July 04, 2005 -

Ottawa, Canada -- One of the world’s finest pianists and one of Ottawa’s favourite performers, Anton Kuerti returns to the National Arts Centre Orchestra with Music Director Pinchas Zukerman on the podium to perform Beethoven’s heroic “Emperor” Piano Concerto No. 5 on Tuesday, July 12 at 19:30 in the NAC’s Southam Hall. He will perform on the Steinway piano that he assisted the NAC in acquiring through a fundraising concert during the Great Composers Festival exactly six years ago. The concert opens with one of the Orchestra’s signature pieces – Mendelssohn’s sparkling “Italian” Symphony No. 4.

The 19:30 NAC Orchestra concert is preceded at 18:30 by the third of Thomas Annand’s Encounters with Bach which he is presenting prior to each of the four Great Composers concerts. For these half-hour Evening Overtures of organ music and chat, Annand will discuss and perform music by Bach as well by composers who influenced or were influenced by him. The 30-minute Encounter with Bach is included in the ticket price of the orchestral concert. Ticket-holders have the option of arriving at 18:30 for Thomas Annand, or coming at 19:30 if they choose to attend only the orchestral concert.

The NAC Orchestra’s Great Composers series is presented in association with the Ottawa Citizen.

Anton Kuerti’s vast repertoire includes some 50 concertos, including one he composed himself, but it has always been the music of Beethoven with which he has had a particular affinity. Montreal’s La Presse wrote: “Kuerti possesses this music – Beethoven’s Third and all the other concertos – as though he had written it, even to the point of visually suggesting the composer.” One of today’s most recorded artists, Kuerti has put on disc the entire set of Beethoven Concertos and Sonatas, as well as works by many other composers. He has participated in leading festivals, and on many occasions has shown remarkable stamina, performing all five Beethoven Concertos plus the Choral Fantasy, or the last five Beethoven Piano Sonatas, in one extended concert. One of Kuerti’s projects is promoting the revival of composer Carl Czerny including a world premiere recording of two works for violin and piano that had never been performed.

Anton Kuerti was born in Austria, grew up in the U.S., and has lived in Canada for the last 35 years. While still a student, he won the famous Leventritt Award, and has since toured 39 countries, and has performed with most major U.S. orchestras and conductors. This is Anton Kuerti’s fourth collaboration with Pinchas Zukerman at the National Arts Centre. Kuerti was also a member of the faculty of the NAC Young Artists Programme in 2002.

Tickets for this Great Composers series concert with Pinchas Zukerman and Anton Kuerti on July 12 at 19:30, including the Encounter with Bach at 18:30 are on sale now at $22.00 and $28.00 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.  Half-price tickets for students in all sections of the hall are on sale in person at the NAC Box Office upon presentation of a valid student ID card. Groups of 20 and more save up to 20% on NAC Music, Theatre and Dance performances.  To book call 947-7000 ext. 384 or email grp@nac-cna.ca.

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