Programme announced for sold-out National Arts Centre Gala featuring Itzhak Perlman and Pinchas Zukerman with the National Arts Centre Orchestra on October 4, 2003
September 24, 2003 -
Ottawa, Canada -- The concert programme has been announced for the sold-out seventh annual National Arts Centre Gala featuring the magical combination of Itzhak Perlman as violinist and Pinchas Zukerman as conductor and violinist with the National Arts Centre Orchestra. The concert, including a special appearance by two students from this summer's NAC Young Artists Programme, takes place in the National Arts Centre's Southam Hall on Saturday, October 4 at 19:00 in the NAC's Southam Hall. There will be a pre-concert reception in the Foyer for all patrons at 18:00, and post-concert supper and dancing on the Southam Hall stage for gala patrons. This spectacular concert and gala with two of the greatest string players of all time will take place under the distinguished patronage of Honorary Chair Aline Chrétien. The 21-member Gala Committee is chaired by Kenneth Loeb, President of Capital Box of Ottawa Limited.
The National Arts Centre Gala is presented by TELUS, Founding Partner of the National Youth and Education Trust, in association with CGI Group and Sun Life Financial. Special thanks go to A & E Television Networks, Tri-Co Printing, Montcorr Packaging, Bruce Power, St. Laurent Volvo, Craig Broadcasting, Harmon Foundation, Capital Box of Ottawa Limited, ADGA Group, Cognos Inc., Beringer Blass Wine Estates, The Ottawa Citizen, LeDroit, the Lowe-Martin Group, B!ddle McGillvray Advertising, CH2M Hill and CD Warehouse.
Itzhak Perlman last visited the NAC four years ago when he and Maestro Zukerman joined forces for an unforgettable night of music-making at the 1999 National Arts Centre Gala. Friends for four decades, they are considered to be among the greatest string players in the world today, thrilling audiences around the world throughout their individual careers. Their rare joint appearances are magical musical events to be savoured, and never forgotten.
Together the two superstars will perform the piece for which they are most renowned: Bach's Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, one of the most beloved double string concertos in the repertoire. Itzhak Perlman will also perform Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 3. After Maestro Zukerman leads the Orchestra in Beethoven's Symphony No. 2, the spotlight will turn to two stars of the future, both participants in last summer's NAC Young Artists Programme. Jesus Reina and Luis Esnaola, both violinists from Spain who also study at the Zukerman Performance Programme at the Manhattan School of Music, will perform Sarasate's fiery Navarra. The two were featured during July's Canada Day concerts with the NAC Orchestra, and brought the audience immediately to their feet at both concerts.
All proceeds from the National Arts Centre 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.
Pinchas Zukerman and Itzhak Perlman first met in 1958 when the former was ten years old and the latter was thirteen. The occasion was a visit to Israel by Ed Sullivan to audition talent for his television show. Their paths crossed again at the Meadowmount School of Music in 1962 after both had moved to the United States to study. They became friends at the Juilliard School of Music. Opportunities to see and hear the two superstars together live in concert are rare. The most recent occasion was in August 2001 at the opening concert of the Mostly Mozart Festival in New York. In January 1999 they performed a gala fundraising concert at Carnegie Hall for the American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and earlier appeared together in 1998 in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv with the Israel Philharmonic led by Zubin Mehta to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel.
Itzhak Perlman's recordings regularly appear on the best-seller charts and have garnered fifteen Grammy Awards. He also has four Emmy Awards, most recently for the PBS documentary Fiddling for the Future, a film about the Perlman Summer Music Program and his work as a teacher and conductor there.
The gala concert quickly sold out after its first announcement in April.
