JUNE 9, 2015 – OTTAWA (Canada) – On June 10 and 11 Pinchas Zukerman masterfully conducts the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Anton Bruckner’s final Symphony no. 9, preceded by Mozart’s introspective and moving fourth String Quintet, performed by Pinchas Zukerman on violin with members of the NAC Orchestra Jessica Linnebach, Jethro Marks, David Marks and Amanda Forsyth as part of the Mark Motors Audi Signature Series.

Written in 1787, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s String Quintet in G minor remains one of his most famous string quintets. The work highlights the composer’s fondness for the viola, with its deep tone and rich warm sound. Audiences will rejoice in the work’s dramatic musicality, technical assurance, and vivid personality and form.

The second half of the concert will feature Austrian composer Anton Bruckner’s unfinished epic The Symphony No. 9 in D minor. A devout Catholic, Bruckner dedicated this monumental piece “to the beloved God.” Words like “epic” and “timeless” are regularly applied to Bruckner’s symphonies, and this work with its alternating contrasts of light textures and massive hammering chords is no exception. The three movements and some sketches for the fourth were completed prior to his death in 1896. Bruckner’s score is filled with rich melodic variations that unfold with sudden bursts of bold originality that are sure to leave the audience breathless and awe inspired.

Join us at 7 p.m. for the pre-concert chat, “Bruckner and Heavy Metal”, with Don MacLean, Dean of the Faculty of Music, at the University of Toronto.

The June 11th concert is dedicated to the memory of Arnie Vered, business man, community leader and proud philanthropist who served as a member of the NAC Foundation Board of Directors.  

Please note Viviane Hagner is no longer available to perform due to family health issues.

 

PINCHAS ZUKERMAN BIOGRAPHY

Pinchas Zukerman has remained a phenomenon in the world of music for over four decades. His musical genius, prodigious technique and unwavering artistic standards are a marvel to audiences and critics. Devoted to the next generation of musicians, he has inspired younger artists with his magnetism and passion. His enthusiasm for teaching has resulted in innovative programs in London, New York, China, Israel and Ottawa. The name Pinchas Zukerman is equally respected as violinist, violist, conductor, pedagogue and chamber musician.

2014-15 marks Pinchas Zukerman`s 16th season as Music Director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra. A devoted and innovative pedagogue, Mr. Zukerman chairs the Pinchas Zukerman Performance Program at the Manhattan School of Music, where he has pioneered the use of distance-learning technology. In Canada, he has established the NAC Institute for Orchestra Studies and the Summer Music Institute encompassing the Young Artists, Conductors and Composers Programs.

Born in Tel Aviv in 1948, Pinchas Zukerman came to America in 1962 where he studied at The Juilliard School with Ivan Galamian. Pinchas Zukerman's discography contains over 100 titles, and has earned him 2 GRAMMY Awards and 21 nominations.

 

ABOUT THE NAC ORCHESTRA

Under the inspiring leadership of Pinchas Zukerman, Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra is noted for the passion and clarity of its performances and recordings, ground-breaking teaching and outreach programs, and nurturing of Canadian creativity. This vibrant orchestra draws accolades from home and abroad.

The NAC Orchestra was formed in 1969 at the opening of Canada's National Arts Centre, and gives over 100 performances a year with renowned artists including Itzhak Perlman, Renée Fleming, James Ehnes, Emanuel Ax and Yo-Yo Ma.

Previous Music Directors included Mario Bernardi and Trevor Pinnock. Alexander Shelley takes on this mantle from Pinchas Zukerman in 2015-16, and John Storgårds will be Principal Guest Conductor beginning the same season. Principal Youth and Family Conductor Alain Trudel, and Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly complete the strong artistic leadership team.

In addition to a full series of subscription concerts at the National Arts Centre each season, tours are undertaken to regions throughout Canada and around the world, most recently to China (2013) and the UK (2014). The latter commemorated the start of the First World War and explored themes of remembrance and healing through music in over 50 education and performance events. Following the footsteps of Canadian troops 100 years ago, it showcased the brilliant work of Canadian composers and the NAC Orchestra's musicians, both as performers and as educators, and received standing ovations in packed halls throughout the UK.

In 1999, Pinchas Zukerman founded the NAC Young Artists Program, part of the wider NAC Summer Music Institute, which provides elite training to talented young musicians. Students all over the world are also taught via videoconferencing in the NAC's cutting-edge Hexagon Studio. The Orchestra also created and continues to pioneer education work locally and in indigenous communities in northern Canada.

The NAC Orchestra has made over 40 commercial recordings, including Angela Hewitt’s 2014 Juno Award-winning album of Mozart Piano Concertos conducted by Hannu Lintu. Many more concerts are freely available through MusicBox on the NAC's Arts Alive wide-reaching education website. These include many of the 100 new Canadian works commissioned by the NAC Orchestra in its 45 year history.