Great Composer Festival spotlights Ravel, Mendelssohn and Dvorák with Pinchas Zukerman as conductor and violinist and featuring the NAC debut of Japanese sensation Sayaka Shoji on July 16
July 05, 2002 -
Ottawa, Canada -- Pinchas Zukerman will conduct his final concert
of the NAC Orchestra's Great Composers Festival on Tuesday, July
16 at 19:30 in Southam Hall. For the occasion he will present the
Canadian debut of brilliant young Japanese violinist Sayaka Shoji
performing Mendelssohn's graceful, fresh and virtuosic Violin
Concerto in E minor. Jennifer Swartz, principal harp of the
Montreal Symphony Orchestra, will be featured in Ravel's
Introduction and Allegro with Pinchas Zukerman on violin. The
concert closes with Dvorák's idyllic Symphony No. 8 in
G major.
Tickets for the concert include a Pre-Concert Talk beginning at
18:15 in the NAC Fountain Room.
Sayaka Shoji made her North American debut in April 2002 with
Pinchas Zukerman and the Chicago Civic Orchestra after Zukerman met
her and heard her play earlier this year in Europe. He is delighted
to present the Canadian debut of this phenomenally gifted young
violinist.
In 1999, at the age of 16, Sayaka Shoji became the first Japanese
and youngest ever violinist to capture first prize at the
International Violin Competition "Premio Paganini." Since then her
career has continued to grow throughout Europe and Asia. Sayaka began
studying violin at the age of five, and has won first prize in
numerous competitions including the 8th Mozart Junior
Competition in Vienna (1995), the 7th Wienawski
International Competition for young violinists (1997), and the Viotti
Valsesia International Competition (1999). Over the past few seasons
Shoji has worked with orchestras including the Israel Philharmonic
and Bayerische Staatsoper, both conducted by Zubin Mehta, St.
Petersburg Philharmonic conducted by Yuri Temirkanov, both in Russia
and on tour in Japan, and the Philharmonia conducted by Vladimir
Ashkenazy.
In November 2001 Sayaka made her London debut with the Baltimore
Symphony and Maestro Temirkanov at the Barbican when she stepped in
on two-week notice to perform the Brahms Concerto.
Harpist Jennifer Swartz enjoys an exciting and active career as a
soloist, chamber artist, orchestral musician and teacher. She
embarked on her solo career with her debut with the Toronto Symphony
Orchestra at the early age of sixteen. Principal harp of the
Orchestre symphonique de Montreal, Swartz is also the head of the
harp performance program at McGill University. Her recordings include
Harry Somers' Suite for Harp and Orchestra on CBC
Records, CBC Radio Christmas Sing-In on Atma, A Simple
Song on Amberola, Panache on Panacheland Records and
Allegra on Atma.
The Great Composers Festival is presented by the Casino du
Lac-Leamy in association with the Ottawa Citizen.
Tickets for this Great Composers Festival on Tuesday, July 16 are
on sale now at $14.00, 25.00 and 34.00 (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 web-site 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.
