Conductor James Judd leads the Viennese New Year's Celebration on January 1 featuring violinist Donnie Deacon
December 20, 2002 -
Ottawa, Canada -- The National Arts Centre will once again present
what has become an immensely popular annual tradition this time of
year: A "Viennese New Year's Celebration" on Wednesday, January
1 at 14:30 in NAC's Southam Hall. A 57-piece orchestra will be
conducted by James Judd, with Donnie Deacon, principal second violin
of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, performing as guest soloist.
The music of Johann Strauss Jr., the "Waltz King," who has become not
only a symbol but virtually a synonym for Vienna, dominates the
festive program.
19th century Vienna conjures images of dazzling
ballrooms, glittering chandeliers, infectious gaiety and ebullient
romanticism, and when one thinks of music the name Johann Strauss
immediately comes to mind. Strauss Jr. will be represented by such
danceable favourites as the Excursion Train Polka,
NewPizzicato Polka, Emperor Waltz, Perpetuum
mobile, Thunder and Lightning Polka and of course On
the Beautiful Blue Danube. Donnie Deacon will perform
Godowsky's Alt Wien (Old Vienna) and Kreisler's
Liebesleid. Other works include von Suppe's Poet and
Peasant Overture, Glinka's Valse fantaisie and
Waldteufel's Skater's Waltz.
James Judd made his debut with the National Arts Centre Orchestra
in 1995, and returned twice last season to conduct concerts featuring
Pinchas Zukerman as soloist. The British-born conductor is Music
Director of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. In addition to
embarking on a sizable series of recordings with the orchestra for
the NAXOS label - including the complete orchestral works of
Leonard Bernstein - he has brought the orchestra international
acclaim through appearances with the New Zealand Symphony at the 2000
Sydney Olympic Arts Festival as well as a specially televised
Millennium Concert with Kiri Te Kanawa as soloist. He has conducted
in the great concert halls of Europe, including the Salzburg
Mozarteum and Vienna's Musikverein; and has made guest
appearances with such prestigious ensembles as the Berlin
Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony, Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig,
Prague Symphony and the Mozarteum Orchestra of Salzburg.
Donnie Deacon joined the National Arts Centre Orchestra as
principal second violin in September 2001, having just turned 22 the
same week. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, he began to study the violin at
age 10 becoming concertmaster of the Orchestra of the Royal Scottish
Academy of Music at age 13 where he performed many times as soloist.
He continued his studies at the Yehudi Menuhin School with Lord
Menuhin himself and finished his schooling at the prestigious Curtis
Institute of Music. He has performed as soloist all over the world
with such distinguished orchestras as the Royal Scottish National
Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, BT Scottish
Ensemble, London Soloists, Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia, Pablo
de Sarasate Orchestra, and the Orchestra of the Curtis Institute of
Music.
To add to the celebratory atmosphere of the Viennese New
Year's Celebration, NAC Executive Chef Kurt Waldele has created
a festive New Year's luncheon menu, which patrons may purchase
separately. Borsch with julienne beets, duck and crème fraiche
may be followed either by steamed salmon on fresh spinach with white
wine dill sauce, or slow-roasted Brome Lake duck with apple bread
stuffing. Warm peach and almond tart with crème anglaise, and
coffee or tea complete the luncheon, which is priced at $36.45
(including taxes and gratuities).
Tickets for the concert are $42.00, 54,50, 67.00 with box seats at
$85.50 (GST and facility included).
Don't miss this delightful New Year's afternoon fest,
which has been sold-out every year since January 1998! Tickets for
both the concert and/or the luncheon can be purchased 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.
