For the past 18 months, NAC Presents Producer Simone Deneau has collaborated with artists, agents, presenters and producers all across the country to create the most ambitious and diverse NAC Presents season to date. It’s a season that will take the audience on a musical journey across Canada, bringing close to 60 of our nation’s most exciting artists back home to the NAC.
Over the past four years the popular music series has grown in scope, now featuring artists from the jazz, pop, rock, folk, electro and spoken word backgrounds. It’s also gained a strong reputation within the Canadian music industry for nurturing the careers of promising artists breaking out on the scene.
According to Deneau, engaging returning artists is one of the most rewarding parts of programming the series. “NAC Presents is a vehicle for artists to be featured on a national stage,” she says. “Investing in an artist with great potential, then inviting them back to perform on bigger stages, for even larger audiences, speaks directly to our commitment to championing their work and supporting their creative growth.”
“We couldn’t believe it when we were asked to play the NAC the first time. Now on our third time back, we feel as though we are a part of the perfect programming that makes the NAC the pinnacle of performance in the country of Canada.”
- The Once
Both Simone and colleague Xavier Forget, NAC Presents Associate Producer French programming, have an impressive list of must-see shows in the season, including Stars with Hey Rosetta!, Ariane Moffatt, Buck 65, Whitehorse, Daniel Lanois and Basia Bulat with the NAC Orchestra, Tanya Tagaq, Alex Nevsky and Mo Kenney.
“We’re also putting greater focus on showcasing francophone artists from across the country,” explains Forget. “With almost 1/3 of the NAC Presents programming in French, the majority of these artists are from Quebec. Looking ahead we’re looking to expand that programming to include more franco artists from Acadia and the western provinces.”
To that end, plans are already underway for the milestone 5th anniversary of NAC Presents in 2015-16 which begs the question: Which Canadian artists would you like to see on our national stage?
NAC Presents, in partnership with BMO Financial Group shines a spotlight on Canada’s music icons and the stars of tomorrow. The National Arts Centre is grateful to The Slaight Family Foundation for their support of emerging artists who perform as part of this series.
