Festival Updates and News
News about Ottawa Festivals and our Member festivals, special events and fairs.
A musical farewell: Acclaimed mezzo-soprano opens Chamberfest with one of her last concerts
By Steven Mazey, The Ottawa Citizen
Frederica von Stade, 64, in the midst of a goodbye tour across North America, will perform at Dominion-Chalmers Church on the first evening concert of this year’s festival.
Photograph by: Astrid Stawiarz, Getty Images, The Ottawa Citizen
Opera lovers, get out your handkerchiefs. This year’s Ottawa Chamber Music Festival will open Saturday with a musical goodbye from one of the most acclaimed singers of her generation.
American mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, who is winding down her career after more than 40 years on stage, has been presenting a series of farewell concerts across North America.
Read more: A musical farewell
Marathon man: Pianist tackles 32 Beethoven sonatas in five days flat
By Steven Mazey, The Ottawa Citizen
Canadian pianist Stewart Goodyear first learned the complete Beethoven sonatas at age 16. He begins the chamberfest series July 27.
Photograph by: Andrew Garn, Ottawa Citizen
Performing one or two concerts? Kidstuff.
Star Canadian pianist Stewart Goodyear, the former child prodigy who first performed with the National Arts Centre Orchestra at age 12, is taking on nine solo performances at the 2010 Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, in a project that will test his endurance, his memory and his interpretive skills, not to mention his arm and hand muscles.
At this year’s festival, which opens Saturday and will present more than 90 events through Aug. 7, Goodyear will perform the nine concerts in five days flat. His high-profile assignment? Performing all of the 32 Beethoven piano sonatas, the works that have been called merely “one of the great contributions to the musical art.”
Read more: Marathon man
Ottawa Chamber Music Festival: 10 festival highlights
From Mozart to throat singing
By Steven Mazey, The Ottawa Citizen
Roman Borys performs Constantinople July 29-30 with the Gryphon Trio.
Photograph by: Julie Oliver, The Ottawa Citizen, The Ottawa Citizen
Stewart Goodyear’s performance of the complete Beethoven sonatas is only one of the notable events at this year’s Ottawa Chamber Music Festival.
In addition to baroque and classical repertoire, the festival’s more than 90 events will present new pieces by Canadian and international composers and music that will include tango, jazz, pop, bluegrass and the Ottawa premiere Aug. 3 of Canadian composer Alexina Louie’s Take the Dog Sled, a piece involving Inuit throat singers.
At one of the late-night concerts, where patrons can order drinks, there will be an appearance by turntable artist DJ P-Love.
“This is a big festival, where you can hear early music, new music, standard repertoire and also get some great insight from composers talking about their music, ” festival director Roman Borys, cellist with the Toronto-based Gryphon Trio, said when he announced the lineup.
“The various programs or mini-series that we have within the festival have been going deeper and deeper. I feel it’s a really muscular range.”
Read more: 10 festival highlights
17th Annual Ottawa Folk Festival Announces Evening Schedule, Additional Artists
Image courtesy of The Ottawa Folk Festival
OTTAWA, Ontario (July 20th, 2010) – The Ottawa Folk Festival has released the full evening schedule for the 17th edition of its annual celebration of music, dance and community engagement, revealing a few late additions to an already exciting and eclectic line-up that includes such diverse artists as acclaimed alt-folk stars Calexico, avant-garde Inuit throat-singer Tanya Tagaq, Canadian roots-music icon Jim Cuddy and Buryat folk-rock sensations Namgar.
“I love the challenge of putting together the schedule for such a diverse line-up,” enthuses Festival Director Dylan Griffith. “You want each night to flow and have a certain cohesion, and you end up finding a sort of crazy internal logic where nobody other than Namgar could play before The Hidden Cameras.” Asked to choose a favourite of the three nights, Griffith explains that while “each night has its own distinct flavour, you really need to take in the entire weekend to get the full folk festival experience.”
Headlining the first night of this year’s festival will be legendary alternative hip hop collective Arrested Development. With their infectious energy, socially-conscious lyrics and irresistible fusion of gospel, jazz, soul, R&B and yes, hip hop, Arrested Development is sure to get the folk fest crowd out of their lawn chairs and up on their feet – making a lot of new fans in the process. Also featured on the CUPE Main Stage on Friday night will be Toronto-based folk-rock orchestra Rock Central Plaza, local favourites The Acorn and award-winning folk troubadour Jon Brooks. Meanwhile, across the park in the Galaxie Dance Tent, the gospel-tinged folk of Bruce Peninsula will kick off the night, followed by the high-energy bluegrass of Toronto’s The Foggy Hogtown Boys and the sweaty, tent revival roots-rock of Pennsylvania’s Hoots & Hellmouth.
