April 18, 2006 -

Ottawa, Canada -- The National Arts Centre is delighted to announce that the 10th anniversary NAC Gala is already sold out. The Gala, starring five of today’s top musical stars, will take place on Wednesday, September 27 in Southam Hall beginning with a reception in the Foyer at 17:30. At 18:30, 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. All available tickets have been snapped up by NAC subscribers during the priority period before the scheduled Box Office opening to the general public on April 24.

The NAC is honoured to announce that Mrs.Laureen Harper has accepted the invitation to be the 10th Anniversary Gala’s Honourary Chair. The Gala Committee is chaired by Janet Yale, Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs of TELUS, the Presenting Sponsor of the annual Gala, and Founding Partner of the NAC’s National Youth and Education Trust. The Trust is also supported by Sun Life Financial, Michael Potter and Véronique Dhieux, supporters and patrons of the National Arts Centre Gala, and the National Arts Centre Foundation Donors' Circle. The National Youth and Education Trust is a primary resource for supporting the artistic development of young Canadians through educational resources, professional training, mentoring programmes and young audience performances.

Janet Yale said: “This quick sell-out is a wonderful testament to the support our community consistently gives to the beneficiaries of the Gala – the young artists, students, teachers and audiences across Canada who reap the rewards offered by the programmes of the National Youth and Education Trust. It is no surprise really that tickets sold so fast…just look at the spectacular line up of gala artists! Everyone fortunate enough to have tickets will enjoy an unbelievable night of music-making.”

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

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.

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