Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival announces lineup: Von Stade, Tokyo Quartet headline Chamberfest
By Steven Mazey, The Ottawa Citizen
American mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, one of the most acclaimed singers of her generation, will open the 2010 Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival July 24 as part of her farewell recital tour, organizers announced Tuesday.
Read more: Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival announces lineup
Festivals & Events Ontario Welcomes Two New Festivals into the Level of Distinction
Festivals & Events Ontario (FEO) was honoured to induct Rogers Bayfest and the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival into the prestigious Festivals and Events of Distinction in Ontario. The 2010 recipients were announced last Thursday, during the FEO Annual Conference. The Honourable Mr. Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism and Culture, was onsite to welcome delegates and recognize all members of the FEO Level of Distinction.
The Festivals and Events of Distinction in Ontario represent a select group of 20 of the most well-known and respected celebrations in the province. Recipients are selected by FEO on the basis of their ability to generate significant international, trans-border, domestic or intra-provincial tourism travel, while commanding top-of-mind levels of consumer awareness and levels of respect from peers within the genre in which they operate.
“FEO feels privileged to welcome Rogers Bayfest and the Ottawa International Chamber Festival into our Level of Distinction. The economic impact these festivals have on their respective communities is undeniable,” states Gary Masters, Executive Direct for FEO.
From their small beginnings in 1999, Rogers Bayfest has grown to be a multi-stage, several day festival featuring world-renowned musical artists. In 2009 they attracted over 75,000 people from across Canada and the United States. With a similar start, the Ottawa International Chamber Festival now hosts almost 100 concerts and attracts 800,000 visitors annually.
A full list of the Festivals and Events of Distinction in Ontario can be found online at www.festivalsandeventsontario.ca.
Crowd welcomes trio who take over chamber music festival
Steven Mazey | The Ottawa Citizen
There were loud cheers from the crowd at the closing concert of the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival Saturday at the news many had suspected was coming: the musicians of the Toronto-based Gryphon Trio have been named the permanent new artistic programmers of the festival.
The three musicians succeed Ottawa cellist Julian Armour, the popular and much admired founder of the festival, who ran the event for 13 years but resigned in early 2007 over differences with the organization’s board of directors.
As interim directors following Armour’s departure, the Gryphon Trio musicians programmed this year’s festival and last year’s as well, and their programming has generally been praised for staying true to Armour’s vision, with a wide range of music from the traditional classical repertoire to new music, world music and jazz, as well as concerts for young people.
Founded in 1993, the Gryphon Trio was presented regularly at the festival by Armour and has developed a loyal Ottawa following. The three musicians live in Toronto and tour internationally. Borys has commuted extensively for his work in programming the festival.
At Saturday’s concert, Hodgins praised the group’s work in programming the festival for the past two summers.
“None of this happens without a sense of extraordinary vision and creative programming. At the heart of it, that’s what we’re all about. You’ve had 16 years to get to know the Gryphon Trio as the wonderful Canadian ensemble that it is. The capacity audience we had at their concert this past Wednesday night and a number of standing ovations demonstrates how much they are loved here in Ottawa,” he said, adding “they have brought us two fantastic festivals as interim programmers.”
For the full article visit The Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa Chamber Music Festival hits high notes
William Littler, Toronto Star
The world’s biggest chamber music festival may well reside on the banks of the Ottawa River.
Yes, as modest as our nation’s capitol may be in its claims to global distinction, the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival probably has only one major rival for top status in its highly specialized business, and that is the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival in faraway Finland.
Last year Ottawa crowded nearly 130 events into 16 days, and although this year’s program is more concentrated – 93 events between last Saturday and next – executive director Glenn Hodgins doesn’t shy away from characterizing the experience as a binge.
After years in Toronto working with Tafelmusik and the Ontario Arts Council, Hodgins arrived in Ottawa a couple of seasons ago to help fill the shoes of founding director Julian Armour, a cellist with a vision of filling Ottawa’s downtown churches with music.
It proved a cleverly economical way of securing a number of atmospheric, low-cost venues in a city outfitted with a generous supply of architecturally interesting places of worship within walking distance of each other.
The walking has come to be an integral part of the festival, since most patrons buy passes admitting them to any or all events, and if the line in front of one church looks dauntingly long, a pass holder can simply stroll over to one of its neighbours.
Full story on TheStar.com: Ottawa Chamber Music Festival hits high notes
Soloists bring magic to Stephan celebration
Richard Todd, The Ottawa Citizen
Destiny Denied was the title of the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival’s noon concert at the Church of St. John the Evangelist on Thursday. It was a celebration of the music of Rudi Stephan, a composer who committed suicide in the First World War by exposing himself to enemy fire. The music he had published has survived, but all of his manuscripts were lost when his family home was bombed during the next war.The program was conceived and assembled by pianist Hinrich Alpers, who is something of a Stephan specialist. It began with Groteske for Violin and Piano, possibly the least interesting of the five works on offer, but still worth hearing. Violinist Stephen Sitarski and Alpers brought it across nicely.
