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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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Sweet New Sound of Southam Hall
September 13, 2018Southam Hall has a fresh new look, and a superb new sound. The NAC’s new orchestra shell, which took more than 18 months to design and build, arrived in 15 semi-trailers from two separate facilities 1,000 miles apart and was installed over the summer. While Southam Hall is the NAC’s…
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Q&A: Colin Traquair, Trombone, NAC Orchestra
September 13, 2018Q. You’re one of the NAC Orchestra’s most passionate coffee lovers. What’s your drink? A. Equator makes a piccolo, which is a small, very intense latte. You don’t ever want me to play a piccolo, however. Q. Were you happy when Equator Coffee Roasters opened its NAC location? A. Are you…
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Interview with Showbiz Mastermind and Creator of “Let’s Dance” Jeff Tyzik
May 18, 2018”Stronger together” is the name of the game when it comes to the NAC Orchestra's “Let’s Dance”, a performance of spectacular musical and dance numbers carefully designed by creator Jess Tyzik. World-renowned and gifted in his ability to dazzle audiences of all ages, Jeff Tyzik has been in…
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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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Dreaming of the Sea in Southam Hall
October 18, 2017Attending intermission chats and open rehearsals are one of the many benefits donors receive when they support performance, creation and learning across Canada through the National Arts Centre Foundation. On a beautiful October morning, NAC Foundation supporters were carried away during an…
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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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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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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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ENCOUNT3RS: Three world premieres in one performance
March 24, 2017Creation is at the core of the National Arts Centre. “One of the key things we’re trying to celebrate all the time is our Canadian artists,” says Cathy Levy, Executive Producer of NAC Dance. ENCOUNT3RS is a landmark NAC Commission that pairs three of Canada’s outstanding choreographic…
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The Warmest Snowstorm in February
March 20, 2017Attending intermission chats and open rehearsals are one of the many benefits donors receive when they support performance, creation and learning across Canada through the National Arts Centre Foundation. On the afternoon of Wednesday, February 15, NAC Foundation supporters braved…
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The Man with the Violin
February 27, 2017The Man with the Violin: Suite for Violin and Orchestra, a new work based on the story of superstar violinist Joshua Bell performing outside a Metro stop, had a triumphant debut at its sold-out world premiere on Sunday, February 12 at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. The piece, which…