April 07, 2004 -

Ottawa, Canada -- Juno Award-winning Canadian violinist James Ehnes (pronounced EN-nis), described by Britain’s Daily Telegraph as “one of the most gifted and sincerely expressive artists to have emerged in recent times,” returns to the National Arts Centre Orchestra to perform the romantic and virtuosic Barber Violin Concerto on Wednesday, April 21 and Thursday, April 22 at 20:00 in Southam Hall.

Conductor Ruman Gamba, in his NAC Orchestra debut, opens these concerts with Aaron Copland’s Music for the Theatre, an early work by this composer who was at that time considered one of the enfants terribles of the music scene. It consists of a brash “Prologue”, jazzy “Dance”, lyrical “Interlude”, and harmonically dissonant “Burlesque”, all wrapped up with an “Epilogue”.

The programme closes with Schubert’s Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major, variously described as enchanting, delicious, delicate, exquisite, delightful, graceful and endearing, capturing all the charm and spirit of an idealized vision of carefree, nineteenth-century Vienna.

James Ehnes has established an international career of rare distinction. He has performed throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia with many of the world’s great orchestras and with such conductors as Vladimir Ashkenazy, Sir Andrew Davis, Charles Dutoit, Ivan Fischer, Bruno Weil, and Bobby McFerrin. Recitals have taken him to major cities around the world, including Chicago, Washington D.C., Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, London, Paris, Prague, Tokyo and Osaka. As a chamber musician, he often plays in a chamber trio with cellist Jan Vogler and Louis Lortie and has collaborated with such artists as Leif Ove Andsnes and Yo-Yo Ma. The banner year 2004 sees Ehnes release four new recordings.  His most recent is a collection of works by Janácek, Smetana and Dvorák entitled Romantic Pieces on the Analekta label which will be followed later this year by a disc of Wieniawski and Sarasate (CBC) and two Chandos recordings: Dohnányi Concerto for Violin and Tartiniana by Luigi Dallapiccola, both with the BBC Philharmonic. His CBC recordings won back-to-back Juno awards in 2002 and 2003 for Best Classical Recording. Ehnes plays the “Ex Marsick” Stradivarius of 1715 and gratefully acknowledges its extended loan from the Fulton Collection.

Rumon Gamba is Chief Conductor and Music Director of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, a position he has held since September 2002. He works regularly with the BBC orchestras and guest conducts widely within Europe. He has conducted most of the UK orchestras and is establishing regular relationships abroad with orchestras such as the Barcelona Symphony and Munich Philharmonic, where his most recent visit included performances of Shostakovich’s 8^th Symphony.  Last season Gamba made his debuts with the Basel Symphony, SWR Stuttgart, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Gothenburg and Sydney Symphonies.  He has also conducted the London Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and this year conducted at the BBC Proms which was broadcast live on BBC television. Gamba records for Chandos records with whom he has made a number of recordings, including several award-winning CDs as part of the acclaimed Chandos Film Music series.

Tickets for these Ovation Series concerts on April 21 and 22 are on sale now at $27.00, $45.00, $56.00 and $58.00, with box seats at $73.00 (GST and Facility Fee included) 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 tickets for students in all sections of the hall are on sale in person at the NAC Box Office upon presentation of a valid student ID card. Groups of 20 and more save up to 20% on NAC Music, Theatre and Dance performances.  To book call 947-7000 ext. 384 or email grp@nac-cna.ca

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