January 10, 2007 -

Ottawa, Canada -- The superb young Uzbekistani violinist Daniel Khalikov, a graduate of the National Arts Centre’s Young Artists Programme, will be featured in the first Aber Diamond Debut Series concert of 2007 presented by the National Arts Centre and CBC Radio Two on Friday, January 12 at noon in the Foyer of the NAC. The hour-long recital with pianist Alexander Moutouzkine of music by Mozart, Beethoven and Ottawa composer Roddy Ellias is hosted by Eric Friesen and will be broadcast on his Radio Two programme Studio Sparks. (Aber Diamond is pronounced “Abber” Diamond).

Admission to the recital is $4.00 with all proceeds going to the NAC Orchestra Bursary Trust Fund and the CBC Music in Schools Award. Additional donations are greatly appreciated.

Daniel Khalikov and Alexander Moutouzkine will perform Mozart’s Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 22 in A major, Roddy Ellias’s Acts of Light, and Beethoven’s Sonata No. 7 for Violin and Piano in C minor.

Daniel Khalikov has performed as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Turkey, Kazakhstan and his homeland Uzbekistan. He has performed with numerous orchestras, and at such venues as the Berlin Philharmonic Hall and the Kennedy Center. In December 2005 Daniel won the Golden Hannukia award in Berlin. In 2004 he won the “Composer’s Prize” as well as second place at the Yehudi Menuhin Violin Competition in London. Daniel is also a winner of the Strad Violin Competition in Boca Raton and Concerto Competition at the Manhattan School of Music where he is now a 5th year student, pursuing his Master’s Degree with Patinka Kopec and Pinchas Zukerman. He has also studied with Zukerman and Kopec in the National Arts Centre’s Young Artists Programme of the Summer Music Institute from 2001 to 2005. As a chamber musician Daniel has collaborated with Yefim Bronfman, Ralph Kirshbaum, Michael Tree, at music festivals such as Tanglewood, Verbier, Norfolk, Perlman Music Program, and the Santa Fe Chamber Music festival. Daniel’s major hobby is photography. Today, Mr. Khalikov plays a Januarius Gagliano violin made in Napoli in 1785.

The Aber Diamond Debut Series showcases talented young musicians from Canada and around the world. The recitals take place in the Foyer of the NAC at noon, and each will be broadcast across Canada on Eric Friesen’s afternoon programme Studio Sparks on CBC Radio Two. Radio listeners can tune into the full three hours of Studio Sparks from noon to 15:00 with the recital in the middle hour at 13:00.

The remainder of the 2006-2007 Aber Diamond Debut Series is as follows:

Friday, March 16: Sean Rice, clarinet (St. John, Newfoundland; member of NAC Young Artists Programme in 2005 and 2006); Teng Li, viola (Beijing; principal viola of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra); Jean Desmarais, piano

Thursday, April 5: Sara Hahn, flute (Winnipeg); Arnold Choi, cello (Calgary; former student of The Conservatory at Mount Royal College Conservatory); Jean Desmarais, piano

Friday, May 4: Andrée-Anne Perras-Fortin, piano (Quebec City, member of NAC Young Artists Programme in 2004 and 2005) This concert will be part of the Quebec Scene.

Friday, June 15: Michèle Bogdanowicz, soprano (Toronto); Lawrence Williford, tenor (Toronto); piano TBA

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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

Jill LaForty, CBC Radio National Music Producer
(613) 288-6461
jill_laforty@cbc.ca