Saturday’s main attraction will undoubtedly be acclaimed Arizona alt-country ensemble Calexico, but they are merely one highlight in a night full of stellar acts. Quebec’s Galant, tu perds ton temps, one of a handful of late additions to this year’s line-up, will start the night on the CUPE Main Stage with a rousing set of traditional folk, sung a cappella with only minimal percussion for accompaniment. Staying in a traditional vein, Scotland’s award-winning Celtic trio LAU will take the stage next, followed by west coast country crooner Carolyn Mark and local hero Jim Bryson, who will be backed up by Canadian indie rock icons The Weakerthans. Over in the Galaxie Dance Tent, English troubadour Frank Turner will open the night with his distinctive brand of punked-up folk anthems, while Inuit throat singer Tanya Tagaq and Buryat folk-rock ensemble Namgar will fuse the ancient and the modern in what are sure to be two stunning and unforgettable sonic experiences. Not to be outdone, Toronto’s infamous gay church folk collective The Hidden Cameras will finish off the night in the dance tent with their manic, much heralded and not-to-be-missed live extravaganza.
The festival’s final night will get off to a toe-tapping start in the Galaxie Dance Tent with a two-hour trad dance party featuring Ottawa’s own Old Sod Band. Two more local favourites will keep the party going as bluesman Terry Gillespie and African groovemaster The Mighty Popo take the stage, priming the crowds for an adrenalin-fueled, tent-shaking closing set by Bhangra-Celtic fusion outfit Delhi 2 Dublin.
On the CUPE Main Stage, the Festival’s final night will kick off with hot up-and-coming country combo Ladies of the Canyon, followed by the one-two indie-folk punch of Portland quartet Horse Feathers and Toronto two-piece Bahamas. Bringing back the country vibe – with a healthy dose of bluegrass - festival favourite Jenny Whiteley will take the stage next, backed up by her crack band of seasoned players. The evening’s penultimate act and this year’s one bona fide legend, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott is guaranteed to charm and delight, spinning tall tales from his storied life in between a selection of songs from a repertoire that spans over 40 years. Closing out the night – and the weekend – Canadian roots-music icon Jim Cuddy will take the stage last, joined by just-announced special guests Luke Doucet & Melissa McClelland.
As a special side-program this year, the festival will start each evening on the CUPE Main Stage with a short performance by one of three featured choirs. First up on Friday night is Folka Voca, the Ottawa Folklore Centre’s community choir, while Saturday will feature Ottawa’s premier queer community choir, Tone Cluster. As is tradition at the OFF, Sunday night will kick off with a performance by the Terry Penner Festival Choir, a unique group led by Andy Rush and made of festival attendees who rehearse over the course of the festival weekend.
In addition to its evening concerts, the Ottawa Folk Festival will present an array of daytime concerts, collaborative workshop sessions, and participatory activities for music lovers of all ages. The full daytime schedule will be announced on July 27th.
About The Ottawa Folk Festival
The 2010 Ottawa Folk Festival will take place from Friday, August 13 to Sunday, August 15th on the shores of the Ottawa River in beautiful Britannia Park. Over 40 local, national and international music acts will be featured on two evening and five daytime stages. The Festival will also feature a full program of participatory music workshops, children’s and family activities, an artisan village, environmental talks, food stalls, beer gardens and much, much more.
Tickets are available on-line at www.ticketbreak.com, by phone at 1-866-9-GET-TIX, or in person at the Ottawa Folklore Centre, Ten Thousand Villages in Westboro, and all three CD Warehouse locations.
For more information, please visit www.ottawafolk.org.
Bigger, hotter, quieter, tastier — and as much fun as ever
Music festival enjoys continued phenomenal appeal
Photograph by: Ashley Fraser, The Ottawa Citizen
By Lynn Saxberg, Citizen Special
The fans went crazy when Weezer hit the MBNA stage on the last day of the 2010 Bluesfest held at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa Sunday July 18, 2010. Michelle Morest sits on her friends shoulders above the crowd and cheers for Weezer.
OTTAWA — If there’s a formula to throwing a successful music festival, the organizers of Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest are well on their way to figuring it out.
Start with great music on multiple stages and a beautiful site, staff it with smart, friendly people who know what they’re doing, chill some refreshing beverages and cross your fingers for the weather.
Of course, there’s a few thousand more details to look after, but those are the main things, and as the 17th annual edition of Ottawa’s biggest music festival wrapped up under sunny skies on Sunday, it felt like everything had clicked during the 12-day marathon of live music on the grounds of the Canadian War Museum.
Read more: Bigger, hotter, quieter, tastier — and as much fun as ever
Ottawa Chamber Music Festival Schedule
The Ottawa Citizen
Photo courtesy of Afiara String quartet
SATURDAY, JULY 24
1 p.m.: Gryphon Trio, mezzo Patricia O’Callaghan. Songs and tangos from the Americas. Grounds of Rideau Hall.
3 p.m.: Rising Stars. Saint Brigid’s Centre for the Arts. Young Ottawa-area musicians.
7 p.m.: Mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade in recital with pianist Jake Heggie. Music by Heggie, Copland, Poulenc, Mahler, Sondheim, others. Dominion-Chalmers Church.
