July 23, 2007 -

OFC also presents "Glimpse at Canadian Classical Music" July 28-29

Ottawa, Canada – The Orchestre de la francophonie canadienne (OFC), led by its Music Director Jean-Philippe Tremblay, will make its sixth annual summer visit to the National Arts Centre's Southam Hall in a free concert on Saturday, July 28 at 19:30 in Southam Hall. The OFC will perform Cry,a world premiere by Canadian composer Scott Good, a graduate of the NAC's Young Composers Programme, as well as Bruckner's Symphony No. 6.

Tickets to this concert by l'Orchestre de la francophonie canadienne are free and may be picked up in person at the National Arts Centre Box Office.

While in Ottawa, the Orchestre de la francophonie canadienne will also present Glimpse at Canadian Classical Music, a unique musical event dedicated entirely to music from Canada. This musical encounter, to which the public is invited, will take place at the National Arts Centre, in Ottawa, on July 28 and 29. The purpose of Glimpse is for residents of the National Capital Region to discover how many Canadian musical treasures there are by introducing them to musicians and other music professionals. This event will give the audience an outstanding opportunity to see for themselves the particular work of two young Canadian composers of contemporary classical music, Maxime McKinley of Sherbrooke and Scott Good of Toronto, the conductor and musical director of the OFC, Jean-Philippe Tremblay, of Montreal, and his musicians.

The activities scheduled include a rehearsal, a pre-concert talk, the symphony concert (already mentioned), a lecture dealing with the management of a musician's career by Angela Birdsell, Music Section Officer with the Canada Council, a composition workshop and a classical music fair, in which several organizations dedicated to supporting and promoting music, notably the Canada Council, the National Arts Centre and the University of Ottawa. OFC musicians will provide young musicians from the region with music classes free of charge on each of the orchestra's instruments. To take advantage of these classes, young people are invited to register by e-mail at the following address: lambert_lucille@yahoo.ca. All activities are free of charge, including the concert.

The OFC continues to astonish audiences with both its high level of musical excellence and its innovative activities. Glimpse at Canadian Classical Music is a perfect example.

A Glimpse at Canadian Classical Music

July 28, 2007
4pm Official Opening – NAC Foyer
4-10 pm Music Fair – NAC Foyer
4:30 pm Rehearsal open to the Public – NAC Southam Hall
7 pm Talk with Jean-Philippe Tremblay and Scott Good
7:30 pm Concert: NAC Southam Hall, Scott Good, Cry (Created for the OFC) Bruckner, Symphony No. 4 in E-flat major, "Romantic"

July 29, 2007
9 am-Noon Music Fair (NAC Rehearsal Hall A)
9 am Lecture: Managing a Musician's Career (NAC Rehearsal Hall B), Angela Birdsell – Canada Council
10 am Workshop open to the public: Young Composers at Work (Rehearsal Hall B), Maxime McKinley, Les testaments trahis, Scott Good, Cry
1 pm Music Classes (Rehearsal Hall B)

Young musicians from the region are invited to take part, free of charge, in master classes given by OFC musicians. Open to the public.
Info: lambert_lucille@yahoo.ca

All activities are free of charge

ORCHESTRE DE LA FRANCOPHONIE CANADIENNE

Since it was founded in July 2001, the OFC has met with great success presenting numerous concerts across the country, performing pieces by Canadian composers and thus contributing to the promotion of Canada's musical heritage. Its concerts have been aired by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and Société Radio-Canada (SRC). By programming quality activities and making available the talents of qualified professionals, masters and soloists of world renown, the OFC helps young musicians achieve mastery of their instrument. The OFC serves as a genuine springboard for young musicians keen on pursuing a professional career. Never before has such an opportunity to share an entirely unique and inspiring experience been afforded to young musicians in Canada. The OFC has already completed one international tour, which took them to China, where they gave concerts and master classes in 13 different cities. This made it the most extensive tour ever undertaken by a symphony orchestra from North America. The OFC plans to repeat the experience in Germany in 2009.

JEAN-PHILIPPE TREMBLAY, Conductor

Universally hailed by the Canadian press as "a great interpreter" with "a true musical vision" 28 year old French Canadian conductor and violist Jean-Philippe Tremblay has developed an impressive and varied international career.

Mr. Tremblay has conducted the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra (London), the Prague Chamber Orchestra, the Radio Orchestra of Dresden, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra and concerts in Spain, England and France, California and Florida. At home he has conducted extensively at the invitation of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, the Orchestre symphonique de Laval, the Toronto Youth Symphony, the National Ballet of Canada Orchestra, the Sinfonia Nova Scotia, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra, where he was Apprentice Conductor to Pinchas Zukerman from 2001 to 2003. Last season's highlights include appearances with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, the Winnipeg Symphony, and the Budapest Radio Chamber Orchestra. Upcoming engagements include concerts with the Rotterdam and Seoul Philharmonics, Ensemble Moderne Contemporain in Paris, a North American tour with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Pinchas Zukerman as soloist and concerts in London, Chicago and Oslo. Jean-Philippe Tremblay has been music director of the Orchestre de la francophonie canadienne (OFC) since it was founded in the summer of 2001.

In addition to his extensive symphonic engagements Mr. Tremblay is active in the operatic world, conducting each season professionally mounted productions of the great operatic classics for Jeunesses Musicales du Canada in various centers around the country.

