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Strauss reimagined: NACO commissions four new works
November 22, 2023Contemporary Canadian composers create companion pieces to Strauss classics “This is a musical adventure that pushes the boundaries of creativity. We are thrilled to have these distinguished Canadian composers join us on this incredible journey, reimagining Strauss’s masterpieces with…
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The NAC Gala: An annual event to ensure the future of the...
October 24, 2023It’s with great excitement that the National Arts Centre is getting ready for its most glamorous fall event. The 25th NAC Gala, featuring world-renowned soprano Renée Fleming with the NAC Orchestra, is Wednesday, November 1, 2023, in Southam Hall. From classical opera to beloved Broadway…
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NACO welcomes new faces, fresh sounds
October 11, 2023If you’ve attended one of our concerts this season, you may have already spotted some fresh faces on stage! We’re thrilled to introduce Zachary Bond, our new bass trombonist at the NAC Orchestra, and Tovin Allers, the newest member of our Orchestra’s viola section. Tovin Allers is no…
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Five minutes to fall in love with Clara, Robert and Johannes
September 11, 2023We asked Alexander Shelley, music director of the NAC Orchestra: What are the five minutes you’d play to make a friend fall in love with Clara Schumann? Robert Schumann? Johannes Brahms? Read on and listen to all the moods of Clara, Robert and Johannes: passionate, peaceful, terrifying,…
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Sarah Jennings: Sharing a lifelong passion for opera
June 15, 2023Sarah Jennings, political and cultural journalist and author of the book Art and Politics: The History of the National Arts Centre is a longtime friend and champion of the NAC. Her most recent gift to the NAC Foundation supports the NAC Orchestra’s in-concert performances of Mozart’s Don…
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The Great Canadian Orchestra Field Trip
April 11, 2023Planet Earth needs our help! Launching on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, 2023, join conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser and youth climate activist Aliénor Rougeot on an action-packed adventure from coast to coast – The Great Canadian Orchestra Field Trip. Learn how the natural world has…
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Principal Guest Conductor John Storgårds extends collaboration with NACO
March 29, 2023The National Arts Centre (NAC) is pleased to announce that John Storgårds, Principal Guest Conductor of the NAC Orchestra, has extended his contract with the NAC Orchestra for five years, through the 2027-2028 season. The acclaimed Finnish musician first conducted the NAC Orchestra in…
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SPHERE: Listening to the Earth with NACO
August 29, 2022Music creates important and empathetic bonds with human beings, connecting through the auditory senses. The eco-world also communicates through the senses, creating an interdependence with people globally. From September 22-25, SPHERE, co-curated by NACO Music Director Alexander Shelley…
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Interview with Doug Burden: 50 Seasons with NACO
August 8, 2022In an alternate universe, he could have become a dentist. Instead, and lucky for us, Douglas Burden has been the Bass Trombonist of the National Arts Centre Orchestra since 1972. He recently retired in June 2022 – marking an incredible 50 season career with NACO. During his career, Burden…
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Bobby Thompson winner of 2022 NAC Orchestra Bursary competition
May 5, 2022Bobby Thompson, bassoon, takes home $7,000 grand prize It was a competitive weekend for music students from around the National Capital Region who congregated at the National Arts Centre (NAC) and on the University of Ottawa campus for the National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO)’s Annual…
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Reggae Roots or an Unexpected Rendez-Vous!
April 4, 2022A video-on-demand series bringing to life the sounds and stories of the musical movement that grew to influence music around the globe! In February 2022, Orchestral Conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser joined the National Arts Centre Orchestra as Principal Youth Conductor and Creative…
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Spreading Love through Music
February 3, 2021As passionate supporters of the performing arts, you know that music, dance and theatre can be powerful expressions of love. This year, to show appreciation for dearly missed audience members, the NAC Orchestra invited patrons to dedicate a virtual performance to a loved one as part of a…
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Young Musicians Receive World Class Instruction from their Living Rooms
October 1, 2020The thing about music auditions is that it doesn’t matter whether you are playing for a jury in-person or via Zoom, the nerves can hit you just the same. Throughout the spring, in homes throughout the country and around the world, exceptional young musicians who were set to participate in…
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The NAC Orchestra Romances Listeners with a Quartet of Recordings
August 24, 2020Under the direction of NAC Orchestra Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra released new recordings in the spring of 2020 featuring Romantic music by Clara and Robert Schumann, and Johannes Brahms. The first album, Darlings of the Muses, included improvisations inspired…
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NAC Superfan: Ken McKinlay
July 17, 2020Ken McKinlay has been coming to concerts at the National Arts Centre for more than 28 years. He sees at least 30 performances each season. Ken is the NAC Orchestra’s number one fan. “I’m missing the Orchestra like crazy,” says Ken, who last saw the NACO perform Mozart on February 26,…
