News Releases - 2007
Stradissimo! Free concert with the NAC Orchestra on May 8 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Canada Council for the Arts
Ottawa, April 11, 2007 – In celebration of the Canada Council’s 50th anniversary, the Canada Council for the Arts and the National Arts Centre Orchestra (NAC Orchestra) are organizing a major concert featuring the twelve winners of the 2006 Musical Instrument Bank competition, together with cellist Denis Brott and the NAC Orchestra. The conductor for the Stradissimo! concert is renowned Canadian trombonist and conductor Alain Trudel. Stradissimo! will take place on Tuesday, May 8 at 8 p.m., in Southam Hall of the National Arts Centre. The public may obtain free tickets in person at the NAC Box Office.
“The audience will be treated to the sound of exceptional historical instruments in this unique concert,” said Canada Council Chair Karen Kain. “We are delighted to be able to celebrate our anniversary by bringing some of the country’s best emerging musicians together on stage and inviting the Canadian public to share in this wonderful evening, either in person or on radio. This concert is one of the highlights of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Canada Council for the Arts, and shows our commitment to presenting works of art to the general public.”
CBC Radio 2 and Espace musique, Radio-Canada’s music radio network, are recording the concert to air nation-wide at a later date. In addition, the Ottawa Citizen is a media sponsor of the concert.
With 11 superb instruments and a cello bow presented last September, the most recent Instrument Bank competition was the largest since the creation of the Musical Instrument Bank in 1985. The 12 talented young winners obtained the loan of musical instruments of a total value of almost $20 million ($CAN) for a three-year period. The concert will feature them in performance on the instruments they were awarded in works by Paganini, Brahms, Stravinsky, Popper, Bach, Champagne, Estacio, Handel and Dompierre.
The winners of the 2006 Musical Instrument Bank competition are (in alphabetical order):
Cello:
- Soo Bae, ca. 1696 Stradivari Bonjour cello
- Emmanuelle Beaulieu Bergeron, ca. 1850 Shaw Adam cello bow
- Rachel Mercer, 1824 McConnell Nicolaus Gagliano cello
Violin:
- Caroline Chéhadé, 1902 Enrico Rocca violin
- Marc Djokic, 1820 Joannes Franciscus Pressenda violin
- Kerry DuWors, 1747 Palmason Januarius Gagliano violin
- Pascale Giguère, ca. 1700 Bell Giovanni Tononi violin
- Yi‑Jia Susanne Hou, 1729 Guarneri del Gesù violin
- Judy Kang, 1689 Baumgartner Stradivari violin
- Jessica Linnebach, ca. 1700 Taft Stradivari violin
- Véronique Mathieu, 1715 Dominicus Montagnana violin
- Jean-Sébastien Roy, 1717 Windsor-Weinstein Stradivari violin
Guest cellist Denis Brott is one of the founders of the Bank and was awarded the loan of the 1706 Turner-Brott Tecchler cello for the duration of his career.
Biographical notes and downloadable photos of the winners are on the 50th anniversary web site of the Canada Council for the arts in the highlights of the Meet Some Artists section. You can also find more information about the Musical Instrument Bank on our Endowments and Prizes page.
Media representatives who wish to attend the concert or arrange interviews are asked to contact Donna Balkan at 613‑566‑4414, ext. 4134, or Carole Breton at 613‑566‑4414, ext. 4523.
Alain Trudel
Montreal native Alain Trudel is the Principal Conductor of the CBC Radio Orchestra and the Orchestre Symphonique de Laval, both since 2006. He has conducted in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Guatemala and the United Kingdom; he is Artistic Advisor of the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra for the 2007-08 and the 2008-09 seasons. Conductor of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra since 2004, M. Trudel also does valuable work with youth and education. First known to the public as one of the foremost trombone soloists, Mr. Trudel has made numerous recordings, both as a trombonist and as a conductor. He is recipient of the Virginia Parker Prize, The Prix du Président de la République of the Académie du disque Charles Cros (France), an Opus Prize and a Juno Award. Mr. Trudel is an International YAMAHA Artist.
National Arts Centre Orchestra
Jane Morris
Publicity & Media Relations
613-947-7000, ext. 335
jmorris@nac-cna.ca