Ottawa Chamber Music Society’s Vintage Wine Auction
The OCMS Wine Auction is one of the major fundraising events for the Ottawa Chamber Music Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to presenting chamber music of the highest calibre. Fund-raising events such as the Wine Auction enable the Ottawa Chamber Music Society to present the highly acclaimed Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, one of the largest chamber music festivals in the world, as well as our fall/winter Concert Series, and the Family Music Fair.This year’s auction ~ our 10th! ~ will be outstanding, featuring donations of fine and vintage wines, including many exceptional wines. There will be almost 500 bottles divided in over 130 lots up for bid in the live auction alone. Many other lots will be available through a silent auction.
Admittance is $50, which can be applied as a credit towards any wine purchase. Registration for the event commences at 6 pm, providing an opportunity to enjoy a reception where one can mingle and peruse the live auction lots and participate in the silent auction. The live auction begins at 7 pm. This year’s event will be held on March 10, 2010, at Christ Church Cathedral, 420 Sparks Street in Ottawa. Tickets may be purchased through the OCMS office at 613-234-8008.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Silent Auction at 6 pm
Live Auction at 7 pm
Christ Church Cathedral, 420 Sparks Street, Ottawa, ON
Further information and the auction catalogue will soon be available at www.chamberfest.com.
Subscription Sales to begin for OCMS Concert Series!
The 16th Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival started on a high note and held it for fourteen days! Following the success of Chamberfest 09, the Ottawa Chamber Music Society (OCMS), under the Artistic Direction of Roman Borys, the Gryphon Trio, proudly announces the annual fall/winter Concert Series, promising exceptional artistry and great variety.”We are thrilled to present the world-class talent of the Arion Baroque Orchestra, the Cantata Singers and Capital BrassWorks, the Württemburg Chamber Orchestra of Heilbronn, Rob Kapilow, Cecilia String Quartet, the Tallis Scholars, and of course the Gryphon Trio. What a phenomenal series we have to look forward to!” said Glenn Hodgins, Executive Director of the OCMS.
In the spirit of community interaction and collaboration, the OCMS has welcomed opportunities to partner with the new Shenkman Arts Centre, the Cantata Singers/Capital BrassWorks and the Ottawa New Music Creators.
“Helping other organizations in the community achieve their goals while adding quality and programming diversity to our own concert offerings is a winning formula. The Shenkman Arts Centre is an outstanding new venue that allows the OCMS to get closer to a community that for many years championed chamber music with its own chamber music series. Collaborating with the Cantata Singers and Capital BrassWorks gives us the opportunity commemorate Remembrance Day on a grand scale, and our partnering with the Ottawa New Music Creators helps give this new organization the momentum and presence it requires in order to continue its very important work for years to come,” says Roman Borys.
Arion Baroque Orchestra: October 17, 8 pm
Shenkman Arts Centre, 245 Centrum Boulevard
Arion is a Montreal-based baroque orchestra which performs on period instruments. Arion’s concerts have been unanimously acclaimed for their clarity and gusto, as well as their refined and expressive performances which have been chosen from a wide array of early music works. The program includes works by Vivaldi, Telemann, Locatelli and Johann Sebastian Bach. This concert is a co-production with the Shenkman Arts Centre.
“Beautiful and impressive playing like this sets the standards to which others must aspire!”
- Early Music Review (United Kingdom)
Canata Singers & Capital BrassWorks: November 14, 8 pm
Dominion-Chalmers United Church, 355 Cooper Street
For the Fallen – Remembering our heritage with music for choir and brass. The Cantata Singers of Ottawa and Capital BrassWorks join forces in a unique and powerful performance in honour of Canada’s military heroes, past and present, and in commemoration of Remembrance Day. This program expresses the deep-felt emotions evoked by moving moments in history. This concert is a co-production with the Cantata Singers of Ottawa.
