Tallis Scholars make Ottawa debut March 28
Ottawa (March 22, 2010)
The Tallis Scholars, with Peter Phillips, conductor, make their much-anticipated Ottawa debut with a concert of Renaissance choral works at Dominion-Chalmers United Church in Ottawa on Sunday, March 28 at 7:30 pm.
Hailed by The New York Times as “The rock stars of Renaissance vocal music,” the Tallis Scholars were founded in 1973 by their director, Peter Phillips. Through their award-winning recordings and over 1,600 concerts, Phillips and the Tallis Scholars have done more than any other group to establish the sacred vocal music of the Renaissance as one of the great repertoires of Western classical music.
The concert at Dominion-Chalmers will include works by Jean Mouton, Nicolas Gombert, Loyset Compère and Josquin des Prés. Conductor Peter Phillips describes the program: “The Tallis Scholars are about to embark on a minor crusade to promote the music of Jean Mouton. We have chosen here a mass based on an amorous chanson by Loyset Compère, like Mouton a Franco-Flemish composer, which makes special use of some very low bass notes. The three Agnus Deis in particular are quite breathtaking in their dark sonorities. The second half of the programme complements the first: all Franco-Flemish, the two Ave Marias are particularly lovely; the Gombert Magnificat is a work we championed years ago in concert and on disc; and Josquin’s motet Praeter rerum seriem is one of the masterpieces of the period, again scored with dark bass resonances.”
Recordings by the Tallis Scholars have attracted many awards throughout the world. In 1987 their recording of works by Josquin des Prés received GRAMOPHONE magazine’s Record of the Year award-still the only recording of early music ever to win this coveted award. In 2005 their disc of music by John Browne was nominated for a Grammy. Much of the Tallis Scholars’ reputation has come from their association with Gimell Records, established by Peter Phillips and Steve Smith in 1981 solely to record the Scholars.
Ticket Information
Tickets range from $30-47. Student pricing is also available. For more information, please contact the OCMS office at 613-234-6306 or www.chamberfest.com.
Mark your calendars! Chamberfest 2010 will take place from July 24 to August 7.
Karen St. Aubin
Communications, Marketing & Events Coordinator
Ottawa Chamber Music Society
201-4 Florence Street
Ottawa, ON K2P 0W7
613-234-8008 x 244
613-299-0929 (cell)
kstaubin@chamberfest.com
Join us for the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, the best chamber music experience in North America!
Chamberfest 2010 July 24 – August 7.
Rendez-vous au Festival international de musique de chambre d’Ottawa. En musique de chambre, c’est ce qu’il y a de mieux en Amérique du Nord !
Chamberfest 2010 du 24 juillet au 7 août.
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.
For the Fallen – Remembering our heritage with music for choir and brass
The Ottawa Chamber Music Society, in partnership with the Cantata Singers of Ottawa, present a poignant concert, For the Fallen, on Saturday, November 14, 8 PM at Dominion-Chalmers United Church.
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 contemplative program expresses the deep-felt emotions triggered by moving moments in history.
The Cantata Singers of Ottawa is one of the foremost choirs in Eastern Ontario. Founded in 1964, the choir is now being directed by internationally renowned choral conductor Michael Zaugg who is taking the choir in new and exciting directions. The choir supports local and national composers by commissioning and performing their works. For this concert, Christopher Hossfeld will be the guest conductor.
Since its inaugural concert in June 1999, Capital BrassWorks has attracted enthusiastic audiences and seen its popularity grow by leaps and bounds. The group includes some of Canada’s finest brass players and percussionists drawn primarily from the National Arts Centre Orchestra. Guest artists from the Toronto and Montreal symphony orchestras have also taken part in concerts and recordings.
This commemorative concert will feature many moving and reflective pieces, including Rudolf Mauersberger’s motet of mourning, Wie liegt die Stadt so wüst, written after a massive air raid on February 13, 1945 destroyed the inner city of Dresden and killed some 25,000 people. The Kreuzkirche (Church of the Cross) remained standing, but its interior was gutted and the choir school destroyed. The motet was given its first performance in the gutted church in the same year. Also on the programme will be London Miniatures by Gordon Langford, O Nata Lux by Canadian composer Rob Teehan, an arrangement by Capital BrassWorks’ Angus Armstrong called Tommy’s Tunes inspired by Tommy Dorsey and the big bands, Hymn to the Fallen by John WiIliams from the movie Saving Private Ryan, and a WORLD PREMIERE performance of Shell Shocked by Michal Novotny, and others.
