July 20, 2016– OTTAWA (Canada) – The National Arts Centre (NAC) is delighted to announce that Heather Gibson, the award-winning Executive Director of the Halifax Jazz Festival, and Founder and Artistic Producer of the In the Dead of Winter Music Festival, will be the next Executive Producer of the NAC’s highly successful Canadian music series, NAC Presents. Heather will lead a team from the NAC to program more than 50 concerts per season dedicated to established and emerging Canadian singer-songwriters. Now in its 6th Season, NAC Presents is designed to attract a younger audience to the National Arts Centre.

“We are so fortunate to be welcoming Heather Gibson to the National Arts Centre where she will help us deepen our relationship with Canada’s best singer-songwriters,” said Peter Herrndorf, the President and CEO of the National Arts Centre. “Heather’s record of success with the Halifax Jazz Festival, In the Dead of Winter Music Festival, and her varied experience as the owner of a popular music venue, and artist management company make her the ideal candidate for this prestigious position.” 

“I look forward to joining the team at Canada’s National Arts Centre,” said Heather Gibson. “I am excited by the prospect of building on the success of NAC Presents to build a larger audience for Canadian music. Canadian artists are amongst the best in the world, and to be able to showcase them on a national stage will be very rewarding.”

Originally from Manitoba, Heather Gibson built her career in the performing arts in Halifax where she graduated from Dalhousie University. She has done everything from run the Halifax Jazz Festival, to open her own club, to own an artistic management company.

“Heather Gibson is very entrepreneurial, just the spirit we like to see at Canada’s National Arts Centre,” said Peter Herrndorf. “She’s managed big teams, big budgets, and has helped propel the careers of many Canadian artists like Amelia Curran.”

An active volunteer, Ms. Gibson has served as the Chair of the East Coast Music Association, member of the board for CAPACOA (The Canadian Arts Presenting Association), The Khyber Centre for the Arts, and The Western Roots Artistic Directors.

Ms. Gibson will be joining a team of Artistic leaders at the NAC which includes the Artistic Director of English Theatre Jillian Keiley, the NAC Orchestra’s Music Director Alexander Shelley, NAC Dance Producer Cathy Levy, Canada Scene Producer Heather Moore, and the Artistic Director of French Theatre Brigitte Haentjens.

She begins her post at the National Arts Centre on September 20, 2016.

The NAC Presents series will unveil its 6th programming season on October 14, 2016.
 Stay tuned for all the details!
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ABOUT NAC PRESENTS

NAC Presents thanks title partner BMO Financial Group for their long-standing leadership support of this series. NAC Presents is grateful to the Slaight Family Foundation, whose Slaight Family Fund for Emerging Artists supports performances by emerging artists featured in the NAC Presents 2016-17 season.

NAC Presents would also like to acknowledge its official hotel partner, Hotel Indigo Ottawa, and the official car of NAC Presents, Mark Motors of Ottawa – Audi.

THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE

The National Arts Centre is Canada’s home of the performing arts and opened its doors in Ottawa in 1969.  A leading showcase for the performing arts, the NAC presents Canada’s and the world’s best in music, English theatre, French theatre, dance, variety, and community programming. Strongly committed to being a leader and innovator in each of the performing arts fields in which it works, the NAC is a national centre for performance, creation and learning that collaborates with countless artists—both emerging and established.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

 

Rosemary Thompson,
Director, Communications and Public Affairs
National Arts Centre
613 947-7000 x260
rthompson@nac-cna.ca
twitter: @RosiePThompson