The National Arts Centre Orchestra today announced programming details of its 2012-2013 season – Pinchas Zukerman’s fourteenth season as Music Director and Principal Conductor. The season -- built around exciting firsts, fresh perspectives, and great music performed by great artists – offers exhilarating, deeply emotional experiences to music lovers, who will be entertained, inspired, engaged, transported, transformed, intellectually stimulated, or deeply moved. Subscriptions are now available at the NAC Box Office.

HIGHLIGHTS OF AN EXCEPTIONAL SEASON
The National Arts Centre Orchestra’s 2012-2013 season is extraordinary, showcasing hundreds of musical moments that will inspire and uplift music lovers. Highlights of the season include:
• The NAC Gala -- with Pinchas Zukerman, the NAC Orchestra, and special guest, piano phenomenon Lang Lang -- opens the season with a bang (September 22)
• The Beethoven Festival – The Evolution of a Genius -- consists of four evening concerts featuring Pinchas Zukerman conducting works by the world’s greatest composer, including three beloved symphonies (September 27-October 4)
• The Northern Canada Tour (October-November) includes concerts and dozens of educational events, featuring conductor Arild Remmereit, renowned Canadian violinist James Ehnes, circumpolar artists, and performances of Canadian composer Alexina Louie’s Take the Dog Sled, performed with 7 players and throat singers
• The Orchestra’s premiere performances of Debussy’s evocative La mer (November 22-23) and of Elgar’s majestic Symphony No. 1 (June 13-14)
• Canadian superstar pianist Angela Hewitt in recital performing signature works by J.S. Bach and Debussy (February 19)
• Pinchas Zukerman conducting the Orchestra and vocal soloists in Mozart’s Requiem and Symphony No. 41, “Jupiter” (February 27-28)
• The world premiere of two new works commissioned by the NAC from NAC Award winning Canadian composers Peter Paul Koprowski (April 17-18) and Ana Sokolovic (May 15-16)
• Legendary violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman and acclaimed Sri Lankan pianist Rohan de Silva performing sonatas by Mozart, Beethoven, and Mozart (May 6)
• Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting both Montreal’s L'Orchestre Métropolitain and the NAC Orchestra in an all-Strauss concert (May 8-9)
• Pinchas Zukerman (conductor, violin and viola soloist) and musicians of the NAC Orchestra performing Baroque masterpieces by Bach, Handel, and Telemann (June 6-7)
• Celebrated pianist Emanuel Ax performing Mozart’s sublime Piano Concerto No. 25. (June 13-14)
• The extravagantly entertaining Fidelity Investments Pops Series includes the Canadian Tenors, music from Cuba, the music of George Gershwin and The Beatles, the West Side Story feature film with live orchestra, and memorable music from the Golden Age of Hollywood musicals

OVERVIEW
The entire season comprises classical concerts, pops concerts, children’s concerts, and Sunday afternoon concerts. There are forty-eight (48) separate events and eighty-seven (87) performances – and that doesn’t include programming for summer 2013 or the NAC’s internationally acclaimed Summer Music Institute. The season is divided into nine separate series -- Bravo Series; Ovation Series; Mark Motors Audi Signature Series; Great Performers Series; Special Concerts; Music for a Sunday Afternoon (MFASA) concerts, which are held at the National Gallery of Canada; Fidelity Investments Pops Series; TD Family Adventures with the NAC Orchestra; and Kinderconcerts.

WORLD CLASS CONDUCTORS
Music Director Pinchas Zukerman will conduct fourteen National Arts Centre Orchestra concerts, including the NAC Gala; audiences will also be privileged to hear Maestro Zukerman perform as violin and viola soloist during the season. Jack Everly, Principal Pops Conductor, conducts four Fidelity Investments Pops concerts, and Alain Trudel, newly-appointed Principal Youth and Family Conductor, conducts two TD Family Adventures with the NAC Orchestra concerts. Notable guest conductors during the season include Alexander Shelley, Christian Vásquez, Kirill Karabits, Ainars Rubikis (in his NAC debut), Arild Remmereit, Juraj Valcuha (in his Canadian debut), Fabien Gabel (introducing the new musical director of the Quebec City Symphony Orchestra to Ottawa), John Storgårds, Peter Oundjian conducting the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting the combined forces of Montreal’s L’Orchestre Métropolitain and the NAC Orchestra.

