Christopher Millard first played his bassoon inside Southam Hall in 1972. He has a long association with what some might have considered a dark, black hole. "It's no longer dark and black and it's not a hole," said NACO's principal bassoonist and a member of the orchestra
Alexander Shelley will lead the National Arts Centre Orchestra at least until Aug. 31, 2023. NAC CEO Christopher Deacon announced the new contract at a media event on Tuesday afternoon. Deacon praised his leadership and his ability to work with the orchestra and for "being an incredible
If you were a music director wanting to test drive a new performance space, what music would you use? Well, if you are the NAC Orchestra's Alexander Shelley, you choose Beethoven. That, he says is one reason why NACO will be playing all nine Beethoven symphonies starting
This fall's Ottawa International Writers Festival lineup features the Booker long list nominated author Esi Edugyan, Patrick DeWitt, a past winner of the Governor General's Award for Fiction, Dionne Brand, Ottawa-born wunderkind Jordan Tannahill, another book from award-winning Canadian War Museum historian Tim Cook and
An Ottawa design company is playing a key role in the renovations of two important Canadian music halls. Massey Hall is probably the best known building in Canadian music. Since 1894 the greats have appeared on its venerable stage from Enrico Caruso, Glenn Gould and
Grace Monahan was 11 when the ballet bug bit. Grace is the daughter of Ottawa Bluesfest executive director Mark Monahan. There is always music in the home. Her father plays the piano every night after work, she say. Grace took lessons and achieved her Grade 8
When an orchestra plays one generally marvels at the sound produced. But do you see how hard the players are working? Musicians face substantial physical demands for their art and those demands can lead to injury. That is when someone such as Pat Palmer comes in. She runs
Joan Harrison is a cellist who has played her instrument around the world with ensembles such as the NAC Orchestra and the New York City Opera Company. But she has another passion and that's education. As the public school system retreats from arts education generally, those who
Every year the CityFolk music festival celebrates local music with a free festival of talent in unconventional venues up and down Bank Street in the Glebe. Inspired by the South by Southwest takeover of Austin, Texas, Marvest has booked 70 bands from the Ottawa-area for a weekend
The Roman empire collapsed, overextended and sclerotic, badly led by men who had lost touch with reality. The Romanov dynasty disappeared under the weight of its own delusions influenced by the teachings a mad monk. And when the Soviet Union collapsed the society was beset
