National Arts Centre Orchestra
The National Arts Centre Orchestra (NAC Orchestra) is a Canadian orchestra based in Ottawa, Ontario led by Music Director Alexander Shelley. The NAC Orchestra's primary concert venue is Southam Hall at the National Arts Centre. Since its inception, the Orchestra has commissioned more than 90 works, mostly from Canadian composers. The NAC Orchestra has made over 50 commercially released recordings. The Orchestra has visited more than 125 cities in Canada and more than 130 cities internationally in its 51-year history, including a coast-to-coast Canadian tour in 1999 and again in 2017. In May 2019, the NAC Orchestra completed a major European tour, performing and delivering education events in five countries.
| National Arts Centre Orchestra | |
|---|---|
| Orchestra | |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Concert hall | National Arts Centre Southam Hall |
| Principal conductor | Alexander Shelley |
| Website | nac-cna |
History
The NAC Orchestra was founded in 1969 as the resident orchestra of the newly opened National Arts Centre, with Jean-Marie Beaudet as Music Director and Mario Bernardi as founding conductor. Bernardi became Music Director in 1971 and held the post until 1982. The NAC Orchestra undertook first international tour in 1973 to Europe, travelling as far as Leningrad.[1] The NAC Orchestra has remained committed to touring internationally, averaging approximately one tour per every two years. Previous tours have taken them to the UK, China, the United-States of America, and all over Europe.
Beaudet and Bernardi are the only Canadian conductors to be appointed Music Director of the NAC Orchestra. Bernardi was named Conductor Laureate in 1997. Subsequent NAC Orchestra music directors have included Franco Mannino (1982 to 1987), Gabriel Chmura (1987 to 1990), and Trevor Pinnock (1991-1997). From 1999 to 2015, Pinchas Zukerman was the NAC Orchestra's Music Director.[2] The orchestra expanded to 61 players during Zukerman's tenure.[3] In October 2013, the NAC Orchestra announced the appointment of Alexander Shelley as its next music director, as of the 2015–2016 season, with an initial contract of 4 years.[4][5] In 2018, the NAC announced that his contract was renewed through to 2022.
Franz-Paul Decker was Principal Guest Conductor from 1991 to 1999. In 2001, Jean-Philippe Tremblay became the NAC Orchestra's Apprentice Conductor, a then newly created post, for a two-year term. John Storgards is the current Principal Guest conductor of the NAC Orchestra while Jack Everly is the Principal Pops Conductor.
Recordings
In May 2020, the NAC Orchestra released a new full-length recording, Clara, Robert, Johannes— Darlings of the Muses, the seventh album released by Analekta over the last four years and the fifth under the direction of Alexander Shelley. The album is the first of four in a recording cycle that explores the closely intertwined personal and artistic connections between three musical giants: Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms. Robert Schumann’s and Johannes Brahms’ symphonies are paired and combined with Clara Schumann’s chamber works and orchestral pieces, including some special gems. The album features Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero: in homage to Clara Schumann’s famed improvisation skills – she improvised to warm up as well as to link consecutive works during her concerts –Montero offers original improvisations inspired by Clara’s music and performs Clara’s Piano Concerto.
The previous album, the Bounds of Our Dreams was released in the Fall of 2018 and featured the world-premiere of Walter Boudreau’s Concerto de l’Asile, performed by pianist Alain Lefèvre as well as a solo by NAC Orchestra Concertmaster Yosuke Kawasaki. In January 2020, the recording was nominated by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) for a JUNO award in the category Classical Album of the Year: Large Ensemble. The 2020 event was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, but late replaced by an online ceremony on June 29.
That album followed New Worlds, with Music Director Alexander Shelley, which was nominated for a JUNO award for Classical Album of the Year, Large Ensemble. in 2019. From that album, Montreal composer Ana Sokolović’s Golden Slumbers Kiss Your Eyes…, commissioned by the NAC, won the JUNO award for Classical Composition of the Year. “, Additional previous recordings with Analekta include Life Reflected, from which Jocelyn Morlock's My Name Is Amanda Todd won the Juno Award for Best Classical Composition of the Year in 2018 and ENCOUNT3RS, all of which feature preeminent Canadian artists and composers.
