afternoon slumber.

Bruch in Beijing

For many people Pinchas Zukerman's performance of Bruch's Violin Concerto no. 1 in Beijing was the concert highlight of the NAC Orchestra's tour in China. The performance was magnificent and the superb acoustics of the National Centre for the Performing Arts caused the lyrical music to soar…

Get to know folk noir duet Scarlett Jane

NAC Presents in conversation with Andrea Ramolo and Cindy Doire of the folk noir duet Scarlett Jane. The artists explain how the band started, the idea behind the unique concept of Scarlett Jane and adventures of their last tour across Canada. At the NAC intimate Fourth Stage cabaret on…

Donor Profile: Linda Wood

It’s Christmas Day in Linda Wood’s childhood home in New Brunswick. She and her two sisters take their places, ready to put on a performance for their family. “I’d play the piano and we would sing Christmas songs,” Linda recalls. “The performing arts have always been part of my…

Sketches of China

An intimate performance on the Great Wall

NAC Orchestra musician Marjolaine Fournier has been studying the erhu as a way to learn more about Chinese culture and music. Following the suggestion of her teacher Marjolaine brought her erhu to the Great Wall. After some initial nervousness Marjolaine was soon lost in the moment The…

Maestro Zukerman says “Art takes time”

Students from the Central Conservatory of Music crowded into the recital hall to attend a masterclass by Pinchas Zukerman. During the class Maestro Zukerman returned to some of the basics of posture, bow technique and finding the balance between passion and control when performing. Maestro…

An encounter of a lifetime

NAC Orchestra musician Colin Traquair was browsing in the Porcelain Market in Chongqing when viola player Paul Casey approached him and said "There is a stunning woman in the market - you must take her photograph." They walked down the alley and immediately Colin knew the person Paul had…

Photos from the Great Wall of China

NAC Orchestra musicians awoke to beautiful blue skies today. After a two hour bus ride the group arrived at the Great Wall. The view was stunning. It was wonderful to be surrounded by mountain peaks instead of skyscrapers.

Busy in Beijing

During the next 4 days NAC Orchestra musicians will take part in more than two dozen educational activities in Beijing — masterclasses, lectures, and intimate performances — at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), the Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM), the CCOM Middle…

Strolling through Ci Qi Kou

Many NAC Orchestra musicians took advantage of some free time to visit Ci Qi Kou. This historic market features vendors selling everything from candy floss and noodles to silk scarves and artwork.

Concert in Chongqing

The concert at the Grand Theatre in Chongqing was spectacular. The concert began with Canadian composer John Estacio’s Brio: Toccata and Fantasy for Orchestra. NAC Orchestra musicians and the audience were captivated by Pinchas Zukerman's performance of Bruch's violin concerto no. 1 — a…

Interview with John Estacio in Fuling

NAC Award Composer John Estacio joined the NAC Orchestra's tour to China in Guangzhou. To date his work Brio: Toccata and Fantasy for Orchestra has been performed in Guangzhou and Fuling. The composer took a few moments to share his experiences thus far.

From Mao to Xian

In preparation for the tour, I read a number of books and watched films that might illuminate my trip.  Somehow, many of the contemporary writers I came across took me back to a turning point - one of many - in China's long history: the Cultural Revolution. Its goal for the arts: that they…