November 25, 2005 -

Ottawa, Canada -- American pianist Garrick Ohlsson, winner of the 1970 Chopin International Piano Competition, returns to the National Arts Centre Orchestra to perform Dvorák’s only Piano Concerto under the baton of Spanish conductor Roberto Minczuk (pronounced MIN-chook) in Bostonian Bravo Series concerts on Thursday, December 1 and Friday, December 2 at 20:00 in the NAC’s Southam Hall. Minczuk will also conduct the Orchestra in Mendelssohn’s “Scottish” Symphony, regarded by many as his finest, and in Melodien, a rich ethereal work by

Hungarian Gyorgy Ligeti, who at age 82 is one of the world’s foremost living composers.

Garrick Ohlsson describes the Dvorák concerto as “a grand Romantic concerto with marvellous tunes, lots of drama and brilliance, an ecstatically beautiful second movement, and a lively, quirky, Czech-dance-like finale.” He explains how he came to learn it: “Mozart had his greatest personal success in Prague, and so have I (not that I’m comparing us). Once in 1979 over coffee with some musicians there, I asked about the piano concerto of Dvorák, which is not so terribly well known outside the Czech Republic. They said they thought it was wonderful, but suffered, of course, in comparison with the cello concerto, which is one of the greatest concertos by anybody for any instrument. So I learned the concerto, and have played it many dozens of times, both in Prague and on tour with the Czech Philharmonic and many other places.”

Since his triumph as winner of the 1970 Chopin International Piano Competition, pianist Garrick Ohlsson has established himself worldwide as a musician of magisterial interpretive and technical prowess. Although he has long been regarded as one of the world’s leading exponents of the music of Frédéric Chopin, Mr. Ohlsson commands an enormous repertoire, which ranges over the entire piano literature. A student of the late Claudio Arrau, Mr. Ohlsson has come to be noted for his masterly performances of the works of Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert, as well as the Romantic repertoire. His concerto repertoire alone is unusually wide and eclectic – ranging from Haydn and Mozart to works of the 21st century – and to date he has at his command some 80 concertos. A prolific recording artist, Mr. Ohlsson can be heard on the Arabesque, RCA Victor Red Seal, Angel, Bridge, BMG, Delos, Hänssler, Nonesuch, Telarc and Virgin Classics labels.

Roberto Minczuk currently serves as Principal Guest Conductor of the Sao Paulo State Symphony Orchestra in Brazil – having recently completed a nine-year tenure as Co-Artistic Director of that same orchestra and a two-year period as Associate Conductor of the New York Philharmonic. A protégé of Kurt Masur, Maestro Minczuk has swiftly established himself as one of the most important emerging talents of his generation. Since his debut with the New York Philharmonic in 1998, he has been invited to conduct extensively in North America, with highly successful appearances at the Houston Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra among many others.

Tickets for these Bostonian Bravo Series concerts on December 1 and 2 are on sale now at $27.00, $47.50, $58.00 and $60.00, with box seats at $79.00 (GST and Facility Fee included) 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. 

New for 05-06: Groups of 10 and more save 15% to 20% off the regular price of tickets to NAC Music, Theatre and Dance performances.  To reserve your seats call 947-7000 ext. 384 or email grp@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. Subscriptions for the season are also still available by calling the Subscription Office at 613-947-7000, ext. 620.

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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