WORLD CLASS GUEST ARTISTS
Other remarkable guest artists – both emerging and established, from across Canada and around the world -- performing during the season include pianists Lang Lang, Emanuel Ax, Angela Cheng, Marc-André Hamelin,Yefim Bronfman, Jonathan Biss, and Alexander Toradze; violinist James Ehnes; cellist Johannes Moser; and vocalists Arianna Zukerman (soprano), Michelle DeYoung (mezzo-soprano), Lawrence Wiliford (tenor), and Robert Pomakov (bass). Making their NAC debut this season are pianists Conrad Tao, Lars Vogt, Inon Barnatan, and Daniil Trifonov, and violinist Pekka Kuusisto. Guest orchestras include Quebec’s Les Violons du Roy and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra with soloists Jonathan Crow (violin) and Shauna Rolston (cello).
 
MESSAGE FROM PINCHAS ZUKERMAN
NAC Orchestra Music Director Pinchas Zukerman says, “Full of beautifully familiar works alongside pioneering compositions, the 2012-2013 NACO season is certain to inspire and delight you with unparalleled musical moments: three of Beethoven’s beloved symphonies as part of a 4-concert Beethoven Festival; Mozart’s divine Requiem; the Orchestra’s premiere performances of Debussy’s colourful and evocative La mer, and numerous adventurous masterworks. The National Arts Centre Orchestra features stellar guest artists this season and also showcases some of my magnificent NACO colleagues as soloists. I am really looking forward to welcoming Montreal’s extraordinary Orchestre Métropolitain, which will join our NAC Orchestra to perform an all-Strauss program under the baton of one of the world’s most talented conductors, Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

When it comes to an orchestra season, it really is all about the music – and the exhilarating emotional journey awaiting the audience. The National Arts Centre Orchestra and I collaborate closely to create a fascinating season full of gorgeous melodies, vivid orchestrations and a musical spirit that rises above the everyday. The 2012-2013 NAC Orchestra season is outstanding.” 

MESSAGE FROM CHRISTOPHER DEACON
Christopher Deacon, Managing Director of the NAC Orchestra, says, “The 2012-13 season of the NAC Orchestra is an invitation to audiences to experience the transcendent emotions and uplifting spirits of great orchestral concerts. We thought about what our audiences tell us they love most, and we created a season built around exciting firsts, fresh perspectives, and great music performed by great artists. Some of the exciting firsts next season include the world premiere of two new works commissioned by the NAC from Canadian composers (Peter Paul Koprowski and Ana Sokolovic), major works being performed by the NAC Orchestra for the first time, and wonderful guest artists – both conductors and musicians -- making their first visit to the NAC. Fresh perspectives include a season-opening festival that looks at the evolution of Beethoven’s genius, and a concert featuring music from Finnish composers – with a Finnish conductor and a remarkable Finnish soloist. And, of course, great music is our raison d’être, so the season offers a rich variety of truly great masterpieces performed by the top performers on the world’s stages. After the enormous success of last season’s Atlantic Canada Tour, we’re delighted to be taking musicians from the NAC Orchestra to Northern Canada (with conductor Arild Remmereit and Canadian violin phenomenon James Ehnes), with a full slate of concerts and numerous education activities.”