Prior to its recording relationship with Analekta, the NAC Orchestra had already released more than 40 recordings, six of which were with most recent former conductor Pinchas Zukerman: Haydn, Vivaldi, Beethoven, Schubert and two of Mozart (a CD of flute quartets, and a CD of orchestral music and string quintets). The commissioning of original Canadian works has been an important part of the National Arts Centre's mandate, with over 90 works commissioned to date.
An all-Mozart double CD was released in 2003 featuring both orchestral and chamber music with Pinchas Zukerman as conductor and violin soloist. A CBC Records chamber music CD of Mozart Flute Quartets featuring principal flutist Joanna G'froerer, guest violinist Martin Beaver, Pinchas Zukerman on viola, and principal cellist Amanda Forsyth was named best Canadian chamber music recording of 2001 by Opus Magazine.
Digital Engagement
The NAC Orchestra reaches a global audience through a diverse range of digital products, including podcasts, recordings available for download and streaming, so-called “connected” events allowing for geographically distant groups to engage, through cutting edge videoconferencing technology, in music education activities with the NAC Orchestra, online masterclasses and more. Recently, during the global COVID-19 pandemic the NAC Orchestra has created and launched a series of new digital products including NACO Lunch Breaks, daily online broadcasts created by musicians from their homes; NACO Home Deliveries, weekly full-length concert recordings with video commentary by Alexander Shelley delivered on-demand; and Musically Speaking livestream broadcasts featuring Alexander Shelley in conversation with internationally renowned artists such as James Ehnes and Gabriela Montero.
Learning and Engagement
Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, under the direction of Music Director Alexander Shelley, leads a significant Music Education and Community Engagement department, whose volume of activities parallels that of its performance and artistic creation activities. Its scope of impact and numerous partnerships reach youth, students, teachers, amateur and burgeoning musicians, and underserved and special needs communities through hundreds of activities per year including school and family concerts, open rehearsals, workshops, masterclasses (live and remote), side-by-side mentorship, scholarships and bursaries, online training and more, taking place in the National Capital Region, across Canada, and internationally. Collectively, these programs reach close to one million individuals in person and online each year.
The NAC Orchestra’s Learning and Engagement activities are categorized into several strategic pillars:
Music Alive Program
The NAC Music Alive Program was launched in 2006 as a legacy project following the NAC Orchestra’s 2005 tour to Saskatchewan and Alberta. Today, it supports over 300 school and community music education events annually involving around 10,000 participants in rural, remote, and underserved communities in Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, Nunavut, and the four Atlantic provinces, primarily with local artists.
Family Adventures with the NAC Orchestra
Since its inception, the NAC Orchestra has introduced another generation of children to the beautiful world of classical music through its Family Adventures series (formerly known as Young People’s Concerts). Over 10,000 children and family members attend the interactive and bilingual weekend afternoon concerts annually. Interactive and thematically-linked pre-concert activities, known as TUNETOWN, are available to families in the Lobby prior to performances by community partners and are supported by the Friends of the NAC Orchestra.
Kinderconcerts
The Kinderconcert series offers four sets of triple musical performances presented in English and French on Sunday afternoons at the National Arts Centre for young people recommended for ages 3-5. Kinderconcerts are interactive – audience members will clap, dance, sing and learn about music along the way. Series co-producers have included Jeunesses Musicales Canada and MASC. Interactive pre-concert activities are available to families in the Lobby prior to performances by community partners.
Student Matinee Concerts
The NAC Orchestra boasts many of the finest musicians in the country who enthusiastically share the common goal of bringing music to young people. Perfectly suited to both the novice student and musical apprentice, the NAC Orchestra’s weekday student matinee series takes place three times per year at the National Arts Centre and/or Meridian @ Centrepointe Theatres and reaches 10,000 elementary and secondary students and teachers annually.
NAC Orchestra Student Open Rehearsals
NAC Orchestra Student Open Rehearsals are a unique opportunity for high school and undergraduate students to hear the National Arts Centre Orchestra at work in rehearsal with some of the world’s finest conductors and soloists, and to meet some of the musicians in person. Open Rehearsals are generally held in Southam Hall on Wednesday or Thursday mornings. During the rehearsals, the Orchestra will be preparing for the concerts taking place that same week.