Active as a recording artist, Mr. Tremblay's recently transcribed Robert Schumann String Quartets, Op. 41 for string orchestra have been released to critical acclaim on the Naxos label in September 2006. In the same period he released on the XXI label performances of the Max Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 with violinist Alexandre da Costa followed by an all-symphonic release with the Orchestre de la francophonie canadienne of Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 7 on the Analekta label. He has recorded more than 15 concerts for CBC Radio and is an exclusive recording artist with Analekta.

Mr. Tremblay has received the Joyce Conger Award for the Arts and the Rose Roitman Award. In September, 2003, MacLeans Magazine presented in its "Top 30 under 30", celebrating young Canadian personalities. He also received the musician's prize at the 2002 Dimitris Mitropoulos International Competition for Orchestral Conducting (Greece), In 2004-2005, he was selected by Kurt Mazur and Christoph von Donhnanyi as one of three participants in the Allianz International Conductors Academy in London.

He is also Artistic Adviser for the New York-based Tremblay Ensemble, a close collaborator with Jeunesses Musicales du Canada in Montreal where he acts as a faculty member to young conductors and composers for the Young Artists Programme at the National Center of the Arts in Ottawa.

Mr. Tremblay was trained in viola, composition and conducting at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec (Chicoutimi), the faculty of music at Université de Montréal, the Pierre Monteux School, Maine, Tanglewood Music Center and the Royal Academy of Music in London. He has studied under such renowned artists as Robert Spano, Seiji Ozawa, André Prévin, Jorman Panula, Paolo Bellomia and Michael Jinbo.

Jean-Philippe Tremblay is a graduate of the first edition of the NAC Conductors Programme in 2001 after which he was named Apprentice Conductor of the National Arts Centre Orchestra for two seasons. He returned to the NAC again this June for his fourth session as a member of the staff of the NAC's Summer Music Institute leading an ensemble of musicians from his Orchestra in new works as part of the Young Composers Programme.

SCOTT GOOD, composer

Dr. Good studied at the Eastman School of Music and the University of Toronto. His composition teachers have included Samuel Adler, Gary Kulesha, Christos Hatzis, Ka Nin Chan, Joseph Schwantner, as well as trombonists John Marcellus and Fred Boyd.

Awards he has received include the Howard Hanson Prize, First Prize at the Winnipeg New Music Festival Composers Competition, the John Weinzweig Prize and three prizes in the SOCAN Competition for Young Composers. Scott has composed music for a variety of ensembles including the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Hannaford Street Silver Band, the Esprit Orchestra, baroque ensemble I Furiosi, the N.T.C.I. Symphonic Band, the Pax Christe Choral, as well as soloists Wallace Halladay, and John Farah. He was chosen as the composer for the 2006 Montreal International Competition for violin. He has composed works for the Orchestre de la francophonie canadienne, the Kitchener/Waterloo Symphony, the Arbutus Project, and the Toronto Sinfonia. He has been the appointed composer of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra (2005-2006 Season).

Scott also performs with such diverse ensembles as the Human Remains, the Glenn Buhr ensemble, the Woodchoppers Association, Kanaka, the Lollipop People, the Ugly Bug Band, the Basement Arms and GUH. In April, he premiered RUB, a new ensemble with Andrew Downing and Dave Clark featuring original songs by Dr. Good, and adaptations of classical works. He has recorded an assortment of albums with these bands, as well as making guest appearances with a number of other groups. Many of his works and performances have been heard on CBC radio.

A budding conductor, Dr. Good has worked with many composers on premieres of new compositions. He was conductor in residence with the Canadian Contemporary Music Workshop in 2005, music director of Earshot concerts for 6 seasons, music director for Charlie Ringus' "Gold of Hours", a multi-media presentation with chamber orchestra and singers, and conductor/soloist with Acid Brass, a brass and percussion ensemble which performs Techno music.

MAXIME MCKINLEY, Composer

Maxime McKinley, "one of the most interesting composers of his generation" (Words&Music;), was born in the Eastern Townships, in 1979. He studied composition with Michel Gonneville at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal, where he graduated with the Prix avec grande distinction in 2004. He has been studying composition with Isabelle Panneton at the Université de Montréal since 2004, where he is preparing a doctor's degree. In 2007, thanks to a Canada Council for the Arts grant, he studied in Paris with Martin Matalon. He also had master classes with composers Hugues Dufourt, Peter Eötvös, Martin Matalon, Bruno Mantovani, Armando Luna and Kenneth Hesketh.

Maxime McKinley has received commissions from several ensembles, and his works have been performed, among others, by Camerata de las Américas, Esprit Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, the Orchestre de la francophonie canadienne, the Orchestre de l'Université de Montréal, the Orchestre symphonique des jeunes de Montréal, the Orchestre du Conservatoire de Montréal, the Ensemble contemporain de Montréal, the Trio Hochalaga, the Duo Prémices and the ensemble Alizé. His works have been performed in in Canada, France and Mexico, and have been broadcasted on CBC Radio Two and Espace Musique de Radio-Canada.

His honors include five prizes in the SOCAN competition for young composers, a commission prize in the competition of the Orchestre de l'Université de Montréal and the TSYO Canadian composer's competition prize. In addition, he was selected to participate in the Young Composers Program of the National Arts Centre in Ottawa and the Génération 2006 project of the Ensemble contemporain de Montréal. Maxime McKinley also won the lecture contest Présences de la musique, organized by the Société québécoise de recherches en musique.

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Contact:
Marc Delorme
(613) 612-3719