Ottawa Chamberfest Fine Wine Auction
[Source: Ottawa Chamberfest press release]
When: September 29, 2011
Where: Salons Leger, Vanier and Stanley, Minto Suite Hotel 185 Lyon Street
Reception and silent auction: 6:00pm
Live auction: 7:30pm
Ottawa Chamberfest inaugurates the 2011-12 concert season as it has for more than a decade: with the much-anticipated Ottawa Chamberfest fall wine auction, Thursday, September 29.
Be among the city’s most passionate connoisseurs for an opportunity to purchase rare or hard-to-find international wines, and to support the award-winning Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival.
Arrive at 6:00pm to meet acclaimed wine writer Rod Phillips and pick up a signed copy of his latest book, 500 Best-Value Wines in the LCBO 2011. Indulge in elegant hors d’oeuvres prepared by Restaurant Prime 360’s talented chefs and shrewdly paired to a selection of fine wines. Browse lots of exquisite trading and cellaring wines from the private collections of Ottawa’s most respected arts patrons, or bid in our silent auction for packages of excellent-value, ready-to-consume varietals. Enjoy a chamber music performance, then settle in for the live auction at 7:30pm.
Tickets for the 2011 Chamberfest Fine Wine Auction are $50 each and may be purchased online, by calling our box office at 613-234-6306, or at the door. If you decide to buy wine, your $50 ticket purchase will be deducted from the final price.
A Le Pin for Everyone
Lovers of Le Pin, you will be thrilled to learn that we have on auction a very large selection of vertical vintages from this magnificent estate. There will be a Le Pin for almost everyone on Thursday, September 29, 2011.
New music not so new, but pleasing to the ear
Richard Todd, The Ottawa Citizen
New Music Now IV and V
Reviewed Tuesday, Aug. 2 at St. Brigid’s
On Monday and Tuesday, there were six daytime concerts given in the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival’s miniseries New Music Now. I was only able to attend the fourth and fifth of them, but on the basis of these, I offer two observations.
First, much of the music was only new in the most general sense. The composer Arnold Schönberg died in 1951, for example and György Ligeti, though he lived until 2006, wrote his Sonata for Solo Cello 60 years ago. Second, the music was not as taxing for the listener as names like these or Friedrich Cerha or Per Norgard would suggest.
Cellist Rachel Mercer opened the first hour with Ligeti’s Sonata for Solo Cello, a warm and inviting, though scarcely conservative work written around 1950. Her beautiful playing was one of the things that made the score so appealing.
Ottawa’s festival industry members honoured by Festivals & Events Ontario
OTTAWA — Each year as winter draws to a close, the festival community across the province eagerly awaits the announcement of the Top 100 Festivals and Events in Ontario list compiled by Festivals & Events Ontario (FEO) at their annual Awards Gala. This year five Ottawa area festivals were honoured — The Rideau Canal Festival, Canadian Tulip Festival, Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest, Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, TD Ottawa International Jazz Festival and Winterlude. The Top 100 Festivals and Events in Ontario designation is presented to a select few of more than 2,000 events that occur annually within the province.
Mark Monahan, Founder and Executive Director of the Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest, was inducted into the association’s Hall of Fame, an annual award which has been created to recognize and honour leaders in the Ontario festivals and events industry.
“This is a well-deserved honour,” says Barbara Stacey, Exectutive Director of Ottawa Festivals, a not-for-profit organization that represents festivals, special events and fairs that take place in Canada’s Capital Region, “Besides the incredible growth and success Mark has seen at Bluesfest, he is also a community champion and has been involved in a number of initiatives on behalf of the industry and the tourism sector, as well as programs such as Blues in the Schools and the She’s the One Emerging Female Artist Competition.”
Mosaika, the Sound and Light Show on Parliament Hill that is presented by the National Capital Commission (NCC) was singled out in the category for Best Poster and Best Promotional Campaign in FEO’s Achievement Awards which acknowledge individual festival and event excellence and best practices.
“We are very proud of the calibre of festivals and events presented in Canada’s Capital Region,” says Stacey, who was in attendance at the FEO Conference, “Ottawa is being recognized by more and more people as, Canada’s Festival Capital. It is because we are home to a number of world-class events such as the ones honoured by FEO; and having hundreds of festivals and events taking place through the year, there always seems to be something happening.”
Chamberfest review: Like its namesake, Constantinople bridges worlds of East and West
A Canadian spin on cultural convergence
By Richard Todd, The Ottawa Citizen
OTTAWA-Constantinople. What to make of it? Not the city, which is nowadays called Istanbul, but the event presented at the Canadian Museum of Civilization Thursday and Friday evenings this week as part of the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival.
A creation of composer Christos Hatzis and the Gryphon Trio, it is a multimedia event involving simple but striking props, a most impressive lighting design and, of course, music. It is said to embrace the spirit of medieval Constantinople “while offering expressions of cultural convergence from a contemporary Canadian perspective.”