“Helping other organizations in the community achieve their goals while adding quality and programming diversity to our own concert offerings is a winning formula. Collaborating with the Cantata Singers and Capital BrassWorks gives us the opportunity to commemorate Remembrance Day on a grand scale,” says Artistic Director Roman Borys.
Ticket Information
Full 2009-2010 Concert Series details are available on the OCMS’ website at www.chamberfest.com.
Single tickets range from $30 – 47. Discounted student pricing is also available.
Subscription 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. For more information, please contact the OCMS office at
613-234-6306.
The next two concerts in the series will feature the internationally renowned Württemberg Chamber Orchestra of Heilbronn performing on November 26 and with the Gryphon Trio on November 27.
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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.
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
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.
Ottawa’s annual Chamberfest has shrunk in size, but expanded in scope
COLIN EATOCK, Globe and Mail
Time was when the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival – or “Chamberfest” – boasted it was the largest such event in the world. It grew every year after its founding in 1994, peaking last year with 127 concerts, densely packed into a two-week period.
But this summer, the festival, which opened on Saturday night, is smaller by 34 performances. In part this is a response to tough economic times, but it’s also because of a shift in philosophy.
“The numbers don’t matter,” insists Glenn Hodgins, who is in his second year as the festival’s executive director. “We’re trying to get away from the ‘biggest’ as a benchmark. Let’s be the best.”
Full review on the Globe and Mail website: Ottawa’s annual Chamberfest
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:
The Devil’s Fiddler to perform at Chamberfest!
The Ottawa Chamber Music Society is thrilled to announce the Ottawa debut of Roby Lakatos as a surprise addition at the 16th Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival thanks in part to the support of the Marquee Tourism Events Program. Lakatos and his ensemble, a scorching Hungarian gypsy band will perform at Chamberfest on Wednesday, July 29 at 7 pm at Dominion-Chalmers United Church.Roby Lakatos is not only an impressive virtuoso, but a musician of amazing versatility. With an unusual musical scope – as composer, classical violinist and gypsy violinist, Roby Lakatos is at home in the Hungarian folklore as well as in classical music and jazz. He was born into a legendary family of gypsy violinists who are descended from Janos Bihari, known as the “King of Gypsy Violinists”. His musicianship evolved not only within his own family as he was initiated into secrets of gypsy music as a child, but also at the Béla Bartók Conservatory of Budapest, where he won the first prize for classical violin in 1984.
The combination of his heritage and his nomadic free spirit and classical violin education has allowed Lakatos to become a classical virtuoso, a jazz improviser, a composer and arranger, a fiery violinist – all at the same time.
“Since Haydn’s time the influence of Gypsy music has been evident throughout classical music. There is no other performer or ensemble in this day and age that encapsulates the true essence of the Gypsy tradition, its virtuosity, its passion, and sheer ability to entertain, as does violinist Roby Lakatos and his remarkable ensemble,” raves Roman Borys, cellist of the Gryphon Trio, the Artistic Directors of the Festival.
His musical prowess borders on genius. Lakatos follows in the footsteps of masters such as Liszt and Brahms in combining classical music with pulsating, vibrant Hungarian Gypsy overtones.
- Xpress (Abu Dhabi)
“My style has three elements,” says Lakatos. “The base is Gypsy music, of course, but also it includes classical music and jazz. The arrangements are very classical – but we have a lot of improvisation, too, because Gypsy music is like jazz,” he explains. “And, of course, we never make the same concert twice.”
In addition to sold-out performances at the 2009 festivals of Domaine Forget and Orford, Lakatos and his ensemble have performed to great acclaim in concert halls in North America and Europe, including New York’s Carnegie Hall, Santa Cecilia in Rome, and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. The other members of Roby Lakatos’ ensemble are Kálmán Cséki, László Bóni, Oszkár Németh and Attila Rontó.
Reserved tickets for this performance can be purchased online at www.chamberfest.com, in person at the OCMS office, Dominion Chalmers United Church Box Office, or at any festival concert, or by calling 613-234-6306. General admission tickets are available only at the door. A Festival pass provides access to this, as well as 90 other Chamberfest concerts. Full ticket and pass details are available at www.chamberfest.com or at 613-234-6306.
