January 09, 2006 -

Ottawa, Canada -- The National Arts Centre’s Music for a Sunday Afternoon chamber music concert on Sunday, January 15 at 14:00 in the Auditorium of the National Gallery of Canada, features the gifted French pianist Jean-Philippe Collard in eight excerpts from Éphémères, solo piano music by Philippe Hersant, and with ensembles of the National Arts Centre Orchestra in the Piano Quartet in G minor by Mozart. The concert also features the Oboe Quintet by Sir Arthur Bliss performed by five musicians from the Orchestra.

The Oboe Quintet written in 1927 by Sir Arthur Bliss, a ground-breaking British composer knighted in 1950, is an example of the composer’s more classical approach between the wildness of his youth and his later romantic leanings. It will be performed by NAC Orchestra principal oboe Charles Hamann, associate concertmaster Olivier Thouin, violinist Leah Roseman, principal viola Jane Logan, and cellist Leah Wyber.

Éphémères consists of 24 short pieces for solo piano written by the Italian-born French composer Philippe Hersant between 1999 and 2004. Jean-Philippe Collard will perform eight of these miniatures inspired by Japanese Haiku.

Mozart made history when he presented his Piano Quartet in G minor, the first work of this genre, written at the height of the composer’s fame in Vienna. It is presented here in honour of the composer’s 250th birthday. Jean-Philippe Collard on piano is joined by violinist Manuela Milani, violist Sally Benson, and cellist Margaret Munro-Tobolowska.

The Paris-based pianist Jean-Philippe Collard, born in Mareuil-sur-Ay, Champagne, commands a wide range of repertoire in addition to his complete mastery of French concerto literature. At age 16, he was unanimously awarded First Prize from the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique de Paris where he studied. He subsequently won many other awards including the Grand Prix du Concours national des artistes solistes, Prix Albert Roussel, Prix Gabriel Fauré, Prix du Concours international Marguerite Long/Jacques Thibaud, and Grand Prix du Concours international Cziffra.  Collard was named Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur in 2003. He has appeared as soloist with the world’s greatest orchestras  A prolific recording artist with more than thirty titles to his credit, his discography includes the Rachmaninov Études-Tableaux and Brahms Hungarian Dances (with pianist Michel Beroff), both named Stereo Review’s Record of the Year in their respective years; the Ravel Concerti with Lorin Maazel and the Orchestre National de France, cited by Gramophone Magazine as Best Concerto Recording; and the Chausson Concerto (with Augustin Dumay and the Muir String Quartet) which won the Grand Prix du Disque. 

This Music for a Sunday Afternoon chamber concert takes place on Sunday, January 15 at 14:00 and is presented in collaboration with the National Gallery of Canada. Tickets at $27.50 (GST and facility fee included) are on sale now at the NAC Box Office (Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 21:00), and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at 613-755-1111. Ticketmaster may also be accessed through the NAC’s web-site at www.nac-cna.ca. Half price student tickets are on sale in person at the NAC Box Office upon presentation of a valid student ID card. Music for a Sunday Afternoon tickets may also be purchased one hour before the concert outside the Auditorium of the National Gallery.

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For more information please contact:
Jane Morris, Communications Officer,
National Arts Centre Orchestra
(613) 947-7000, ext. 335
jmorris@nac-cna.ca