Musical Adventures in My School
The Musical Adventures in My School series brings various chamber ensembles composed of NAC Orchestra musicians along with professionals from the community at an affordable rate into local schools (Kindergarten through Grade 12) within the National Capital Region. For those schools that cannot afford the transportation costs of bringing students to the NAC, this may be their only opportunity to benefit from a live performance. Schools may choose from eight different ensembles whose one-hour performances feature musical styles that range from baroque to jazz. Approximately 50 performances take place annually reaching 5,000 students and teachers.
BIG BANG Festival
BIG BANG is a one-of-a-kind festival of musical adventures that invites children and their families on a colourful journey featuring a rich array of sound concepts whose diversity and originality make the festival a hit wherever it goes. Already a fixture in a dozen European cities, BIG BANG was a huge success in Ottawa in February 2019, the first North American city to host this high-profile event.
BIG BANG’s identity and dynamism are based on the concept developed by Zonzo Compagnie, which has been the driving force and catalyst behind the festival since the beginning of the adventure. The programming of each edition of BIG BANG is developed in close collaboration with Wouter Van Looy, the festival’s founder, artistic director of Zonzo Compagnie, and stage director.
The first annual BIG BANG Festival in Ottawa generated attracted a joyful crowd of kids and families. Some 8,000 adventuresome festival-goers entered the doors of the NAC eager to explore its sprawling space, including backstage areas. Throughout their truly “musicolourful” meanderings, families were invited to dance to the rhythms of a band of spirited musicians, experiment with exciting sound installations and drop by the tattoo salon before merrily venturing into one of the concert venues, where an intimate, large-scale or interactive performance awaited, including a special Family performance with Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra, and Canadian puppeteer Marcelle Hudon in Southam Hall.
On February 15-16, 2020, presented as part of the NAC’s 2nd edition of the BIG BANG Festival during Ontario’s Family Day weekend, Alexander Shelley and the NAC Orchestra performed varied and playful works by Mozart in two “musicolourful” Family Adventures performances entitled The Listening Room.
Music Monday
Music Monday is a signature program of the Coalition for Music Education and is Canada's nationwide celebration of the power of music in the lives of Canadians, especially Canadian schools. Music Monday is the only national celebration of music education that actively engages children and youth in their schools and communities. The first Monday in May, music makers of all generations and genres gather in their schools and communities to make music, and at the same time during the day we join with one voice, by singing the official Music Monday anthem for a simultaneous nation-wide sing-along.
Since the inaugural Music Monday in 2005, the National Arts Centre has enjoyed a close partnership with the Coalition for Music Education in Canada and has annually presented an inspiring showcase concert and live stream in support of Music Monday:
- Music Monday @ Home (COVID-19 pandemic / May 4, 2020)
- 15th annual NAC Music Monday concert and live stream (May 6, 2019)
- 14th annual NAC Music Monday concert and live stream (May 7, 2018)
- 13th annual NAC Music Monday concert and live stream (May 4, 2017)
NAC Orchestra Community Week
NAC Orchestra Community Week is an annual initiative showcasing the incredible work the NAC Orchestra musicians and Music Director Alexander Shelley do all year long. The National Arts Centre is dedicated in its commitment to reaching students, youth, and amateur musicians and support the growth and development of musicians, educational programs and performance opportunities in the diverse community of Ottawa-Gatineau. Activities include instrumental sectionals and side-by-side workshops and performances with local school and community partners.
- NACO Community Week in 2020
- NACO Community Week in 2019
Music Ignites
The NAC Orchestra Young Artists Program
The Young Artists Program (YAP) was founded by Pinchas Zukerman in 1999 (originally as part of the Summer Music Institute) and over 21 seasons, offered outstanding private instruction and chamber music coaching as well as performance opportunities over a three-week period in Ottawa (at the University of Ottawa and the National Arts Centre) to students from around the world. The YAP saw 820 students, mentors and resident musicians who occupied 1,263 spots in the program. These came from, among others, Canada, the United States, Israel, Spain, Germany, Italy, China, Albania, Ethiopia, Brazil, Belarus and Japan. Many are now in renowned orchestras and are teaching the next generations. The final edition of the YAP took place in 2019.
