NACO, Oct. 9-10: Measha Brueggergosman

Measha Brueggergosman sings Barber’Äôs Knoxville: Summer of 1915 and Bolcom cabaret songs with the NAC Orchestra on October 9 and 10

Ottawa (Canada) ’Äì Marvellous Measha Brueggergosman, Canada’Äôs soprano sensation, returns to the National Arts Centre Orchestra to sing *Barber’Äôs Knoxville: Summer of 1915, a musical interpretation of an elegant memory poem by James Agee (poet, novelist and scriptwriter of The African Queen), as well as three cabaret songs by William Bolcom. These opening concerts of the Bostonian Bravo Series on Thursday, October 9 and Friday, October 10 at 8 p.m. in the NAC’Äôs Southam Hall are led by young American conductor James Gaffigan making his NAC debut. Gaffigan will also lead the NAC Orchestra in Rossini’Äôs Overture to The Italian Girl in Algiers and Beethoven’Äôs Symphony No. 1.

James Gaffigan says, ’ÄúThis program is like the perfect dinner, the audience gets a taste of everything, without getting too full. A Rossini overture is the ideal appetizer in a concert program; it whets the appetite with loads of charming humour and unexpected drama in just eight minutes time. Measha then takes the stage with two contrasting but equally engaging vocal works. The first being the elegiac Knoxville: Summer of 1915 by Samuel Barber, followed by the effervescent cabaret songs of Wiliam Bolcom. These pieces will show the depth of diversity in these American composers as well as in Measha’Äôs interpretive abilities. After intermission, the orchestra shifts gears to the classical meat and potatoes in Beethoven’Äôs first symphony. This work combines the intensity often associated with the composer, as well as passages of alluring beauty.’Äù

The cabaret songs by William Bolcom ’Äì ’ÄúGeorge’Äù, ’ÄúTotal Stranger in the Garden’Äù and ’ÄúAmor’Äù ’Äì will be heard in new orchestrations by the composer performed live for the first time in Canada after being recorded by Measha Brueggergosman on her Juno Award-winning Deutsche Grammophon recording entitled Surprise! She says, ’ÄúWhat these songs do so brilliantly is to create highly theatrical mini-dramas in which the music is borne out by the texts ’Äì not the other way around. It’Äôs catching the sly mix of the casual and the formal in these songs that is their particular challenge.’Äù

Critically acclaimed by the international press as much for her innate musicianship and voluptuous voice as for a sovereign stage presence far beyond her years, Measha Brueggergosman has emerged as one of the most magnificent performers and vibrant personalities of the day. Her appearances this season include performances with Ensemble Intercontemporain, London Symphony Orchestra, l’ÄôOrchestre symphonique de Montrˆ©al, and concerts with the Cleveland Orchestra in Cleveland, Miami, and at Carnegie Hall. She has performed several times with the NAC Orchestra, most recently this past July during ’ÄúOrchestras in the Park’Äù.

James Gaffigan, born in 1979, is the Associate Conductor of the San Francisco Symphony and Music Director of CityMusic Cleveland, a chamber orchestra which presents free concerts throughout the city. His appearances as a guest conductor have included appearances with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Toronto Symphony, and Tonhalle Orchestra, and this season he makes his debut with, among others, the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic and Chicago Symphony as well as the NAC Orchestra.

Tickets for these Bostonian Bravo Series concerts on Thursday, October 9 and Friday, October 10 at 8 p.m. are on sale now at $19.00, $39.00, $49.00, $59.00, $69.00 with box seats at $86.00 (GST and Facility Fee included) at the NAC Box Office (Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.), and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at 613-755-1111. Ticketmaster may also be accessed through the NAC’Äôs 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. Live Rush tickets (subject to availability) for full-time students (aged 13 to 29) are $11 at the NAC Box Office from 2 p.m. the day before the concert to 6 p.m. the day of, 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.

*Measha Brueggergosman requested a change of programme. The Barber and Bolcom will be performed in place of the previously announced Les Nuits d’Äôˆ©tˆ© by Berlioz.