May 16, 2006 -

Ottawa (Canada) -- The National Arts Centre Orchestra brings its season of TD Canada Trust Young People’s Concerts to a close with a bang – really! Evelyn Glennie, the most famous percussionist in the world today, is the special guest for “Bang Goes the Orchestra” and she is joined by the NAC Orchestra’s percussion section and the last two winners of the NACO Bursary – both of whom happen to be percussionists – on Saturday, May 27 at 13:30 and 15:30 in the afternoon. The concerts are led by the NAC Principal Youth and Family Conductor Boris Brott.

The concert ticket includes Pre-Concert Activities in the NAC Foyer organized by the NAC Orchestra Association 45 minutes prior to each concert, beginning at 12:45 for the first concert and 14:45 for the second concert. Community partners include the Ottawa Public Library, and “Music for Young Children” who will offer plenty of hands-on percussion instruments to give kids a chance to bang up a storm before the concert begins. There will also be a “water xylophone”, a make-your-own maracas craft station, and a performance by a student percussion ensemble.

Evelyn Glennie is the first person in musical history to successfully create and sustain a full-time career as a solo percussionist. By combining superb technique, a profound appreciation of the visual and astonishing musicality, Evelyn creates performances of such vitality that they almost constitute a new type of performance. All of this in spite of the fact that she began to lose her hearing at age 8 and was classified as profoundly deaf (meaning she has a very little hearing) at age 12. She is in enormous demand all over the world, and the NAC Orchestra is thrilled, in addition to having her perform as soloist on classical concerts earlier in the week, to present her to young people at these concerts. She will perform a Vivaldi piccolo concerto transcribed for vibraphone, as well as Prim, a solo for snare drum composed by A. Masson.

Local percussionists will also have a chance to shine on this exciting concert. Bangers & Friends – a group of four NAC Orchestra percussion regulars – will perform Rosauro’s “Frevo” from Brazilian Scenes. Reynaliz Herrera, the young Mexican percussionist whom the NAC Orchestra met on its 2003 Tour of Mexico and the USA, will perform Kreisler’s Tambourin chinois. She was last year’s winner of the NACO Bursary after coming to Canada to study with principal timpanist Ian Bernard at the University of Ottawa. Percussionist Jean-Sébastian Lacombe – the 2004 winner of the NACO Bursary – will be featured in a traditional piece for steel drum.

The NAC Orchestra led by Boris Brott, will offer plenty of rhythm of its own in excerpts from De Falla’s Three-Cornered Hat, the overture to Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio, two dances by Khachaturian, and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Polovtsian Dances and Capriccio Espagnol.

Concertgoers can purchase their own recorders in the NAC Foyer during the pre-concert activities for the low cost of $5 thanks to St. John’s Music. The final recorder clinic of the season on May 14 prepared kids to perform the Chiapanecas/Mexican Hat Dance along with the NAC Orchestra. The simple score for this was handed out at the last YPC and can also be found on the NAC’s website at www.nac-cna.ca.

All TD Canada Trust Young People’s Concerts feature NACOtron presented in collaboration with Rogers Television. Five television cameras positioned on stage and in the hall capture live video images of the musicians while they are performing, and these images are projected onto a giant screen above the stage allowing the audience to watch the action in close-up.

The Ottawa Citizen is the media partner of the TD Canada Trust Young People’s Concerts.

Tickets for “Bang Goes the Orchestra ” on Saturday, May 27 at 13:30 and 15:30, including Pre-Concert Activities, are $17.00 for children and $21.50 for adults (including GST and Facility Fee where applicable) and 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.

Groups of 10 and more save 15% to 20% off the regular price of tickets to NAC Music, Theatre and Dance performances. To reserve your seats call 947-7000 ext. 384 or email grp@nac-cna.ca.

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