WHY SUBSCRIBE TO THE NAC ORCHESTRA?
• Each concert offers exhilarating, deeply emotional experiences -- be entertained, inspired, engaged, transported, transformed, intellectually stimulated, or deeply moved. Whatever one’s taste in music, an NAC Orchestra concert is an extraordinary experience
• Incredible music performed by the world’s most outstanding artists. Enjoy familiar classical masterpieces, exciting new works, and spectacular pops entertainment designed to delight and amaze music lovers of every taste
• Subscriber benefits. Subscribers enjoy the best prices, the best seats, and the best benefits, including free ticket exchanges and exclusive offers
• Convenience. Subscribing is the best way for patrons to enjoy this great orchestra and guarantee their preferred seats
• Affordability. NAC Orchestra concerts are accessible to all. Single tickets for concerts start at $22 and subscribers save even more – prices start at $18 per concert (all prices include HST and NAC Facility Fee)

July 5-7, 2012
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Presented in English, with French subtitles
In Concert: full length film with the music performed live by the NAC Orchestra
Music composed by Howard Shore
NAC Orchestra/Ludwig Wicki, conductor/Kaitlyn Lusk, soprano/Combined Ottawa Choruses

Journey into the breathtaking and imaginative world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings as never before! Experience the first installment of Peter Jackson’s 2001 cinematic tour de force, The Lord of the Rings:The Fellowship of the Ring projected on a 60-foot screen while over 50 musicians perform the blockbuster’s Academy Award- and Grammy Award-winning score.
Howard Shore’s vivid and complex orchestration is an immense symphonic work, and this unforgettable multi-media event brings Tolkien’s world to dramatic musical life.

All 2012-2013 NAC Orchestra season subscribers enjoy a special priority purchasing period from February 22 –March 14 before tickets go on sale to the general public on April 12.
Subscribers save 10% off the regular Box Office price for Opening Night on July 5.

THE NAC ORCHESTRA 2012-2013 SEASON
THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE GALA WITH LANG LANG
Saturday September 22 -- 6:30 pm
National Arts Centre Orchestra/Pinchas Zukerman, conductor/Lang Lang, piano
The NAC's awe-inspiring Gala with piano phenomenon Lang Lang opens the 2012-13 season in spectacular style! This amazing international superstar brings his dazzling charisma, electrifying technique, and undeniable cool to the stage of Southam Hall as he performs with the National Arts Centre Orchestra.

The New York Times wrote, “The hottest artist on the classical music planet may well be the Chinese pianist Lang Lang” and he was hailed by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Lang Lang’s performance at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics was witnessed by more than 4 billion people worldwide and is said to have inspired more than 40 million Chinese youngsters to take up the piano. His heart-stopping concerts have sold out worldwide -- causing a truly unprecedented cultural frenzy. Hold onto your seat as Lang Lang takes the stage for a riveting classical concerto program alongside Maestro Zukerman and the full NAC Orchestra. The NAC Gala -- benefitting the NAC’s National Youth and Education Trust – is delighted to welcome CIBC as Presenting Sponsor for the first time. The NAC Gala is also pleased to announce the return of Associate Sponsor Vale. 

All 2012-2013 NAC Orchestra season subscribers enjoy a special priority purchasing period from March 15 to April 15 before tickets go on sale to the general public on May 8.

BEETHOVEN FESTIVAL: THE EVOLUTION OF A GENIUS-- September 27-October 4
Join Pinchas Zukerman and the NAC Orchestra as the regular 2012-2013 orchestra season opens with another spectacular don’t-miss Festival! The Beethoven Festival traces the evolution of the world's greatest composer. Supremely talented, mercurial and irascible, at age 19 Beethoven was inspired by the French Revolution (1789) to embrace — for life — ideals of liberty and fraternity. Deaf by age 30, he rejected the notion of suicide, convinced that he owed it to the world to share the distinctive and unheard music he extracted from the depths of silence. Inspired by the emotional drive of Romanticism, he created revolutionary, heroic music that examined the individual’s confrontation with personal destiny. The result was music that is monumental and utterly universal. Pinchas Zukerman conducts the National Arts Centre Orchestra in all four concerts, and you are invited you to share this unique experience as they explore Beethoven’s human, artistic and spiritual journey.

