April 19, 2007 -

Ottawa, Canada -- Internationally recognized American conductor Leonard Slatkin – the Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, and Principal Guest Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl – comes to lead the National Arts Centre Orchestra for the first time since 1977 in Bostonian Bravo Series concerts on Thursday, April 26 and Friday, April 27 at 20:00 in the NAC's Southam Hall. These Quebec Scene concerts feature the celebrated Quebec pianist Louis Lortie in Schumann's lyrical and passionate Piano Concerto in A minor. Slatkin will lead the Orchestra in Barber's First Essay for Orchestra and Tchaikovsky's emotional and romantic "Symphonie pathétique" (Symphony No. 6). Borden Ladner Gervais LLP is the Performance Sponsor.

There will be free pre-concert talks at 19:00 both evenings given in French by music critic and musicologist François Tousignant, entitled "Le concerto romantique par excellence".

Mr. Slatkin has made regular appearances with virtually every major international orchestra, including the New York Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, and many others. A recent highlight is a European tour with the Pittsburgh Symphony, stepping in at the last minute to replace Sir Andrew Davis. Mr. Slatkin has received many honours and awards, including the 2003 National Medal of Arts and an honorary doctorate from his alma mater The Juilliard School. In 2007 he will become the Arthur R. Metz Foundation Conductor at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music. His more than 100 recordings have been recognized with five Grammy awards and more than fifty other Grammy nominations.

Born in Montreal, Louis Lortie made his debut with the Montreal Symphony at the age of thirteen. In 1984, he won First Prize in the Busoni Competition and was a prize-winner at the Leeds Competition. In 1992 he was named Officer of the Order of Canada. He now regularly teaches at Italy's renowned piano institute at Imola. Lortie has made over 30 recordings on Chandos, ranging from Mozart to Stravinsky. Under the recording label Palexa, Mr. Lortie will soon release a series of recent live performances. His recording of Beethoven's Eroica Variations won the Edison Award. Last season Mr. Lortie began his multi-concert Wagner/Liszt project at London's Wigmore Hall, and next season performs it in Berlin, Milan, Domaine Forget, the Weimar Festival, Bordeaux and Warsaw. His regular piano-duo partner is fellow Canadian Hélène Mercier with whom he is playing a recital for Quebec Scene on April 20.

Tickets for these Bostonian Bravo Series concerts on Thursday, April 26 and Friday, April 27 at 20:00 are on sale now at $18.82, $38.64, $58.45, 68.36 with box seats at $82.22 (6% 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 website 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. Same-day Live Rush tickets (subject to availability) for full-time students (aged 13 to 29) are $10 at the NAC Box Office between 14:00 and 18:00 on the day of performance only, upon presentation of a valid Live Rush card.

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. Subscriptions 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