Marc-André Hamelin, Israeli Ariel String Quartet, and Montréal's Buzz Brass at week one of Chamberfest

Summer festival featuring: 25th anniversary celebrations with everything from baroque to bluegrass

OTTAWA – Ottawa Chamberfest's two-week festival marks the beginning of the organization's 25th anniversary celebrations: complete with a Swiss early music group, tributes to Gershwin and Cohen, an Austrian-Iranian jazz fusion trio, and a dramatic telling of the story of Francis Pegahmagabow. The festival will continue through the first week of August and conclude with "Last Call": a celebration hosted by New York DJ Brendan Speltz on Aug. 9, to end this year's festival.

Details of Chamberfest week one:

When:

July 26 - Aug. 2, 2018

Where:

 Downtown Ottawa – Dominion-Chalmers United Church, La Nouvelle Scène Gilles Desjardins, École secondaire publique De La Salle, National Gallery of Canada, Beechwood Cemetery – The National Cemetery of Canada, Ottawa City Hall, etc.

Highlights:

Marc-André Hamelin with Quatuor Danel Friday July 27 / 7:00PM / Dominion Chalmers United Church $52 (A), $39 (B), $30 (C) Powerhouse pianist Marc-André Hamelin and France’s eloquent Quatuor Danel return to Chamberfest to join forces for a performance of Dmitry Shostakovich’s enigmatic Piano Quintet as part of our Bytek Signature Series. Riddle Films presents: "This is Chamberfest" and Roby Lakatos Quintet Friday July 27 / 10:00/10:30PM / École secondaire publique De La Salle $25* (Film= Free Admission) Come see the video that Riddle Films has compilated to remember 25 years of Chamberfest, and stay to hear violin wizard Roby Lakatos and his virtuoso bandmates follow their opening concert (7:00PM Thursday July 26) with a late night homage to jazz legends Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli. "I've Got Rhythm": Buzz Brass and Matt Herskowitz Saturday July 28 / 10:00PM / La Nouvelle Scène Gilles Desjardins $25* Inventive and witty piano virtuoso Matt Herskowitz and Montreal’s Buzz Brass honour the timeless work of George Gershwin, from “Summertime” to “Rhapsody in Blue.” Chamberfest 25th Anniversary Mashup Sunday July 29 / 7:00PM / Dominion-Chalmers United Church $35 Celebrate the festival’s birthday with us and host Eric Friesen in part of our general admission Marina Kun series. Experience a mosaic of music that spans many centuries and defines the spirit of Chamberfest. Ariel Quartet with Rolston String Quartet Monday July 30 / 7:00PM / Dominion-Chalmers United Church $52 (A), $39 (B), $30 (C) The Ariel Quartet unleashes their seasoned interpretations of quartets by Schumann and Ravel, with support from the Israeli Embassy. They will finish with Mendelssohn’s sweeping Octet alongside the Rolston String Quartet. Sounding Thunder: The Songs of Francis Pegahmagabow Tuesday July 31 / 7:00PM / École secondaire publique De La Salle $35 Come for a musical journey into the life of the renowned Ojibwe military officer and sniper, Francis Pegahmagabow. Composed by Timothy Corlis and written by Ojibwe poet Armand Garnet Ruffo, Sounding Thunder comes in three dramatic acts and is supported in part by the Canada Council for the Arts. Learn the story behind the production in our free admission "Chamber Chat" at the National Gallery of Canada earlier this afternoon, at 2:45PM. Gli Angeli Genève Wednesday August 1 / 7:00PM / Dominion-Chalmers United Church $52 (A), $39 (B), $30 (C) Switzerland’s celebrated early music envoy Gli Angeli Genève brings their exquisite brand of instrumental and vocal performance to Ottawa for the first time! This concert is made possible with the help of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Embassy of Switzerland. *

$25 for 25: In celebration of 25 years, we invite Ottawa to come along for a chamber music experience at the special reduced price of $25.

More information: http://www.chamberfest.com/

Artistic and Executive Director:

Roman Borys

Media Contact:

Philippa Wolff, Head of Marketing and Communications pwolff@chamberfest.com 613-234-8008 x 247