The Beethoven Festival concerts are:
•        Beethoven’s Fifth (a Bravo Series concert) -- September 27
Pinchas Zukerman, conductor, and Angela Cheng, piano, perform Piano Concerto No. 5 and the iconic Symphony No. 5
•        Heroic Beethoven – (a Bravo Series concert) -- September 28
Pinchas Zukerman, conductor and violin soloist, and 18-year-old piano phenomenon Conrad Tao perform Piano Concerto No. 3 and the superbly heroic Symphony No. 3, “Eroica”
•        Zukerman Performs Elgar (an Ovation Series concert) -- October 2
Pinchas Zukerman leads the orchestra in Beethoven’s lighthearted Symphony No. 2 and performs Elgar’s brilliant Violin Concerto under Venezuelan conductor Christian Vásquez
•        Ode to Joy (an Ovation Series concert) – October 4. Pinchas Zukerman conducts Beethoven’s Grosse Fugue and his inspiring, monumental Symphony No. 9, “Choral”

NORTHERN CANADA TOUR
Engaging with artists and communities in the North
October-November 2012
The National Arts Centre Orchestra has long played a national role with performances, teaching, and partnerships across Canada. The Orchestra has performed worldwide in the last four decades, including more than 125 concerts in cities across Canada.
For its 2012-2013 season, the Orchestra will build on its pioneering programs to engage with youth and communities in Nunavut through a Northern Canada Tour – a series of initiatives that will see NAC Orchestra musicians performing in northern communities while celebrating the artistry and heritage of the indigenous cultures of the north.
Beginning in October 2012, the Northern Canada Tour will emphasize cultural exchange and learning through dialogue, and will feature musicians of the NAC Orchestra, conductor Arild Remmereit, Canadian violin phenomenon James Ehnes, and other guest artists travelling to communities in the north, with a special focus on Nunavut, while also allowing our NAC audiences to appreciate visiting artists from the north. By sharing unique languages, cultural heritage and distinct musical traditions, we hope that artists and audiences will be enriched by this experience in the majestic beauty of Northern Canada.

BRAVO SERIES (7 concerts)
• Beethoven’s Fifth (part of the Beethoven Festival) – September 27. Pinchas Zukerman, conductor, and Angela Cheng, piano, are featured in Beethoven’s iconic Fifth Symphony and Piano Concerto No. 5
• Heroic Beethoven (part of the Beethoven Festival) -- September 28. Pinchas Zukerman, conductor, and Conrad Tao, piano, are featured in Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 and his triumphant Symphony No. 3, “Eroica”
• Debussy’s La mer -- November 22-23. Juraj Val?uha, conductor, and Jonathan Biss, piano, are featured in Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 13, Ravel's Suite of Five Pieces from Ma Mère l’Oye, and Debussy's La mer
• Tchaikovsky’s Pathéthique -- January 24-25. Pinchas Zukerman, conductor, and Daniil Trifonov, piano, are featured in Mendelssohn'sString Sinfonia No. 10, Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1, and Tchaikovsky's heart-wrenching Symphony No. 6, “Pathétique” 
• Finnish Landscapes -- February 21-22. Finnish conductor John Storgårds and Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto (both making their NAC debut) are featured in music from their homeland, including Rakastava (The Lover) and Symphony No. 3 by Sibelius, and Magnus Lindberg's thrilling Violin Concerto
• Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto -- March 14-15. Fabien Gabel, conductor (new musical director of the Quebec City Symphony Orchestra to Ottawa), and Johannes Moser, cello, are featured in Haydn's Symphony No. 94, “Surprise”, Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1, and Brahm’s Symphony No. 4
• Ax Performs Mozart – June 13-14. Pinchas Zukerman, conductor, and celebrated piano virtuoso Emanuel Ax are featured in a concert which includes Mozart's sublime Piano Concerto No. 25 and Elgar's Symphony No. 1.

