April 04, 2007 -

Ottawa, Canada -- Winnipeg flutist Sara Hahn joins forces with Calgary cellist Arnold Choi for the next Aber Diamond Debut Series concert presented by the National Arts Centre and CBC Radio Two on Thursday, April 5 at noon in the Foyer of the NAC. The hour-long recital with pianist Jean Desmarais features music by Handel, Reinecke, Brahms and Canadian composer Malcolm Forsyth. It 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.

The programme consists of Handel’s Sonata in F major for flute and cello continuo; Reinecke’s “Undine” Sonata for flute and piano; the Allegro non troppo from Brahms’s Cello Sonata No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38; and Malcolm Forsyth’s Eclectic Suite for cello and piano.

Sara Hahn, principal flute of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, began playing flute at the age of 12 in her junior high school band class. She holds a degree from the University of Toronto where she studied with international recording artist, Susan Hoeppner. In the summer of 2002, she completed an extensive three-week tour of Japan and Hong Kong with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. In 2005, she spent three months with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra as the Associate Principal Flute/Piccolo player. She went on from there to win the top prize of $10,000 in the first ever Doris McLellan Competition for Solo Performance with Orchestra in 2006.

Calgary-born cellist Arnold Choi began playing the cello at the age of five and was a student at Calgary’s Mount Royal College Conservatory. He is now in his second year on full scholarship at the Colburn School of Performing Arts in Los Angeles. Choi's list of awards includes first place in the Canadian Music Competition, the Kiwanis Music Festival, the Rose Bowl, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra Competition and the National Shean String Competition. He has appeared as soloist with the Montreal, Quebec and Edmonton Symphony Orchestras and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.

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. Those listening at home can tune into the full three hours of Studio Sparks from noon to 15:00 and hear the recital in the middle hour at 13:00.

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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