February 01, 2006 -

Ottawa, Canada -- The National Arts Centre will present the most celebrated assembly of musical talent ever to grace a Canadian stage in honour of the 10th Anniversary Gala which takes place on Wednesday, September 27 in Southam Hall: NAC Music Director and world-renowned violinist Pinchas Zukerman will share the stage with legendary pianist Emanuel Ax; Yo-Yo Ma, the most famous cellist in the world today; Canadian Celtic fiddling sensation Natalie MacMaster; and Gil Shaham, one of the brightest stars in the next generation of violin virtuosos – all performing together with the National Arts Centre Orchestra. This assembly of musical royalty has collectively accumulated two dozen Grammy Awards.

There will be a pre-concert reception in the Foyer for all patrons at 17:30, followed by the concert at 18:30. Those who purchase Encore Seating will join Gala sponsors at a post-concert reception with dancing in the Foyer, followed by dinner on the Southam Hall stage.

The NAC is honoured to have TELUS, Founding Partner of the NAC’s National Youth and Education Trust, once again as the Presenting Sponsor of the annual Gala. This commitment reflects TELUS’s continuing support of the National Youth and Education Trust, a primary resource for supporting the artistic development of young Canadians through educational resources, professional training, mentoring programmes and young audience performances. The Trust is also supported by SunLife Financial, patrons of the Gala and the National Arts Centre Foundation Donors’ Circle.

“It is always wonderful to see the community turn out in force every Fall to raise funds for the NAC’s National Youth and Education Trust,” said Janet Yale, Chair of the 2006 Gala Committee and TELUS’ executive vice president, Corporate Affairs. “With this line up of international stars, the 2006 10th anniversary Fall Gala is bound to sell out in an instant, and that is terrific news for the young artists across Canada who benefit from the Trust’s programs.”

Details of the programme for the Gala will be announced at a later date.

EMANUEL AX is renowned not only for his poetic temperament and unsurpassed virtuosity on the piano, but also for the exceptional breadth of his performing activity. Each season his distinguished career includes appearances with major symphony orchestras worldwide, recitals in the most celebrated concert halls, a variety of chamber music collaborations, the commissioning and performance of new music, and additions to his acclaimed discography on Sony Classical. He captured public attention in 1974 when, at age 25, he won the First Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition in Tel Aviv. In 1975 he won the Michaels Award of Young Concert Artists and, four years later, took the coveted Avery Fisher Prize.

YO-YO MA’s multi-faceted career is testament to his continual search for new ways to communicate with audiences, and to his personal desire for artistic growth and renewal. Whether performing a new concerto, revisiting a familiar work from the cello repertoire, coming together with colleagues for chamber music or exploring cultures and musical forms outside of the Western classical tradition, Ma strives to find connections that stimulate the imagination. An exclusive Sony Classical artist, his discography of over 50 albums has won him 15 Grammy Awards. Yo-Yo Ma maintains a balance between his engagements as soloist with orchestras throughout the world and his recital and chamber music activities. He draws inspiration from a wide circle of collaborators.

NATALIE MACMASTER began taking Celtic music to new heights after winning numerous East Coast Music Awards for her traditional Cape Breton recordings. Often referred to as “the busiest woman in the Canadian music business,” MacMaster’s exhaustive touring schedule has taken her from stages in Hawaii to Antarctica, Alaska to Japan, from Scotland to Italy, Germany to the Hollywood Bowl and beyond. Two of her CDs have charted on Billboard’s Top 20 Selling World Music charts. Four of her previous five CD releases have been certified “gold” in Canada.

GIL SHAHAM is internationally recognized by audiences and many noted critics as one of
today's most virtuosic and engaging classical artists. He has been acclaimed consistently for his performances with the leading US orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphony. Recitals and other orchestral engagements have taken him to music capitals worldwide and he is a regular visitor to summer festivals including Mostly Mozart and the Hollywood Bowl. Awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant in 1990, he has recorded much of the central violin repertoire both solo and orchestral. He plays the 1699 “Countess Polignac” Stradivarius.

PINCHAS ZUKERMAN, the world-renowned instrumentalist and Music Director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra is equally respected as a violinist, violist, conductor, teacher and chamber musician. He is a champion of the NAC’s rapid expansion in education, having founded the NAC’s Summer Music Institute, which last summer assembled 80 talented musicians to study with an international faculty. He has also led six national and international tours with the NAC Orchestra since becoming Music Director, with education playing an ever more important role. This season’s Alberta-Saskatchewan Tour included 98 education events in addition to concerts. All these initiatives are supported by the National Youth and Education Trust.

Concert tickets priced at $70, $125 and $150 include the pre-concert reception in the NAC Foyer with wine and canapés at 17:30, followed by the concert at 18:30. These go on sale on Monday, February 6 to members of the NAC Donors Circle and to subscribers to the National Arts Centre Orchestra’s 2006-2007 season which also goes on sale on February 6. Orders can be made only with a valid order form which will be accepted online, by mail, by fax, or dropped off in person in the NAC Box Office from Monday to Saturday, 10:00 to 21:00. This priority period lasts until March 31. The Box Office opens to the general public on April 24.

Encore seating at $1,000 per ticket includes the pre-concert reception and the concert, as well as a post-concert reception and dancing followed by a candlelight dinner on the Southam Hall stage.

Encore Seating may be purchased through the NAC Development Department at (613) 947-7000, ext. 322. Sponsorship inquiries can be directed to Mary Ann MacIntosh, Director of Sponsorship, at ext. 284.

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