OVATION SERIES (6 concerts)
•        Zukerman Performs Elgar (part of the Beethoven Festival) -- October 2. Maestro Zukerman conducts Beethoven’s light-hearted Second Symphony and performs Elgar’s brilliant violin concerto under the direction of rising Venezuelan star Christian Vásquez.
•        Ode to Joy (part of the Beethoven Festival) – October 4. Pinchas Zukerman conducts Beethoven’s Grosse Fugue and a star-studded vocal cast (soprano Joni Henson; and mezzo-soprano Julie Boulianne , tenor Nicholas Phan, and bass Kevin Deas in their NAC debuts) in his inspiring, monumental Symphony No. 9, “Choral”
•        Violin Virtuoso James Ehnes -- October 24-25. Arild Remmereit conducts and Canadian virtuoso James Ehnes is the violin soloist in a concert featuring Rondo Capriccioso and Havanaise for Violin and Orchestra by Saint-Saëns, Symphony No. 40 by Mozart, and Canadian composer Alexina Louie’s Take the Dog Sled
•        Bronfman Plays Brahms -- February 6-7. An all-Brahms concert (Alto Songs, Alto Rhapsody, and Piano Concerto No.1) features host Eric Friesen, Pinchas Zukerman as both conductor and viola soloist, legendary pianist Yefim Bronfman, mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung, and Men of the Ottawa Festival Chorus & Ewashko Singers 
•        Mendelssohn Reformation -- April 17-18. Pinchas Zukerman is the conductor and Inon Barnatan is the piano soloist in a program featuring Symphony No. 5, “Reformation” by Mendelssohn, Piano Concerto No. 2 by Saint-Saëns, and the world premiere of an NAC commission by Canadian composer Peter Paul Koprowski
•        Yannick Conducts Strauss -- May 8-9. Montreal’s L’Orchestre Métropolitain and the NAC Orchestra are led by internationally acclaimed conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin in an all-Strauss concert featuring Also sprach Zarathustra, Die Frau ohne Schatten Fantaisie, and Suite from Der Rosenkavalier

 MARK MOTORS AUDI SIGNATURE SERIES (6 concerts)
•        Rodrigo’s Cello Concerto -- October 10-11. Pinchas Zukerman conducts and NAC Orchestra principal cellist Amanda Forsyth performs Rodrigo’s Cello Concerto in a program that also includes Mozart’s Symphony No. 25 and Schumann’s Symphony No. 2
•        Legendary Russians -- January 9-10. Kirill Karabits conducts the Orchestra and legendary piano soloist Alexander Toradze (Van Cliburn Competition Winner) in Piano Concerto No. 3 by Rachmaninoff , Barber’s Adagio for Strings and Symphony No. 9 by Shostakovich
•        Mozart Requiem -- February 27-28. Pinchas Zukerman conducts the Orchestra and vocal soloists Arianna Zukerman (soprano), Lawrence Wiliford (tenor), Robert Pomakov (bass) and Combined Ottawa Choruses in the famous unfinished Requiem and Symphony No. 41, “Jupiter” by Mozart
•        Tchaikovsky’s Little Russian -- April 24-25. Alexander Shelley, conductor, Lars Vogt, piano, are featured in Rossini’s Overture to La Gazza Ladra, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24, and Tchaikovsky’s exuberant Symphony No. 2, “Little Russian”
•        Schubert’s “Great” -- May 15-16. Latvian conductor Ainars Rubikis (in his NAC debut), and Marc-André Hamelin, piano, are featured in the world premiere of NAC Award winning composer Ana Sokolovic’s new work (an NAC commission), Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, and Schubert’s Symphony No. 9, “Great”
•        The Glory of the Baroque -- June 6-7. Pinchas Zukerman, conductor, violin, and viola, leads the orchestra and performs a mostly-Baroque program which includes J.S. Bach’s Violin Concerto No. 1, Telemann’s Viola Concerto, Handel’s Concerto Grosso Op. 6, No. 11, and J.S. Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3

