June 23, 2004 -

Ottawa, Canada -- The National Arts Centre’s Young Artists Programme draws to a close with a a chamber music recital on Friday, July 2 at 19:00 in L’Église Sacré-Cœur showcasing all the participants. Forty students from Canada and around the world have been participating in individual lessons, masterclasses, and chamber music training with an international faculty since June 11. Throughout the Young Artists Programme, the students are divided into chamber trios, quartets and quintets, and some of their lessons take place within these ensembles. The July 2 concert will be a performance of the music that each ensemble has been working on over the three-week course.

Excerpts will be performed from the following works: Brahms Piano Quintet in F minor; Shostakovich’s String Quintet in G minor, and String Quartet No. 3 in F major; Schumann’s Piano Quartet in E-flat major; Ligeti’s String Quartet No. 1 “Métamorphoses nocturnes”; Schubert’s String Quartet “Rosamunde”; Ravel’s String Quartet in F major; Mozart’s Divertimento in E-flat major and String Quartet No. 15 in D minor; and Brahms’ String Quintet No. 2 in G major.

The four double basses in the programme have formed their own quartet performing excerpts from Bernhardt’s Suite for Four Double Bass, Joseph Lauber’s Quartetto and Schuller/Gunther’s Quartet for Double Bass.

The NAC Young Artists Programme was created by Pinchas Zukerman in 1999 in order to provide gifted young musicians with training at the highest level in chamber music and individual instruction for strings and piano. Of the 40 participants, 24 come from Victoria to Quebec City in Canada, and the rest from China, France, Hungary, Israel, Korea, Mexico, Russia, Spain, the United States and Uzbekistan.

Galaxie – the Continuous Music Network continues to champion the talent of young artists through its Galaxie Rising Stars Program of the CBC and sponsorship of the Young Artists Programme through 2007. Individual donors as well as groups such as NACOA and the NAC Donors' Circle provide scholarships to fund travel, accommodation and tuition costs for each of the Canadian students enrolled in the Young Artists and Young Composers Programmes. In addition, donors fund partial scholarships for many international students.

The Young Artists Programme together with the Conductors Programme and the Young Composers Programme make up the National Arts Centre Summer Music Institute.  The Institute is supported by scholarships, private donations, the NAC National Youth and Education Trust, and corporate partners including the Scotiabank Group.

The National Youth and Education Trust is supported by TELUS, (founding partner of the Trust) CGI, SunLife Financial, Bruce Power, Forest Products Association of Canada, Michael Potter and Véronique Dhieux, supporters and patrons of the National Arts Centre Gala, and the National Arts Centre Foundation Donors' Circle.

The NAC Young Artists Programme final recital takes place on Friday, July 2 at 19:00 at Église Sacré-Cœur at 591 Cumberland. Tickets are $5 and can be be purchased through the NAC Box Office, Ticketmaster at (613) 755-1111, or at the door on the night of the concert.

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