Württemburg Chamber Orchestra of Heilbronn: November 26, 8 pm
Shenkman Arts Centre, 245 Centrum Boulevard
Germany’s celebrated Württemburg Chamber Orchestra of Heilbronn has been considered one of the world’s finest chamber orchestras for almost a half century. Lead by Ruben Gazarian, the group is embarking on its first Canadian tour and is sure to thrill audiences with its virtuosity and deep sense of musicality and emotion. To date the group has recorded over 500 works ranging from the baroque to the avant-garde and has had as guest performers such legendary artists as Martha Argerich, Alfred Brendel, James Galway, Heinz Holliger and Gidon Kremer. Having garnered accolades for their live performanaces at many of the world’s major centers, they have also recorded over 500 works. Remembering one of the 20th centuries’ most important moments, this program will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. In addition to works by Janacek and Benjamin Britten this program will feature a new work by German Karsten Gundermann’s entitled The Fall of the Berlin Wall. This concert is a co-production with the Shenkman Arts Centre.
Württemburg Chamber Orchestra of Heilbronn & Gryphon Trio: November 27, 8 pm
Dominion-Chalmers United Church, 355 Cooper Street
Berliner Konzert: 20th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall. Two great ensembles join forces to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in a program featuring Berliner Konzert, a major new work for piano trio and orchestra by Canadian composer Paul Frehner. Commissioned by Soundstreams Canada and the Gryphon Trio, Berliner Konzert will be performed throughout the orchestra’s Canadian tour, as well as in Europe. This program will also include a new work by German composer Karsten Gundermann, along with Rudolf Barshai’s arrangement of Shostakovich’s eighth string quartet, a haunting piece that explores the composer’s personal wartime experience.
“The [Württemburg] Chamber Orchestra played with unerring precision and great transparency, observed concisely crafted dynamics and delighted with their articulation. … Variations in sound and the most precise articulation gladdened the heart until the last chords died away.”
- Südkurier 2007
Rob Kapilow & Gryphon Trio: February 7, 3 pm
Dominion-Chalmers United Church, 355 Cooper Street
What Makes It Great?© Commentator, composer and conductor Rob Kapilow, making his Ottawa debut, takes listeners inside the music: he unravels, slows down, and recomposes key passages to hear why a piece is so extraordinary. Hailed as the twenty-first century’s successor to Leonard Bernstein, Rob Kapilow will take his audience on a riveting insider’s tour of Beethoven’s magnificent Ghost Trio, followed by an uninterrupted performance of the complete work by the Gryphon Trio. Classical music first-timers and seasoned listeners alike will be given ‘new ears’ as they learn how to listen to music with deeper understanding.
“Kapilow gets audiences in tune with classical music at a deeper and more immediate level than many of them thought possible.”
- Los Angeles Times
Cecilia String Quartet with pianist Louise Bessette: March 7, 3 pm
Dominion-Chalmers United Church, 355 Cooper Street
Praised for their ‘extraordinary commitment and maturity’ (Montreal Gazette) and talent, passion and mastery, the Cecilia String Quartet is one of Canada’s most exciting young ensembles today. The Cecilia String Quartet has won awards across the globe including the Galaxie Rising Stars award presented in 2007 at the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival and 2nd Prize at the 2008 Osaka International Chamber Music Competition and is currently Resident String Quartet at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music. Join them as they share the stage with distinguished Canadian pianist Louise Bessette.
“How these four women played was nothing short of amazing… one of those rare performances that announce the presence of great talent.”
- St Petersburg Times
Tallis Scholars: March 28, 3 pm
Dominion-Chalmers United Church, 355 Cooper Street
“The Tallis Scholars are a treasure.”
- Classical voice of North Carolina
In their Ottawa premiere performance, the Tallis Scholars, “the rock stars of Renaissance vocal music” (The New York Times) embark on a minor crusade to promote the music of Jean Mouton, a contemporary of Josquin des Prés. The program consists of works by Franco-Flemish composers Loyset Compere, Nicolas Gombert, and a presentation of Josquin’s motet Praeter rerum seriem, one of the great masterworks of the period.
New Music in New Places: April 10, 8 pm
Carleton University Art Gallery
Presented in collaboration with ONMC (Ottawa New Music Creators). Experience this unique opportunity to hear some of the great music being written in Ottawa today played in a casual setting by some of Ottawa’s most outstanding musicians. The presence of the composers adds an interesting dimension as they speak about their creations.