GREAT PERFORMERS SERIES (4 concerts)
• Les Violons du Roy – October 21. Music Director Bernard Labadie conductors and Emmanuel Pahud, renowned principal flute of the Berlin Philharmonic, is the soloist with Quebec’s internationally acclaimed ensemble in this program of Baroque showpieces, including by Benda, Quantz, J.S. Bach, C.P.E. Bach, and Frederick the Great, King of Prussia
• Toronto Symphony Orchestra -- November 19. Peter Oundjian conducts the always popular – and always sold-out -- TSO and soloists Jonathan Crow (violin) and Shauna Rolston (cello) in a program featuring Pierre Mercure’s Triptyque for Orchestra, Beethoven’s Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano, “Triple Concerto”, and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 12, “The Year 1917”, depicting events of the 1917 Russian Revolution
•        Angela Hewitt In Recital -- February 19. Canadian superstar pianist Angela Hewitt performs signature works by J.S. Bach (French Suite No. 6 in E major, Toccata in D major, and French Suite No. 5) and Debussy (Pour le Piano, Suite bergamasque, and L’Isle Joyeuse)
•        Legendary Itzhak Perlman In Recital -- May 6. One of the greatest of his generation, violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman and acclaimed Sri Lankan pianist Rohan de Silva perform sonatas by Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms

SPECIAL CONCERTS (3 concerts)
• Handel’s Messiah -- December 18-19 – 7 p.m. Celebrated conductor Paul Goodwin leads the NAC Orchestra and superb soloists -- Hélène Guilmette (soprano), Meg Bragle (mezzo-soprano), Colin Balzer (tenor), and Alexander Dobson (bass-baritone) -- along with the Cantata Singers of Ottawa in Handel’s most beloved oratorio 
•        Canadian Brass Christmas with the NAC Orchestra -- December 21 – 7 p.m. From Jolly Old St. Nicholas to Oh Holy Night, this sparkling concert performed with the magnificent Canadian Brass is sure to put you in the Christmas spirit
•        Le grand bal de Noël -- December 9. Performed in French only, at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Marc Fortin, trombone; Pierre Blais, banjo; Jean Sabourin, sousaphone. Three penguin musicians must perform an original Christmas song at a North Pole Christmas party.

MUSIC FOR A SUNDAY AFTERNOON SERIES (4 concerts)
Concerts take place on Sunday afternoons at 2 p.m. in the Auditorium of the National Gallery of Canada
•        January 27. Pinchas Zukerman and Jessica Linnebach, violin, Amanda Forsyth, cello, Kimball Sykes, clarinet, and Angela Cheng, piano, perform in a concert featuring Violin Sonata No. 3 in E major and Violin Sonata No. 4 in C minor by Bach (with soloist Pinchas Zukerman) as well as Quartet for the End of Time (1941) by Messiaen (with soloist Jessica Linnebach)
•        February 24. Pekka Kuusisto, violin, and musicians from the NAC Orchestra perform an all-Finnish program, including traditional folk songs, Sibelius’s Suite in A major (Trio) and String Trio in G minor (1894), Magnus Lindberg’s Clarinet Quintet, and Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Lachen verlernt
• March 24. Tara Helen O’Connor, flute, Amanda Forsyth, cello, and Stephen Prutsman and Stéphane Lemelin, piano, perform Schubert’s Fantasie in F minor and Introduction and Variations on Trockne Blumen, Op. 160, Chopin’s Cello Sonata in G minor, and George Crumb’s Vox Balaenae (Voice of the Whale)
•        May 19. Inon Barnatan, piano, and NAC Orchestra wind players perform Mozart’s Quintet in E-flat major, Ravel’s La Valse, Debussy’s Suite bergamasque, and Beethoven’s Quintet in E-flat major    