10:30 p.m.: Broken Hearts and Mad Men. Gryphon Trio; mezzo Patricia O’Callaghan. Saint Brigid’s Centre for the Arts, Kildare Room.
SUNDAY, JULY 25
11 a.m.: Improvisations and Interpretations with pianist Adam Gyorgy. Beechwood National Memorial Centre, Sacred Space.
1 p.m.: Afiara String Quartet. Grounds of Rideau Hall.
3 p.m.: Violinist Marc Djokic, cellist Denise Djokic. Music of Kodály, Martinu, others. St. Andrew’s Church.
3 p.m.: Tf3, Grounds of Rideau Hall. Free. Classical, country, gypsy and jazz.
7 p.m.: Pianist Alexander Tselyakov. Chopin recital, including complete Etudes. Dominion-Chalmers Church.
8 p.m.: Claudel-Canimex Quartet. Music of Ravel, Dohnányi, Mozetich. Saint Brigid’s Centre for the Arts.
10:30 p.m.: Late Night at Saint Brigid’s: Tf3. Saint Brigid’s Centre for the Arts.
Read more: Ottawa Chamber Music Festival Schedule
Folk Festival fills out its main stage, headline lineup
Arrested Development, Calexico, Jim Cuddy Band among top attractions
By AEDAN HELMER, Ottawa Sun
The Jim Cuddy Band is among the headliners for this year’s Ottawa Folk Festival at Britannia Park. (Ottawa Sun file photo)
The Ottawa Folk Festival has put the finishing touches on its evening schedule, which includes headliners Arrested Development, Calexico, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and The Jim Cuddy Band.
The full evening schedule for three-day festival, from Aug. 13 to 15 at Britannia Park, is available online now at ottawafolk.org, with a full daytime schedule to be announced next week.
The festival’s opening night is headlined by alt hip hop collective Arrested Development, perhaps not the first name that comes to mind when you think “folk fest,” but the fusion artists cap an already eclectic opening day.
Keeping with festival tradition, Ottawa’s Folka Voca choir kicks off main stage festivities on Friday after the 6 p.m. opening ceremony, followed by folk troubadour Jon Brooks.
Local indie darlings The Acorn are up next promoting their latest soft-spun No Ghost release, followed by Toronto roots orchestra Rock Plaza Central.
Read more: Folk Festival fills out its main stage, headline lineup
Music: It’s like Bluesfest but with batons
Macleans, by Paul Wells
Photo courtesy of blurasis on Flickr
A few blocks west of Parliament Hill in the nation’s capital is a mysterious site called LeBreton Flats, which Ottawa’s city fathers somehow forgot to develop. It is now nearly the last pristine piece of grassland in central Ottawa. Well, “pristine.” “Trampled” is more like it. Ottawa’s Bluesfest just wrapped up, with 350,000 people enjoying such much-loved blues bands as the Arcade Fire, Flaming Lips, Santana, Metric and Stars.
Now comes the quieter component of the summer’s activity. The National Arts Centre used to play host to a summertime Great Composers Festival inside Southam Hall at cut-rate prices, but even then ticket sales were soft. So in recent years they’ve preferred to put on free concerts at LeBreton Flats. Repertoire is resolutely crowd-pleasing, the evening sky is clear (knock on wood) and the price is right: all four concerts are free.
Read more: Music: It’s like Bluesfest but with batons
Ottawa Bluesfest featuring Weezer, Arcade Fire, Hole, Drake, the Flaming Lips
LeBreton Flats & ByWard Market, Ottawa ON July 6-18
By Daniel Sylvester
Just when the 2009 incarnation of the Ottawa Bluesfest looked like it had taken the festival to its zenith, festival organizers showed that they had even more ideas up their sleeves for 2010.
Adding a 13th day to the festival, this year’s Ottawa Bluesfest featured around 240 artists across nine stages, with the Black Sheep Music and Comedy Tent causing the most uproar. In a last-minute decision, the long-standing Black Sheep Stage, which normally houses most of the festival’s world beat and up-and-coming Canadian indie rock artists, was encased in a colossal tent to allow for a series of comedy acts. SNL alum Finesse Mitchell and Jim Breuer provided some of the highlights, along with Louis C.K. and Lewis Black, who packed the tent despite the additional $56 admission price.
Read more: Ottawa Bluesfest featuring Weezer, Arcade Fire, Hole, Drake, the Flaming Lips
Dweeby pop-rockers close party
By Patrick Langston, Citizen Special
Cowboy hunk Keith
Photo courtesy of keithurban.net
Urban may have been the big draw Saturday night, but it was a dweeby pop-rocker and his pals who closed out this year’s Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest on the main stage.
Rivers Cuomo, front man for Weezer and resplendent in black nerd glasses and a sweater vest with shirt tails hanging out beneath it, was in full geek mode as the band launched into the big opener, Hash Pipe.
Cool country, it wasn’t.
As Cuomo praised his own “little lead singer platform” on the stage and ran up and down the stairs into the stage-front pit, his bandmates thundered out Troublemaker.
Read more: Dweeby pop-rockers close party
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