April 18, 2006 -

Ottawa, Canada -- Pianist Louise Bessette, who recently became an Officer of the Ordre national du Québec in addition to her membership in the Order of Canada, will join chamber music ensembles from the National Arts Centre Orchestra for Music for a Sunday Afternoon on Sunday, April 23 at 14:00 in the Auditorium of the National Gallery of Canada. Bessette will be featured in every work on the programme which ranges from composers Korngold, Arcuri, and Webern, to J. Strauss Jr. – the latter in arrangements by Berg and Schoenberg.

The concert opens with Alban Berg’s arrangement of J. Strauss Jr.’s Wine, Women and Song, which Louise Bessette will perform with David Thies-Thompson and Renée-Paule Gauthier on violin, Rennie Regehr on viola, and Margaret Munro Tobolowska on cello. Then Bessette will be featured in a solo piano piece – Marchenbilder (Fairy Tale Songs) – which its composer Korngold wrote at the astonishing age of 13. Next on the programme is Les furieuses enluminures by Montreal composer Serge Arcuri, performed by Emily Smethurst (flute), Kimball Sykes (clarinet), Renée-Paule Gauthier (violin), Rennie Regehr (viola), Margaret Munro Tobolowska (cello), and Bessette. Webern’s Piano Quintet from 1907 predates the advanced 12-tone music the composer is known for, and reveals instead his late Romantic roots. Bessette will perform the quintet with the same string quartet as the opening Strauss piece. The concert closes with Strauss Jr.’s Kaiser Waltz arranged by Schoenberg for piano quintet plus flute and clarinet. It will be performed by the same musical ensemble as the Arcuri.

Louise Bessette is especially known for championing contemporary music, and was commended on her induction to the Ordre du Québec for her inspired and energetic performances of the greatest works of our time, as both a recitalist, chamber musician and orchestral soloist.
The pianist makes regular guest appearances in concert halls throughout all of Europe, North and Central America. A devotee of original works, she has contributed to the advancement and dissemination of new music by her noted participation in international music festivals and by the premiere performances she offers of works specially written for her by, for example the Canadians Serge Provost, André Villeneuve and Serge Arcuri, and French composers Bruno Ducol, Jacques Lejeune and Claude Ballif. Bessette has more than a dozen records to her credit, six of which are solo. She has earned numerous distinctions, including Woman of the Year, Arts Category, at the 1989 Montréal Salon de la Femme, and the 1991 Flandre-Québec Award in recognition of her contribution to contemporary music. In October 2001, she was received as a Member of the Order of Canada.

This Music for a Sunday Afternoon chamber concert takes place on Sunday, April 23 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