The Ottawa Chamber Music Society thanks the Canadian Music Centre, the originator of the New Music in New Places concept.
Ticket Information
Full 2009-2010 Concert Series details will be available on the OCMS’ website at www.chamberfest.com.
Subscription sales begin September 8. Benefits include: access to the best seats in the house, a 40% savings off single tickets, and the ability to exchange tickets for other concerts during the season. Single ticket sales begin October 1. For more information, please contact the OCMS office at 613-234-6306.
Mark your calendars! Chamberfest 2010 will take place from July 24 to August 7.
Ottawa Bluesfest Featuring Girl Talk, the Dead Weather, Steve Earl, the National
Striving to become Canada’s largest music festival, the 2009 Ottawa Bluesfest began its urban sprawl into Ottawa’s Byward Market, featuring five days of outdoor performances from George Clinton, Arrested Development, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Broken Social Scene and Serena Ryder,
Full Story on Exclaime website: Ottawa Bluesfest Featuring Girl Talk, the Dead Weather, Steve Earl, the National
Growing A Greener Festival
The Ottawa Folk Festival has established itself as a leader in reducing environmental impact, creating environmental awareness and setting a positive example in the community. This year’s Festival (August 21 to 23 at Britannia Park) builds on previous initiatives in a number of ways. This year, the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF) awarded the organization a grant to strengthen and expand its environmental initiatives. Areas of particular focus include eliminating plastic water bottles, providing “hydration stations” for refillable containers, raising awareness about the importance of the public water supply, enhancing the EnviroDish reusable dish program, offering displays and discussions in the CUPE EnviroTent, organizing group cycling trips to the festival, and adding a substantial new theme with a focus on Gardening.
The Folk Festival continues to take positive strides and build partnerships as one of the most environmentally friendly festivals in Canada. In collaboration with Ottawa Riverkeeper, Council of Canadians, Life Without Plastic, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and CUPE 503, the Ottawa Folk Festival will be the first festival in Ottawa, and only the second in Canada, to go completely Plastic Water Bottle Free. In an effort to reduce waste and encourage people to drink City water, no plastic water bottles will be sold or distributed on site. Festival-goers are encouraged to bring their own water bottles or purchase a stainless-steel water bottle, available on site and to fill up at the Festival’s Hydration Stations.
As mentioned, the EnviroDish Program will be enhanced this year thanks in part to the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, with 2,500 sets of reusable cutlery being added to the existing plate and dish supply. This program drastically cuts down the amount of waste created during the Festival and saves over 20,000 disposable dishes and over 25,000 pieces of plastic cutlery from ending up in landfill sites. The reusable plates and cutlery are washed on site by a dedicated group of volunteer crew members. This Dishwashing Area is equipped with solar panels provided by Isolara Energy Services (www.isolara.com) that heat the water, and a composting area to process food scraps. “The Reusable Dish Program is a wonderful way to reduce waste and energy consumption, while simultaneously inspiring the public, volunteers, and artists to consider alternatives to a ‘disposable lifestyle’. ” says Julia Adam, the Festival’s Volunteer and Outreach Manager, “And the EnviroDish Volunteer Crew keeps the whole operation rolling right behind the Main Stage….it’s amazing. Come check it out!”
The CUPE EnviroTent has been running since 2002 and is one of the longest running initiatives at the festival. Thanks to CUPE, Arbour Environmental Shoppe, and area coordinator Steph Hummel, the EnviroTent will feature fascinating demonstrations, displays and discussions on topics related to health, social justice and “green” ideas. This year’s discussion topics include human powered vehicles, bicycle-powered sound systems, home greening techniques, solar hot water systems, and worm composting.
This 16th edition of the Ottawa Folk Festival will also showcase one of this year’s major themes – Gardening – by inviting attendees to “Dig Their Roots” through a plethora of garden-related activities, discussions and musically-themed events. Longtime Ottawa Folk Festival performer and Gardening Coordinator Ana Miura, will coordinate a cross-community gardening project and patchwork garden. In addition Ed Lawrence, CBC Radio’s horticultural expert, will be on hand to host several gardening seminars.
