September 19 at 5:30 p.m. in the NAC’s Southam Hall

September 8, 2015 – OTTAWA (Canada) – Join us September 19 for the 19th Annual National Arts Centre Gala featuring superstar pianist Lang Lang and the NAC Orchestra – under the leadership of its new Music Director Alexander Shelley – for dazzling performances of some of the world’s most-loved classical works, including Rachmaninoff’s First Piano Concerto.

This glamorous fundraising event benefits the National Youth and Education Trust by providing much needed resources for the National Arts Centre’s youth and education programming. The funds raised support music education programs all across the country, masterclasses, online activities and youth programming for dance and theatre. The National Youth and Education Trust also donates tickets to children who might otherwise be unable to afford to attend live performances at the NAC.

“Both Alexander Shelley and Lang Lang are exceptionally gifted musicians who care deeply about training the next generation of classical artists, and making classical music accessible to audiences of all ages,” says Peter Herrndorf, CEO of the National Arts Centre. “What a pleasure it will be to see them together in performance on the NAC stage in support of such a worthy cause.”

 

LANG LANG AND ALEXANDER SHELLEY

Lang Lang has been heralded as the “hottest artist on the classical music planet” by the New York Times, has played sold out concerts in every major city in the world and is the first Chinese pianist to be engaged by the Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic and the New York Philharmonic orchestras. Time Magazine has recently included Lang Lang in the “Time 100”, the magazine’s annual list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World, naming him as a symbol of the youth of China, and its future.

The September 19th Gala will be Alexander Shelley’s first as Music Director with the NAC’s Orchestra. Shelley, a staunch supporter of music education, has spent the past six years working with the groundbreaking Future Lab in Bremen, Germany. Through the creation of the “borough opera,” he has worked diligently to inspire thousands of underprivileged youth, engaging them in all aspects of stage production, from singing to acting to set design.

“I have seen firsthand the extraordinary effect that music has on young people and yet, far more children can and should have access to instruments, to great teachers and to great performances. This is what the National Youth and Education Trust is seeking to achieve and why its work is so important,” says Alexander Shelley.

101 PIANISTS

Lang Lang will also join Alexander Shelley in Southam Hall on Friday, September 18, at 3 p.m., for the one-hour performance of 101 Pianists, a masterclass and public performance that media are invited to attend.

Founded in 2009 by Lang Lang, this unique program and workshop was created to bring together young aspiring musicians to experience the magic and beauty of learning and performance. It aspires to teach students that more can be achieved as a group than one could ever hope to achieve as an individual.

Young pianists from the region are pre-selected to participate in the event, and two different arrangements of selected scores are created to allow piano students of all skill levels to equally participate. Part public performance and part classroom, Lang Lang conducts with assistance from senior piano instructors and tempo keepers to lead a day long master class with the students.  In a final performance in Southam Hall, the public will experience the extraordinary culmination of work with 101 pianists (100 students and Lang Lang) performing one piece of music in harmony.

To date, this hugely successful event has unfolded in Paris, Berlin, London, Hong Kong and Rome along with many other international cities inspiring over 100,000 audience members and 1,200 piano students.

 

TIMES AND TICKETS

The NAC Gala takes place in the National Arts Centre’s Southam Hall on Saturday, September 19. The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with an elegant pre-concert reception in the NAC foyer, followed by the concert at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are now available online on the NAC Website starting at $99 and include the pre-concert reception.

General admission tickets for the 101 Pianists event at 3 p.m. on September 18 are at $22.60 and are also available online on the NAC Website. All funds raised will benefit the National Youth and Education Trust.

 

SUPPORTERS

The NAC Gala is made possible by the tireless dedication of its organizing committee, led by its Honorary Chair Laureen Harper and by Chair Gary Zed. We are also grateful to Presenting Sponsor CIBC for their ongoing partnership with the NAC Gala. As well, we wish to thank Honorary Patrons Bonnie and John Buhler, Associate Sponsor Shaw Communications Inc., and Major Sponsor SNC-Lavalin Inc. for their generous support. Other Gala sponsors include EY, Emond Harnden LLP, Mizrahi Corporation, Quebecor, Mark Motors Audi, The Ottawa Citizen and LeDroit. Their investment through the Trust, as well as individual and corporate donors from all across the country, help the NAC nurture and develop the creativity of young people in all regions across Canada and support the educators and artists who challenge and encourage them.

 

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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Andrea Ruttan, Communications Officer

National Arts Centre Orchestra

613 947-7000 x335

Cell: 613 220-5487

andrea.ruttan@nac-cna.ca