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An intimate performance on the Great Wall
October 17, 2013NAC 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…
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Maestro Zukerman says “Art takes time”
October 16, 2013Students 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…
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An encounter of a lifetime
October 15, 2013NAC 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…
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Photos from the Great Wall of China
October 15, 2013NAC 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.
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Busy in Beijing
October 14, 2013During 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…
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Concert in Chongqing
October 13, 2013The 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…
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Interview with John Estacio in Fuling
October 11, 2013NAC 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.
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From Mao to Xian
October 10, 2013In 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…
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Eager students soak up musical knowledge
October 10, 2013Violinist Elaine Klimasko is a founding member of the NAC Orchestra whose passion for teaching is clearly evident. From the moment she greets her students at Xinghai Conservatory in Guangzhou her curious and outgoing nature creates an immediate rapport. Students hang on her every word and…
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A musical surprise for St. Mary’s Canossian School
October 8, 2013Musicians from the NAC's Institute of Orchestral Studies surprised and delighted the students of St Mary's Canossian School when they began to play their school song. After some polite hesitation students received the nod from their principal and begain to sing while smiling brightly.
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Report from Victoria Peak
October 8, 2013NAC Orchestra musicians reflect on their visit to Lok Sin Tong Primary School while enjoying the magnificent view from Victoria Peak in Hong Kong.
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Like a herd of turtles
October 4, 2013My friend Toby uses the expression "Off like a herd of turtles" to announce the slow departure pace of her family when they set off for their daily activities. I kept thinking of this expression as I travelled along airport corridors, waited by luggage carousels and customs with our group…
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Bon voyage to the NAC Orchestra!
October 2, 2013Tomorrow morning, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, led by Music Director Pinchas Zukerman, will begin a remarkable and historic tour of China, including concerts in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, as well as a range of inspiring educational and engagement events.
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Erhu masterclass with Professor Yu Hongmei
October 2, 2013Earlier this year Professor Yu Hongmei, renowned erhu soloist and teacher at China's Central Conservatory of Music held a masterclass with Ottawa student Leo Zhang in the NAC's Hexagon Studio.
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Marjolaine Fournier explains why she learned to play the erhu
September 27, 2013China is far to go when you don't like leaving home... The thought of this vast country was daunting and I couldn't quite organize my thoughts and emotions around the idea of traveling and playing in such a far away land. I looked through my memories of tours that I had enjoyed most and…
