September 28, 2007 -

Ottawa, Canada -- The National Arts Centre, the Ottawa Chamber Music Society and Japan's Nippon Music Foundation, supported by the Embassy of Japan in Canada, presents Encounter with Stradivari 2007, an extraordinary musical performance featuring 12 priceless violins played by world-renowned musicians including the Tokyo String Quartet in an intimate, concert setting. Encounter with Stradivari will take place on Tuesday, October 9 at 19:30 in the Auditorium of the National Gallery of Canada.

The Nippon Music Foundation is one of the world's largest holders of rare Italian violins made by Stradivari and Guarneri in the 17th and 18th Centuries.  The Foundation purchases these priceless instruments and provides them to exceptional performers to help advance their artistic development. The Foundation presents an international series of benefit performances to showcase the instruments and the musicians who play them. The concert in Ottawa, inspired by Pinchas Zukerman's connections with the Nippon Music Foundation, will benefit the NAC Summer Music Institute.

The world-renowned Tokyo String Quartet, made up of Canadian violinist Martin Beaver, violinist Kikuei Ikeda, violist Kazuhide Isomura and cellist Clive Greensmith, performs on the famed set of instruments known as the "Paganini" quartet.

The other performers to be heard in concert are Akiko Suwanai on the 1714 "Dolphin" Strad; Sayaka Shoji on the 1715 "Joachim" Strad violin; Arabella Steinbacher on the 1716 "Booth" Strad violin; Viviane Hagner on the 1717 "Sasserno" Strad violin; Erik Schumann on the 1722 "Jupiter" Strad violin; Tamaki Kawakubo on the 1736 "Muntz" violin; Danjulo Ishizaka 1696 "Lord Aylesford" Strad cello; together with Yumiko Urabe on piano. The Tokyo String Quartet's violinist Kikuei Ikeda also plays the 1696 "Archinto" viola generously on loan from the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Programme

MOZART: Duo for Violin and Viola No.1 in G major
Akiko Suwanai, violin; Kazuhide Isomura, viola

MOZART: Duo for Violin and Viola No. 2 in B-flat major
Viviane Hagner, violin; Kikuei Ikeda, viola

PABLO DE SARASATE: Navarra for two Violins, Op.33
Sayaka Shoji , violin; Arabella Steinbacher, violin; Yumiko Urabe, piano

ANTON WEBERN: Langsamer Satz  
Tokyo String Quartet

MENDELSSOHN: Octet in E-flat major for 4 Violins, 2 Violas and 2 Violoncellos
Martin Beaver, violin; Erik Schumann, violin; Tamaki Kawakubo, violin; Viviane Hanger, violin; Kazuhide Isomura, viola; and Kikuei Ikeda, viola; Clive Greensmith, cello; Danjulo Ishizaka, cello

Tickets for Encounter with Stradivari on October 9 at 19:30 are on sale now for $30.00 (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 website at www.nac-cna.ca.  Tickets may also be purchased at the National Gallery one hour before the concert.

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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