Thus, there is a mixture, and sometimes a fusion, of Eastern and Western music as well as a mosaic of Christian and Islamic sensibilities and spiritualities.
The music is largely prerecorded electronic stuff, though much of it is supplied by the Trio and singers Patricia O’Callaghan and Maryem Hassan Tollar. It’s all very beautiful and, if you don’t try too hard for literal understanding, it can be captivating.
Read more: Chamberfest review: Like its namesake, Constantinople bridges worlds of East and West
As beautiful as ever
Frederica von Stade delights as always
By Richard Todd, The Ottawa Citizen
Frederica von Stade, shown here at an event for the 75th annual Metropolitan Opera Guild in April, 2010 in New York City, performed Saturday night at the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival.
Photograph by: Astrid Stawiarz, Getty Images
Although the name Frederica von Stade sounds as German as German can be, the famous mezzo-soprano was born in New Jersey, and that all by itself makes her as American as American can be.
Along with her accompanist, pianist Jake Heggie, she gave the opening night concert of the 17th Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival. It was part of her Farewell Tour; she is 65 and knows when to quit.
The audience at Dominion-Chalmers was large, though short of capacity
Read more: As beautiful as ever
Let The Music Begin!
The Ottawa Chamber Music Society presents the 17th annual Ottawa International
Chamber Music Festival – Chamberfest 2010. From July 24 to August 7, you can
experience world-class chamber music, performed by over 250
internationally renowned artists, in some of the city’s most beautiful churches
and heritage sites. Headliners include Frederica von Stade, the Tokyo String
Quartet, Angèle Dubeau & La Pièta, George Gao, the Pacifica Quartet, Isabelle
Faust, Gene DiNovi, Stewart Goodyear and the Gryphon Trio.
For more information, call 613-234-6306 or visit: www.chamberfest.com.
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.
2010 Top 100 Festivals and Events in Ontario Revealed During Annual Conference
This year’s Top 100 Festivals and Events in Ontario list was released this weekend at the Festivals & Events Ontario Conference held this year in Ottawa and eight Ottawa Festivals made the annual list.
Congratulations to Canadian Tulip Festival, TD Canada Trust Ottawa International Jazz Festival, Canada Day Celebrations, Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest, Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, Rideau Canal Festival, Ottawa Folk Festival and Winterlude.
Below is the announcement released at the conference by FEO:
Festivals & Events Ontario (FEO) announced the Top 100 Festivals and Events in Ontario last night as part of the Association’s President’s Gala, a celebratory conclusion to its annual conference.
Sponsored by VIA Rail Canada, The Top 100 Festivals and Events in Ontario designation is presented to a select few of more than 2,000 that occur annually within the province. Among the winners were household names like the Scotiabank Caribana Festival, Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest and Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest. It also featured many smaller, festivals such as the Lanark Highlands Art of Being Green Festival, the Cobourg Sandcastle Festival and the Rideau Canal Festival. In conjunction with the Top 100, FEO also announced its 2010 Achievement Award winners. Achievement Awards acknowledge individual festival and event excellence and best practices across a broad range of categories.
The President’’s Gala is a follow up to a Welcome Reception that was held on Wednesday night. The Honourable Mr. Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism and Culture was in attendance to welcome guests and announce the 2010 Festivals and Events of Distinction. This year’’s inductees were Rogers Bayfest and the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival.
“Solicitations for submissions were issued towards the end of the previous calendar year, and an independent jury of industry peers conducted the selection process just prior to the Conference,” explains the Association’s Executive Director, Gary Masters.
According to the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, 93% of recreational travelers are seeking cultural and entertainment experiences, such as festivals and events, when they plan a vacation. Over the past two years, approximately 2,000,000 people who visited a festival or event say it was the primary reason for their vacation.
“With so many options for the festival-goers here in Ontario, it can be hard to know which festivals and events offer the most rewarding experiences. As the provincial Association for this industry, we believe it is our responsibility to set these standards and present the results to our consumers in an easily accessible and recognizable brand,” states FEO’s President, Sarah Wood.
The winners of this year’s Top 100 will be highlighted in the annual Festivals and Events in Ontario Guide distributed in both a printed and online format. A list of the 2010 winners can be found on the Association’s website, www.festivalsandeventsontario.ca.
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.
Music festival artistic success: Director
TIM WIECLAWSKI | METRO OTTAWA
The 16th annual Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival has hit all the right notes so far, said executive director Glen Hodgins, and they are expecting it will close with a flourish this weekend.
This Saturday’s closing night benefit concert boasts a joint performance from The St. Lawrence and Ying quartets, arguably the two finest string quartets in the world, playing the “mighty and muscular Mendelssohn Octet,” said Hodgins.
Hodgins credited artistic directors The Gryphon Trio with pulling together an amazing program.
Full story on Metro Ottawa online: Music festival artistic success: Director