Many of the performers at this year’s Festival will also participate in the Gardening theme with an emphasis on becoming more environmentally friendly. Interestingly, a number of artists have names that fit perfectly with this theme, including The Arrogant Worms, Tall Trees, Stewed Roots, DiggingRoots and Charlotte Cornfield! Another act on the bill is Junkyard Symphony, a local Ottawa troupe that turns everyday “junk” into musical instruments. Their performances involve numerous items salvaged from junkyards and waste facilities… everything including the kitchen sink!
Mr. Something Something, an eco-conscious band takes audience participation to a new level with its SoundCycle, Canada’s first bicycle-powered sound system. They will be performing on various stages and hosting a workshop in the EnviroTent.
The TD Friends of the Environment Foundation is a national organization that funds local projects which are dedicated to preserving the environment. Since 1990, TD FEF has provided more than $47 million to support over 17,500 grassroots environmental projects in communities across Canada. In addition to the funds raised by the TD FEF, every year TD Bank Financial Group contributes an additional $1 million to the foundation. The greatest part about TD FEF is that all money raised is put back into those communities in which it was donated.
The Ottawa Folk Festival takes place at Britannia Park from August 21 to August 23, 2009 and features over 50 acts including: Bruce Cockburn, Steven Page, The Sadies, Amy Millan, Joel Plaskett, and Kinnie Starr. Some of the major themes at this year’s Festival include Gardening, Sound Healing, Instrument Building, Cross-Cultural Interaction, and Audience Participation. The Festival features a Dance Tent, environmental and gardening displays and discussions, “build-your-own-ukulele” workshops, Cajun, Swing and Latin dance lessons, and yoga instruction.
For more information, please contact
Richard Bue
Marketing & Publicity Coordinator
graphics@ottawafolk.org
Office: 613-230-8234
Chris White
Artistic Director
cdwhite@sympatico.ca
Cell: 613-327-9621
DIG YOUR ROOTS AT THE OTTAWA FOLK FESTIVAL
Ottawa Folk Festival website: www.ottawafolk.org
The Ottawa Folk Festival, a non-profit charitable organization, gratefully acknowledges the support of the many community businesses, individual donors and volunteers who provide generous support for this community event.
NCC SOUND AND LIGHT SHOW REACHES ONE MILLION MARK
The National Capital Commission (NCC) is proud to announce that, as of this week, over one million spectators have experienced the sights and sounds of the current edition of the Sound and Light Show on Parliament Hill entitled Canada: The Spirit of a Country.
“The Sound and Light Show has attracted Canadians and international visitors from all walks of life because it tells a compelling story about our collective history and achievements,” says Marie Lemay, Chief Executive Officer of the NCC. “We hope those who experience the show on Parliament Hill leave with a sense of pride and a better understanding of who we are as Canadians.”
This major milestone comes somewhat fittingly at the end of a very successful run for the show which debuted in 2005. A renewed show is in development and scheduled for release next summer.
Canada: The Spirit of a Country is a 30-minute free multi-media production with original music, giant images and spectacular lighting effects which transports the audience from coast to coast to coast through a unique experience of the story of our nation. The majestic setting of Parliament Hill serves as a backdrop for the show as the Parliament Buildings become bathed in lights and images.
Presented by the NCC, this bilingual show is offered twice nightly, 7 days a week, from July to September.
Show times:
Until August 9 – Nightly at 9:30 pm and 10:30 pm
August 10 to September 13 – Nightly at 9 pm and 10 pm
For more information on the Sound and Light Show on Parliament Hill, the public can contact the NCC at 613-239-5000 or 1-800-465-1867, TTY: 613-239-5090 or 1-866-661-3530, visit the NCC’s website at www.canadascapital.gc.ca/soundandlight, or stop by the Capital Infocentre, located at 90 Wellington Street (across from Parliament Hill).