Institute for Orchestral Studies
The Institute for Orchestral Studies (IOS) is an apprenticeship program designed to prepare highly talented young musicians for successful orchestral careers. It was established in 2006 under the guidance of former Music Director Pinchas Zukerman, and is funded by the National Arts Centre Foundation through the National Youth and Education Trust. Every season, up to five string players (violin, viola, cello and double bass) are selected from international applicants to spend three to six weeks on stage with the NAC Orchestra, in rehearsal and in performances. In addition, apprentices get sectional coaching and private lessons. In 2017, a version of the IOS specifically for students from the University of Ottawa School of Music was launched.
The NAC Orchestra Bursary Competition
The National Arts Centre Orchestra Bursary Competition was first held in 1981. The prime objective of the competition is to encourage the pursuit of excellence on the part of young instrumentalists aspiring to orchestral careers. Each year, a jury identifies deserving recipients through audition and competition.
The Bursary was created in 1979 by members of the NAC Orchestra as a gesture of appreciation to the audiences who had been so supportive of it during its first decade. It is meant to provide recognition and financial support to help further the development of young musicians who have connections to the National Capital Region (NCR). Funding for the award came originally from two sources: the NAC Orchestra Bursary Fund created in 1979 by the members of the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the NAC Orchestra Trust (originally the Capital Trust founded in 1932 to benefit the Ottawa Philharmonic Society which on its demise in 1970 transferred the income to the NAC). It is now known as the NAC Orchestra Trust Fund.
In 1981, one prize of $1,000 – the NAC Orchestra Bursary – was awarded. In subsequent years, thanks to the growth of the Fund as well as the generosity of private organizations and individuals, there are seven prizes that currently total over $21,000 CAD.
Distance Learning
The National Arts Centre’s state-of-the-art Hexagon Studio allows NAC Orchestra musicians to work regularly with education partners from across Canada and around the world, including Inuksuk High School (Iqaluit), Memorial University (St. John’s NL), the Manhattan School of Music (New York City), and the Royal Danish Academy of Music (Copenhagen).
MusicFest Canada: The Nationals
MusicFest Canada annually engages the participation of over 400,000 young musicians, parents and volunteers in 104 affiliated festivals nationwide for an opportunity to perform at the national festival. It is North America’s largest annual event dedicated to developing young musical talent. MusicFest Canada’s “The Nationals” brings thousands of students and educators from across the country together, over a one-week period, to celebrate excellence in musical performance. Not only does MusicFest Canada showcase the talent and knowledge of esteemed clinicians and adjudicators from across North America, it also showcases Canada’s own landscape by hosting the festival in a different metropolitan city each year.
Canada’s National Arts Centre has been a proud presenting partner of MusicFest Canada’s annual Nationals since 2006:
- 48th annual MusicFest Canada: The Nationals (COVID-19 pandemic/ May 2020)
- 47th annual MusicFest Canada: The Nationals (Ottawa, ON / May 13-18, 2019)
- 44th annual MusicFest Canada: The Nationals (Ottawa, ON / May 9-13, 2016)
- 40th annual MusicFest Canada: The Nationals (Ottawa, ON / May 14-19, 2012)
- 38th annual MusicFest Canada: The Nationals (Ottawa, ON / May 17-22, 2010)
- 36th annual MusicFest Canada: The Nationals (Ottawa, ON / May 12-17 2008)
- 34th annual MusicFest Canada: The Nationals (Ottawa, ON / May 16-21, 2006)
uOttawa Recital Series at the NAC
Podcasts
The NAC Orchestra currently hosts three podcast channels on their website and on iTunes and are some of the most popular classical music podcasts in the world:
- NACOCast – Hosts interview guest artists and speak about the life of a musician, and the music they love. Hosts have been: Christopher Millard, Nick Atkinson, and now Sean Rice, all musicians of the NAC Orchestra.
