January 26, 2006 -

OTTAWA -- The National Arts Centre Orchestra Association (NACOA) is pleased to announce the first of this year’s four “Behind the Music” lectures and performances taking place on Saturday, January 28 at 10:30 in the NAC’s Fourth Stage. Pianist Bryan Wagorn, who was born and raised in Ottawa, and is completing his fourth year in piano performance with Stéphane Lemelin at the University of Ottawa, will discuss the perspectives and challenges of being a young performer hoping to building a career on the concert stage. A graduate of the NAC Summer Music Institute, Wagorn will perform works by Bach, Brahms, and Liszt.

This inaugural event in NACOA’s “Behind the Music” series will also serve to introduce the Association’s new Honourary Patron, Mme. Jeanne D’Arc Sharp. Mme. Sharp is known to music lovers as a long-standing supporter of the National Arts Centre Orchestra. She is the widow of the Honourable Mitchell Sharp whom she first met while attending a performance by the NAC Orchestra.

Subsequent lectures/performances in this series will include Eric Friesen of CBC Radio Two’s Studio Sparks, together with Randy Barnard, General Manager of CBC Records (February 11); Ian Bernard, NACO principal timpanist and Reynaliz Herrara, a percussion student from Mexico (March 4); and Christopher Millard, NACO principal bassoon (April 29).

Tickets for each event are $10.00 for members of NACOA and $12.00 for non-members.   Tickets for all four events in the series are $35.00 for NACOA members and $40.00 for non-members.

Event: Behind the Music with Bryan Wagorn (in English)
Date: Saturday, January 28, 2006
Time: 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Location: Fourth Stage, National Arts Centre

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For further information media representatives may contact Lillian Thomsen at 260-9483.