FIDELITY INVESTMENTS POPS SERIES (6 concerts)
•        All-Gershwin, All Pops! -- November 15-17. Jack Everly conducts the NAC Orchestra and special guests pianist Stewart Goodyear (“Rhapsody in Blue”) and vocalist Judy McLane in a Gershwin celebration featuring iconic melodies from the reigning Jazz Age song-writing team in America, George and Ira Gershwin.
• A Night in Havana -- December 13-15. Transcending the borders between classical, jazz, and fiery Cuban music, the NAC Orchestra (under the baton of conductor Edwin Outwater) heats up the stage with Cuban sensations Tiempo Libre and legendary vocalist Malena Burke
• West Side Story –-- January 17-19. Sharks vs. Jets! Jayce Ogren conducts the orchestra as they accompany a special showing of the digitally re-mastered 1961 film. West Side Story broke new ground musically (music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim), going on to win 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture
•     All You Need is Love: A Beatles Tribute -- February 14-16. Conductor Jack Everly produces pure musical excitement with the Fab Four and full NAC Orchestra. The four musicians onstage look and sound just like The Beatles as they perform 30 tunes live. “Penny Lane” with a live trumpet section, “Yesterday” with string quartet, and a rock/classical blend on “I Am the Walrus”
•     The Canadian Tenors -- April 11-13. Canada’s hottest export are a worldwide phenomenon! Jack Everly conducts the charismatic and über-talented vocal quartet in a crowd-pleasing evening that will leave you humming. In their last appearance at the NAC, the Canadian Tenors concert was completely sold out.
• Those Glorious Hollywood Musicals -- June 20-22. Jack Everly conducts the orchestra, vocal soloists direct from Broadway, The Ewashko Singers, and the Ottawa Festival Chorus in an evening of silver screen classics. The concert features show stoppers from the Golden Age of the MGM musical from Easter Parade to Singin’ in the Rain.

TD FAMILY ADVENTURES WITH THE NAC ORCHESTRA SERIES (4 concerts)
Each 60-minute bilingual concert (performed without intermission on Saturday afternoons) also features TUNETOWN pre-concert activities organized by the Friends of the NAC Orchestra
•        The Little Prince -- October 13. Alain Trudel, conductor, Lorena Corradi and Reggi Ettore, narrator-soloists, and musical guest L’Arsenal à musique are featured as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s little prince and the characters in his fantastic universe romp through an award-winning musical tale overflowing with imagination, mystery and emotion.
•        Music under a Midnight Moon -- January 12. Boris Brott conduct the NAC Orchestra and special guest Platypus Theatre as they beauty in the most unlikely places. Originally commissioned by the NAC for school audiences, this symphonic adventure has since been performed worldwide
•        Green Eggs and Hamadeus -- February 9. Robert Kapilow, conductor/composer, co-host Annie Lefebvre, soprano Sherry Boone, and stage director Danny Pelzig present a fully-staged orchestral adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s beloved children’s classic which incorporates references to familiar classical and popular music
•        Adventures in Canada’s North -- April 27. Alain Trudel, conductor, and co-host Susan Aglukark embark on a unique musical journey to Canada’s North, where they discover this unique region’s dynamic culture through storytelling, throat singing, dance, circus and film. Presented as part of the National Arts Centre’s 2013 Northern Scene Festival.

KINDERCONCERTS SERIES + 1 SPECIAL CONCERT (5 concerts)
The NAC Orchestra and Jeunesses Musicales of Canada present four exciting chamber music concerts for children aged 3 to 8, held in the Panorama Room.
•        Fred Piston and his 7 Trumpets -- November 25. Young Fred Piston (Frédéric Demers, trumpet), a doctor of trumpeting and assistant to the famous Professor Trompettito, drops by with his 7 trumpets to present a dazzling musical and “technomultimediatic” demonstration
•        SPECIAL CONCERT: Le grand bal de Noël -- December 9. Performed in French only, at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Marc Fortin, trombone; Pierre Blais, banjo; Jean Sabourin, sousaphone. Three penguin musicians must perform an original Christmas song at a North Pole Christmas party.
•        Giggle and Stomp! -- February 24. Thierry Arsenault and Bruno Roy, percussion. Explore the fascinating world of percussion instruments, discovering sounds that make us laugh, and rhythms that get us dancing
•        Skarazula – April 7. Steve Grenier, percussion, psaltery, voice; François Rainville, cittern, mandore, oud, tromba marina, vielle, voice; François Perron, recorders, flute, voice. Travel with members of Skarazula along the roads of medieval Europe in a musical voyage that will delight both young and old alike.
•        Fiestango -- June 16. Amélie Lamontagne, violin; Geneviève Bigonnesse, double bass; Janie Caron, piano. Three mischievous cousins act out the story of Mercedes, who spent her life travelling with a large trunk in tow, filling it with souvenirs. They rediscover and invent their own fantastic adventures that lead them to learn about the history of the tango, a style of music and dance they adore.