Read the rest on the Ottawa Citizen website: Soloists bring magic to Stephan celebration
Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival option available for Ottawa’s “Girlfriends Getaway”
Let’s face it – girls just want to have fun. And once in a while they need an escape from the guys but not from fun and excitement. Ottawa Tourism is serving up an eclectic menu of Girlfriends Getaway packages where the emphasis is on fun, arts, culture, shopping, and spas all at a very affordable price-from only $138 CAD per person for a two-night stay (based on double occupancy).
The basic Girlfriends Getaway package to Ottawa includes two nights’ accommodation for two people (additional guests can be added on for an extra charge) and a certificate for the Rideau Centre Savings Directory filled with many coupons to satisfy any shopaholic.
And those who purchase a package between September 1 and October 9, 2009 will also receive a complimentary copy of a new magazine-The Best Places to Go Shopping-published by Ottawa Magazine.
And to increase the fun, guests on a Girlfriends Getaway can choose to add on a number of optional activities, including visiting the Canadian Museum of Civilization, Canadian War Museum, Canada Aviation Museum, and/or National Gallery of Canada, sitting back on the scenic Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Steam Train, catching a concert at the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival (on until August 9, 2009), being pampered thanks to a $50 Holtz Spa Gift Card; or enjoying a performance of the blockbuster hit The Drowsy Chaperone at the National Arts Centre (October 14-31, 2009).
Given Ottawa’s abundance of attractions, the Girlfriends Getaway package provides a compelling reason to plan a weekend visit so gather up the girls and start having fun in Canada’s Capital Region. Guests who book accommodations at a participating hotel for a (consecutive) Friday and Saturday two-night stay have the option to reserve a third night at 50% off the listed room rate. The Girlfriends Getaway two-night package starts at $138 CAD per person based on double occupancy.
Those wanting information, tickets and lodging reservations for the Girlfriends Getaway can visit www.ottawatourism.ca, a powerful website operated by Ottawa Tourism. Visitors can also book by phone at
Big voice headed to Big Apple: Stittsville tenor off to Juilliard after winning partial scholarship
Steven Mazey, The Ottawa Citizen
You’d think that auditioning to study at one of the world’s best-known music schools would be a little intimidating. Not for Stittsville tenor Nathan Haller.
The 18-year-old doesn’t get nervous about singing, and he says he felt pretty confident when he performed in front of bigwigs at the Juilliard School in New York City last March.
Haller, who has what his teacher Judith Vachon describes as “a kick-ass voice,” with beautiful tone, sang arias by Mozart and Donizetti and the poignant British song Is My Team Ploughing. He says the feedback at Juilliard was encouraging.
Still, he was shocked when an e-mail arrived in April congratulating him on his acceptance.
Read full story on the Ottawa Citizen website: Stittsville tenor off to Juilliard after winning partial scholarship
Note: Nathan Haller performs at Chamberfest on Saturday, 3 p.m., Southminster United Church, 15 Aylmer Ave.
Fest milestone for city woman: Musician’s ‘made it’ by coming back, playing Chamberfest
MJ DESCHAMPS | METRO OTTAWA
In the summer of 1995, a 15-year-old trombonist sat quietly in the audience at the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, taking in her first-ever live concert experience.
As a volunteer at the festival, Catherine Motuz got to meet many of the festival’s stars – professional musicians like Steven Sitarski, Julie Nesrallah and Andrew Dawes, who inspired her to start thinking seriously about playing her instrument beyond high school music class.
Fourteen years later, Motuz is gearing up to take the stage at the very festival that made her want to pursue music as a career in the first place.
“That first festival I volunteered at showed me that it wasn’t just child prodigies that could become professional musicians,” she said.
Full story on Ottawa Metro Online: Musician’s ‘made it’ by coming back, playing Chamberfest
Chamberfest choices: 10 concerts you won’t want to miss
Richard Todd, The Ottawa Citizen
The changes are certainly no reason for music lovers to wring their hands. The festival’s loyal patrons will doubtless reap some benefits. For one thing, there will be fewer impossible choices to make.
In the past, some very good concerts were staged before tiny audiences because there were three or four other programs offered at the same time. On most evenings at this year’s festival, there will be two major concerts: one at Dominion-Chalmers Church at 7 p.m. and one at 8 p.m. at St. Brigid’s Centre for the Arts and Humanities (the former St. Patrick’s Church on St. Patrick Street), followed by a 10:30 p.m. concert at St. Brigid’s.
That makes for easier choices, and with one concert at 7 p.m. and one at 8 p.m., some patrons will undoubtedly try to sample a bit of both, as many have done in previous years with simultaneous concerts.
Full story on the Ottawa Citizen website: Chamberfest choices
Duo together at last in stunning show
Pianist Jon Kimura Parker and violinist James Ehnes perform in one of finest concerts of the yearJohn Terauds, The Star
Serious music usually takes a summertime break in Toronto. But that didn’t stop an upstart downtown festival from giving us one of the finest concerts of the year Tuesday night.
It took 15 years for two Canadian stars – pianist Jon Kimura Parker and violinist James Ehnes – to co-ordinate their performing schedules. Given the spectacular results at the Carlu (the once-legendary Eaton Auditorium), one can only hope that this was the beginning of a long and frequent collaboration.
The duo opened the fourth annual Toronto Summer Music Academy & Festival, which runs to Aug. 13.
Parker and Ehnes repeat their stunning program at the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival on Saturday (details at chamberfest.com).
Full article on thestar.com website:
