Strauss's Four Last Songs among works to be performed by ravishing soprano Renée Fleming with Pinchas Zukerman and the National Arts Centre Orchestra for the sixth annual NAC fund-raising Gala on September 18, 2002
September 11, 2002 -
Ottawa, Canada -- The most glittering event of the National
Capital's cultural and social season is fast approaching and it
promises to be as spectacular and musically brilliant as ever. The
ravishing soprano Renée Fleming will perform Richard
Strauss's achingly beautiful Four Last Songs when she
appears as the special guest artist of the National Arts Centre
Orchestra led by Music Director Pinchas Zukerman for the sixth annual
fund-raising Gala of the National Arts Centre (NAC) on Wednesday,
September 18.
The Grammy Award-winning Fleming will treat her audience to three
additional gems of the opera repertoire: Puccini's touching
ballad "O mio babbino caro" from the comedy Gianni Schicchi,
Dvorák's glorious and romantic "Song to the Moon" from
Rusalka, and Gounod's "Air de bijoux" - the
popular Jewel Song from Faust. Pinchas Zukerman will lead the
NAC Orchestra in Beethoven's Overture to The Creatures of
Prometheus and Mozart's Symphony No. 40.
The Gala concert, under the distinguished patronage of Honorary
Chair Aline Chrétien, is close to sold out. All Gala tickets
and corporate tables, which include post-concert supper and dancing
on the Southam Hall stage have been sold. Only a limited number of
tickets to the concert itself remain available for sale. These
include a pre-concert reception in the Foyer with wine and
mouth-watering canapes beginning at 18:00
The Presenting Sponsor of the Gala is TELUS. The Associate
Sponsors are Corus Entertainment, the J. Armand Bombardier
Foundation, and Universal Music. Special Partners are A&E;
Television Networks, SUNY Potsdam, Ottawa Senators Hockey Club,
Urbandale Corporation (sponsor of the Amphitheatre), and Craig
Broadcasting (A-Channel). Additional thanks are extended to Capital
Box of Ottawa Limited (décor sponsor), Export Development
Canada (décor sponsor), Bell Canada (CD gift sponsor), Cognos
(dance band sponsor), Gallo Wines (wine sponsor), The Ottawa Citizen
(media sponsor), Le Droit (media sponsor), Biddle McGillvray
Advertising (design sponsor) and the Lowe-Martin Group (print
sponsor)
All proceeds from the Gala are designated to the National Youth
and Education Trust, a primary resource for supporting the artistic
development of young Canadians through education, professional
training and mentoring programmes, and young audience
performances.
The 23-member Gala Committee is chaired by Heather Chiasson.
American soprano Renée Fleming continues to be heralded
throughout the world by the public and critics as one of the truly
magnificent voices of our time. An international star for over a
decade, the award-winning soprano has cultivated a devoted following
for her work on the operatic stage, in concerts and recitals, on
television, radio and recordings and as a champion of new music. An
exclusive Decca recording artist since 1995, she has received a
number of Grammy nominations, winning in 1999 for her recording
The Beautiful Voice. She also won three prestigious Gramophone
Awards. Recent television appearances include "An Evening with
Renée Fleming" on Live from Lincoln Centre, the 2000
season-opening Gala of Great Performers, and a millennium-ending
appearance from The White House.
Renée Fleming made her NAC debut in a standing-room-only
recital in November 2000. This gala marks her first-ever performance
with the National Arts Centre Orchestra and her first concert with
Pinchas Zukerman.
Concert tickets priced at $65, $100
and $125 ($175 tickets are sold out), include the pre-concert
reception in the NAC Foyer with wine and canapés at 18:00 (GST
and Facility Fee included), followed by the concert at 19:00. These
are on sale 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.
