November 05, 2007 -

Ottawa, Canada -- The Toronto Symphony Orchestra will present Mussorgsky's evocative Pictures at an Exhibition when Music Director Peter Oundjian (pronounced OON-jun) brings 100 musicians to the National Arts Centre's Southam Hall on Tuesday, November 13 at 20:00 for its annual exchange visit with the NAC Orchestra. The soloist on this occasion is the popular, multiple Juno Award-winning violinist James Ehnes (pronounced ENN-iss), who on this occasion will be featured on both violin in Walton's Violin Concerto and viola in Ridout's Ballade for Viola and Orchestra. The concert begins with Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis.

In his Pictures at an Exhibition Mussorgsky invites the audience to promenade, then pause before each of several musical portraits from cheeping chicks to the Great Gate of Kiev. The composer was inspired to write the piece as a tribute after attending a posthumous exhibit of works by a dear friend of his, the brilliant young artist and architect Victor Hartmann.

British composer Sir William Walton's Violin Concerto, written in 1939, has been described as a work of great lyrical beauty, sumptuously orchestrated, and fiendishly difficult for the soloist. It will be in the more than capable hands of James Ehnes, described as "one of the most gifted and sincerely expressive artists to have emerged in recent times" (Daily Telegraph). Ehnes recorded the Walton for a CD of 20th century concertos for CBC Records, a recording considered to be a highlight of 2006.

Ehnes will show his versatility by switching to viola – his NAC debut on the instrument – for the Ballade for Viola and Orchestra which Canadian composer Godfrey Ridout composed in 1938 for the TSO's longtime principal viola Stanley Solomon. Solomon described the Ballade as "a beautiful work, a magnificent work. It ought to be in every violist's repertoire." William Primrose, the revered British violist, performed it widely in Canada and the US and it made Ridout's name.

James Ehnes has established an international career of rare distinction, performing in over 20 countries on four continents with internationally renowned orchestras. Last month, Ehnes released two new recordings: Elgar's Violin Concerto (Onyx) and a disc of works by Paul Schoenfield with pianist Andrew Russo (Black Box). His 250th Mozart anniversary double-disc of the composer's complete works for violin and orchestra won the 2007 Juno Award (his fourth) for best orchestral recording. He recently completed a tour of South America with the Orquestra Sinfônica Sao Paolo and looks forward to concerts and recitals in Berlin, Pamplona, Glasgow, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Detroit, Montreal, Vancouver, and Seattle. In 2008 Ehnes performs for the first time in Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand.

Peter Oundjian, a dynamic presence in the orchestral world, continues to make his mark as one of today's most exciting faces on the conducting scene.  His strong bond with the musicians and community of Toronto continues through his fourth season as Music Director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. In addition to his post in Toronto, Peter Oundjian continues to serve as Principal Guest Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, helping to create and launch an innovative multi-disciplinary festival in June 2007.  He has also played a major role at the Caramoor International Music Festival in New York for over a decade, currently serving as Artistic Advisor and Principal Conductor.  From 1998-2003, Mr. Oundjian was the Music Director of the Nieuw Sinfonietta in Amsterdam, and recorded the impressive BIS CD of Beethoven.

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra is in its 86th season, and more than 400,000 patrons visit the Orchestra at Roy Thomson Hall each year. At the same time, the Orchestra maintains a strong international presence, built by a history of touring, including its triumphant European tour in the spring of 2000, and reinforced by acclaimed recordings available in music stores around the world. The Orchestra's acclaimed discography includes a Juno-nominated recording of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition on the Finlandia Records label. International tours have taken the Toronto Symphony Orchestra to such hallowed destinations as the Musikverein in Vienna, New York's Carnegie Hall, and other prestigious venues throughout the USA, Japan, Australia, Europe and the Canadian North.

Tickets for this special concert by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra on November 13 are on sale now at $19.00, $29.00, $49.00, $59.00, $69.00 with box seats at $83.00 (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. 

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 613-947-7000 ext. 384 or email grp@nac-cna.ca.

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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