GUEST CONDUCTOR THOMAS SØNDERGÅRD CONDUCTS SIBELIUS
FEBRUARY 16, 2015 – OTTAWA (Canada) – Patrons may feel a brisk gust of Scandinavian air in Southam Hall as Danish guest conductor, Thomas Søndergård, takes the stage twice this week. On both Thursday and Friday, he will lead the NAC Orchestra through Sibelius’s Symphony No. 7, an emotional and sumptuous tour de force. Considered a symphonic masterwork, this was the last full symphony that the Finnish composer completed in 1924 and it soars with a thrilling grandeur tinged with Nordic frost and ice. This will be Maestro Søndergård’s fourth program with the Orchestra and he is definitely a favourite with musicians and patrons alike. His energetic leadership, and Sibelius, will put the spotlight on the Orchestra’s brass section.
Truly one of the up and coming young conductors in the world, Søndergård is currently Principal Conductor of BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Principal Guest Conductor of Royal Scottish National Orchestra; it is a rare honour to hold titled positions with two major British orchestras.
Things will definitely warm up, however, as the Orchestra turns to Beethoven’s intricate and lively Symphony No. 2 – a true classic. Beethoven composed the symphony just as he was beginning to grapple with his hearing loss.
Argentinian pianist Ingrid Fliter joins the NAC Orchestra as soloist in Haydn’s jaunty D Major Concerto. Fliter, who is a Chopin specialist, will undoubtedly demonstrate the influence of her South American roots on the classical training she obtained in Europe. The Orchestra is thrilled to welcome this gifted, internationally recognized artist back to the NAC stage. Fliter maintains an exhausting schedule of recordings and performances and is in the vanguard of the new, young pianists who are boldly reshaping how we hear the classics.
The program is made complete by another Scandinavian composition from Denmark’s Carl Neilsen who was also a conductor and violinist. The Orchestra will perform his Prelude to Act II of Saul and David, which was first heard in Copenhagen in 1902.
Both performances will feature a post-concert talkback session, hosted by Eric Friesen. Patrons can pose questions directly to the conductor and soloist.
TICKETS
http://nac-cna.ca/en/event/7739
ABOUT THE NAC ORCHESTRA
Under the inspiring leadership of Pinchas Zukerman, Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra is noted for the passion and clarity of its performances and recordings, ground-breaking teaching and outreach programs, and nurturing of Canadian creativity. This vibrant orchestra draws accolades from home and abroad.
The NAC Orchestra was formed in 1969 at the opening of Canada's National Arts Centre, and gives over 100 performances a year with renowned artists including Itzhak Perlman, Renée Fleming, James Ehnes, Emanuel Ax and Yo-Yo Ma.
Previous Music Directors included Mario Bernardi and Trevor Pinnock. Alexander Shelley takes on this mantle from Pinchas Zukerman in 2015-16, and John Storgårds will be Principal Guest Conductor beginning the same season. Principal Youth and Family Conductor Alain Trudel, and Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly complete the strong artistic leadership team.
In addition to a full series of subscription concerts at the National Arts Centre each season, tours are undertaken to regions throughout Canada and around the world, most recently to China (2013) and the UK (2014). The latter commemorated the start of the First World War and explored themes of remembrance and healing through music in over 50 education and performance events. Following the footsteps of Canadian troops 100 years ago, it showcased the brilliant work of Canadian composers and the NAC Orchestra's musicians, both as performers and as educators, and received standing ovations in packed halls throughout the UK.
In 1999, Pinchas Zukerman founded the NAC Young Artists Program, part of the wider NAC Summer Music Institute, which provides elite training to talented young musicians. Students all over the world are also taught via videoconferencing in the NAC's cutting-edge Hexagon Studio. The Orchestra also created and continues to pioneer education work locally and in indigenous communities in northern Canada.
The NAC Orchestra has made over 40 commercial recordings, and many more concerts are freely available through MusicBox on the NAC's Arts Alive wide-reaching education website. These include many of the 100 new Canadian works commissioned by the NAC Orchestra in its 45 year history.
Located in the capital city of Ottawa, the National Arts Centre is the only bilingual, multidisciplinary performing arts centre in Canada. The National Arts Centre collaborates with artists and arts organizations across Canada to help create a national stage for the performing arts, and acts as a catalyst for performance, creation and learning across the country.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Susan Wright Lisa Robertson
(519) 703-2020 (613) 739-7032