‘MUSICALLY SPEAKING’ PRE- AND POST CONCERT EVENTS
Join us at 7 p.m. for twenty pre-concert chats offered in English or French, and six pre-concert music concerts (free with your concert ticket), or stay for ¬¬four post-concert talkbacks where audiences can pose questions directly to conductors, soloists, and other special guests. Astral Radio is proud to support the young artists performing in these concerts. Pre-concert speakers include well-known musicians, CBC Radio and other media personalities, and knowledgeable music lovers and critics, including Pinchas Zukerman, composers Alexina Louie and Magnus Lindberg, Eric Friesen, Jean-Jaques Van Vlasselaer, Paul Kennedy, Paul Wells, and Robert Harris. Post-concert chats feature major artists, including Alexander Shelley, Lars Vogt, Fabien Gabel, John Storgårds, and Magnus Lindberg.

CONNECT WITH THE NAC ORCHESTRA
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• Find out about all this and more by visiting www.nac-cna.ca or becoming our friend on Facebook
 
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS AND DONORS
The National Arts Centre would like to thank the Government of Canada, the Friends of the NAC Orchestra, and our sponsors and donors who are generously supporting the NAC Orchestra’s 2012-2013 season. We are delighted to welcome two new sponsors: CIBC is the NAC Gala’s new presenting sponsor, a partnership that will continue for the next three years, and Fidelity Investments has joined us as title sponsor of the Fidelity Investments Pops Series. Grateful thanks go to Mark Motors of Ottawa, title sponsor of the Mark Motors Audi Signature Series and provider of the official Audi car of the NAC Orchestra – joining us for a fifteenth season; and long-time supporter TD, title sponsor of the TD Family Adventures with the NAC Orchestra series. Special thanks to Astral Radio, proud sponsor of the NAC’s music education programs, pre-concert music program, and the My First NAC showcase. The NAC’s Music Education programs are made possible with support from the NAC’s National Youth and Education Trust – now celebrating its eleventh anniversary – which is generously funded by Lead Corporate Partner CIBC, along with founding partner TELUS, Astral Radio, Michael Potter, supporters and patrons of the NAC Foundation’s Corporate Club and Donors’ Circle and patrons of the annual NAC Gala. The NAC’s Music Alive Program is made possible by the RBC Foundation and First Air in Nunavut, and in Alberta and Saskatchewan, Encana Corporation and SaskTel. A special thank you to our Media Partners The Ottawa Citizen; CBC Radio 2, Radio-Canada, Pops Series Media Sponsor Jewel 98.5 FM, and RogersTV, sponsor of the NACOtron for the TD Family Adventures Series. The Trinity Development Group Inc. helps makes NAC Orchestra performances accessible to students through the Trinity Live Rush program.

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE
Subscribers enjoy significant benefits, including the best seats in the house, the best prices, exclusive offers, and free ticket exchanges. People can subscribe:
• by phone at 613-947-7000 ext. 620 or 1-866-850-ARTS ext. 620
• in person at the Box Office in the NAC lobby, Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
• subscribers save an additional 5% on the total cost of each subscription if they subscribe online at www.nac-cna.ca/subscribe before the renewal deadline (May 4, 2012)

For additional information, visit the NAC website at www.nac-cna.ca

Photos for all 2012-2013 NAC Orchestra events can be viewed and downloaded at: http://www.nac-cna.ca/en/naco/media/

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Information:  Gerald Morris
Communications Officer, NAC Music
613-947-7000, ext. 335
[e-mail]  gerald.morris@nac-cna.ca