- Explore the Symphony – An English podcast hosted by NAC Orchestra’s Marjolaine Fournier (double bass) and musicologist Jean-Jacques van Vlasselaer, the series explores the music performed by the NAC Orchestra over the seasons and goes into depth about the history and musicality of the works.
- L’Univers Symphonique – This is the French equivalent of Explore the Symphony, also hosted by Jean-Jacques van Vlasselaer and Marjolaine Fournier.
Musically Speaking
Student Matinee Teacher Study Guides
In order to facilitate classroom preparation for teachers attending NAC Orchestra Student Matinee concerts, teacher study guides are created and foForrwarded to schools in the National Capital Region. These documents for teachers are complete with cross–curricular classroom activities, repertoire recommendations, and performance etiquette. NAC Orchestra Student Matinee teacher study guides are also available for free download on the NAC website.
Music Alive Program Resources
The Music Alive Program makes use of the NAC’s Teacher Resource Kit on Classical Composers that were created for NACO tours. Additionally, between 2011 and 2015, the MAP created a teacher guide and student newspaper on the music and pedagogy of R. Murray Schafer, three teacher guides on Indigenous Arts (primarily Cree music and culture, but also Metis and Blackfoot), and a special song called “Music Alive” written by Sherryl Sewepagaham. The Music Alive Song has been hugely popular and versions are currently available in English and Cree, French and Cree, and American Sign Language. In 2020, the Music Alive Program commissioned a new teacher resource on Mi’kmaq music and culture and has plans to commission resources on Inuit music and culture and versions of the Music Alive Song that include Mi’kmaq and Inuktitut. https://nac-cna.ca/en/musicalive/resources
Teacher Resource Kits on Classical Composers
The NAC Orchestra is a global leader in innovative education and community outreach programming while on tour. Each NAC Orchestra tour includes dozens of events with local partners to teach, mentor, and inspire young people from across Canada and around the world.
- 50th anniversary European Tour (May 10-26, 2019) – In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, NACO partnered with many organizations in Saffron Walden, London, Paris, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Gothenburg and connect with music fans of all ages through 60 interactive distance learning events, collaborative performances, meaningful discussions, chamber and choir performances, workshops and masterclasses, reaching 3,000 people.
- Canada 150 Tour (April 25 – December 9, 2017) - To mark the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, the National Arts Centre Orchestra undertook a cross-Canada tour during the spring and fall of 2017. Led by Music Director Alexander Shelley, the Canada 150 Tour included over a dozen major concert performances and over 250 education and outreach programs in communities across the country.
- UK Tour (October 22-31, 2014) - To commemorate the centenary of the start of the First World War, Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, led by renowned Music Director Pinchas Zukerman, embarked on a tour of the United Kingdom in October 2014. This tour explored the themes of remembrance and healing through music in over 50 education and performance events, and showcased the brilliant work of Canadian composers and the NAC Orchestra's musicians, both as performers and as educators.
- China Tour (October 4-13, 2013) - The NAC Orchestra participated in a highly successful 18-day performance and education tour of China – the first tour of China in the Orchestra’s 44-year history. Led by Pinchas Zukerman, the Orchestra gave eight major concerts and 80 educational events in seven cities: Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Fuling, Chongqing, Beijing and Shanghai.
Music Directors
- Jean-Marie Beaudet (1969–1971)
- Mario Bernardi (1971–1982)
- Franco Mannino (1982–1987)
- Gabriel Chmura (1987–1990)
- Trevor Pinnock (1991–1997)
- Pinchas Zukerman (1999–2015)
- Alexander Shelley (2015–present)
References
- "Canadian orchestra a big hit in Leningrad". Lethbridge Herald, via Newspaper Archives. May 19, 1973 - Page 7
- Mark Brownlee (2012-03-06). "The maestro steps down". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 2012-03-07.
- Michael Vincent (2015-06-22). "Pinchas Zukerman says heartfelt farewell to National Arts Centre Orchestra". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2015-09-20.
- "Canada's National Arts Centre announces Alexander Shelley as its Music Director-designate Renowned conductor to lead NAC Orchestra in 2015-2016". NAC. October 30, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
- Martin Knelman (2015-09-16). "Meet Alexander Shelley, Ottawa's charismatic new conductor". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2015-09-20.
External links
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