May 05, 2004 -

Ottawa, Canada -- Music Director Pinchas Zukerman will lead the National Arts Centre Orchestra in an all-Beethoven programme featuring Anton Kuerti, Beethoven specialist and favourite of NAC audiences, on Wednesday, May 19 and Thursday, May 20 at 20:00 in the NAC’s Southam Hall. These concerts open with Beethoven’s Egmont Overture, and continue with Kuerti performing the Piano Concerto No. 3, considered by the composer to be the finest of his three concertos for this instrument. The concert closes with Symphony No. 7, intoxicating in its visceral impact and powerful rhythmic energy.

François Tousignant, Music Critic for Montreal’s Le Devoir newspaper will give pre-concert talks in French both nights entitled “Le Titan et le rhythm”. These talks are free take place at the NAC at 19:00.

Anton Kuerti’s vast repertoire includes some 50 concertos, including one he composed himself, but it has always been the music of Beethoven with which he has had a particular affinity. Montreal’s La Presse wrote: “Kuerti possesses this music – Beethoven’s Third and all the other concertos – as though he had written it, even to the point of visually suggesting the composer.” One of today’s most recorded artists, Kuerti has put on disc the entire set of Beethoven Concertos and Sonatas, as well as works by many other composers. Kuerti’s recent engagements include concerts in France and Malaysia, where he performed six concerts at a Beethoven Festival, including all the concerti. One of Kuerti’s latest projects is promoting the revival of composer Carl Czerny including a world premiere recording of two works for violin and piano that had never been performed.

Pianist Anton Kuerti was born in Austria, grew up in the U.S., and has lived in Canada for the last 35 years. While still a student, he won the famous Leventritt Award, and has since toured 39 countries, including and has performed with most major U.S. orchestras and conductors.

This is Anton Kuerti’s third collaboration with Pinchas Zukerman at the National Arts Centre, beginning with a fundraising concert during the Great Composers Festival in 1999 to raise money for the NAC’s new Steinway piano. Kuerti was also a member of the faculty of the NAC Young Artists Programme in 2002.

Tickets for these Ovation Series concerts on May 19 and 20 are on sale now at $27.00, $45.00, $56.00 and $58.00, with box seats at $73.00 (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. Groups of 20 or more save up to 20% off of regular priced tickets to NAC Music, Theatre and Dance performances. For information and reservations call 613-947-7000 ext: 384 or e-mail grp@nac-cna.ca

For more information please contact:
Jane Morris, Communications Officer,
National Arts Centre Orchestra
(613) 947-7000, ext. 335
jmorris@nac-cna.ca