My Account-
Karen Donnelly and the 32 trumpet tribute
May 4, 2020Last month, 32 of the world’s top trumpet players came together over the internet to perform a tribute to front-line health care workers battling COVID-19. The song is A Hope for the Future by Matt Catingub and the video has more than 220,000 views. The musicians, who come from 14…
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Enriching Communities Through Music
November 7, 2019The Music Alive Program has been one of the NAC’s most far-reaching education initiatives. It connects teaching artists with children and youth in rural, Indigenous and underserved communities in Nunavut, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Atlantic Canada. About 300 events take place…
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A few comments on The Marriage of Figaro
June 7, 2019Susanna, Rosine, Marcellina, Barbarina and the rest It was barely two years after the opening night of The Marriage of Figaro, six years after its publication, that Mozart and Da Ponte transformed Beaumarchais’ lively ideological offering into a much more subversive musical work,…
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After Ypres: The Music of Two Nations Soars
November 9, 2018“We were eighteen and had begun to love life and the world; and we had to shoot it to pieces. The first bomb, the first explosion, burst in our hearts.” ― Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front This November, the National Arts Centre will host two very special concerts in…
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14th Annual Music Monday Concert
May 8, 2018The 14th annual Music Monday celebration included a massed children's choir of over 350 youth under the direction of Jackie Hawley who led the sing-along of the Music Monday anthem Sing It Together. Participating choirs include: the Cantiamo Girls Choir of Ottawa, École élementaire et…
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Get to know Christopher Millard, NAC Orchestra bassoonist
May 2, 2018Q & A with Christopher Millard, bassoon, NAC Orchestra Q1. When did you begin playing the bassoon and why this instrument? I came to the bassoon at age 15, after years as a pianist and later a saxophonist. My story is that of every bassoonist… if you show some talent on the popular…
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Get to know Anna Petersen, NAC Orchestra oboist
May 2, 2018Q & A With Anna Petersen, oboe player, NAC Orchestra Q1. When did you begin playing the oboe and why this instrument? I started playing the oboe when I was 9 years old. My parents were both music teachers, so I was constantly surrounded by musical instruments at home, and informally…
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Connecting North to South made easy thanks to First Air
December 5, 2017Members of Canada’s National Arts Centre (NAC) Orchestra, along with Music Director Alexander Shelley, are in Iqaluit December 4 to 6, and Yellowknife on December 9, for concerts and music education activities as part of the final segment of its Canada 150 Tour. Their travel from Ottawa to…
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Reconnecting with the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra
July 17, 2017In the spring of 2017 the NAC Orchestra was in residence for two days with 240 students from across New Brunswick as part of their Canada 150 Tour. Alexander Shelley, James Ehnes and members of the NAC Orchestra coached three Sistema ensembles, with a final concert featuring NAC Orchestra…
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Buffy Sainte-Marie speaks about Canada 150
June 13, 2017On July 3, 2017 Buffy Sainte-Marie will perform with special guests at the NAC Canada Scene Festival. Buffy took a few moments to speak about the 150 Celebrations. "For me the 150th... the best thing that can possibly happen is a better connection. I mean there is so much to be proud of…
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NAC Orchestra musician Charles Hamann records 15 Canadian works for oboe and piano
June 7, 2017Charles Hamann has wanted to make a solo recording for a very long time. As principal oboe for the National Arts Centre Orchestra Charles (or Chip as many in the music world know him) has worked with many of the country’s most respected composers and it was composer John Burge’s Sonata…
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NAC Orchestra in Eskasoni: An unforgettable musical experience
May 10, 2017As the NAC Orchestra tour buses travelled along the beautiful tree lined edge of Bras d’Or Lake we knew we had arrived to a very special place. The community of Eskasoni is the ancestral home of Mi’kmaw poet Rita Joe. Her poem I Lost My Talk was the inspiration for NAC Award composer John…
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Panel Discussion on Creation and Collaboration through ENCOUNT3RS
May 5, 2017In this bilingual panel discussion on Creation and Collaboration that preceded the world premiere of ENCOUNT3RS (April 20-22, 2017), animator Catherine Clark speaks with the six Canadian artists involved in this historic NAC dance-music commission celebrating Canada 150. Following a…
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Follow the NAC Orchestra on Tour!
April 28, 2017As our National Arts Centre Orchestra sets off on the first leg of its cross-Canada performance and education tour, a group of dedicated supporters from across the country is cheering them on from the sidelines. Tour Patrons Gail and David O’Brien, who split their time between Toronto and…
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Interview with choreographer Bill Coleman
April 6, 2017“When Accidents Happen, You’re Very Attentive” – Bill Coleman navigates through difficulty in Dollhouse, a dance production presented at the NAC’s Canada Scene Festival in partnership with the Canada Dance Festival on July 15. The NAC’s Canada Scene has a specific focus on contemporary…