NACO, Sept. 23-Oct 2: Mozart Brahms Festival includes Pinchas Zukerman, Itzhak Perlman, Zubin Mehta, and more!

The NAC Orchestra launches its 08-09 season with a Mozart Brahms Festival led by Music Director Pinchas Zukerman, including special guests Itzhak Perlman, Zubin Mehta, Janina Fialkowska, the Tokyo Quartet and more, Sept. 23-Oct 2

Ottawa, Canada ’Äì Pinchas Zukerman opens his tenth season as Music Director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra on Tuesday, September 23 with a Mozart Brahms Festival that runs until Thursday, October 2. For ten magnificent days these two classical titans meet face to face in concerts featuring such superstars as violinist Itzhak Perlman, conductor Zubin Mehta, pianist Janina Fialkowska, the Tokyo and Escher String Quartets and Pinchas Zukerman as conductor, violinist and violist. Audiences will hear how each composer illuminates the other through orchestral, vocal, chamber and family concerts including pre- and post-concert talks given by media and musical celebrities. There are five orchestral concerts on September 23, 24 and 27, and October 1 and 2 in Southam Hall at 8 p.m.; four chamber music concerts at the National Gallery of Canada on September 26 and 28 and October 1 and 2 (at various times); and two separate daytime family events on September 27. (A chronological listing of concerts follows.)

The Festival includes pre-concert talks at 7 p.m. prior to each of the five orchestral concerts, in English on Sept. 23, 27 and Oct. 2, and in French on Sept. 24 and Oct. 1. Speakers include CBC Radio personalities Eric Friesen, Alan Neal and Jill LaForty, and music critics Richard Todd, Jean-Jacques Van Vlasselaer and Franˆßois Tousignant. In addition, on Sept. 27 principal bassoon Christopher Millard will record a podcast with Pinchas Zukerman and his daughter Arianna Zukerman in front of a live audience for the Orchestra’Äôs renowned NACOcast series.

The musical content of the Festival includes all four Brahms symphonies, with Nos. 1, 3 and 4 conducted by Pinchas Zukerman and No. 2 conducted by Zubin Mehta in his NAC Orchestra debut. Mehta will also lead Pinchas Zukerman in the Brahms Violin Concerto; violinist Itzhak Perlman will join violist Zukerman for Mozart’Äôs Duo for Violin and Viola in G major and Sinfonia Concertante; pianist Janina Fialkowska will perform Mozart’Äôs Piano Concerto No. 24; and Pinchas Zukerman will conduct Mozart’Äôs Requiem with his daughter soprano Arianna Zukerman, mezzo-soprano Heather Johnson, tenor Wesley Rogers and bass John Fanning, with the Cantata Singers of Ottawa, the Ottawa Choral Society and the Ottawa Festival Chorus under chorus master Duain Wolfe. The concerts on Sept. 23 and 24 are also the opening concerts of the Mark Motors Audi Signature Series, and the concerts on Oct. 1 and 2 are the opening concerts of the Ovation Series.

The world-famous Tokyo String Quartet will perform two different programmes combining Mozart, Brahms, Haydn and Webern on September 26 at 8 p.m. and on September 28 at 2 p.m. (the latter doubling as the opening chamber music concert of the Music for a Sunday Afternoon series). The rising star Escher Quartet, made up of four of Pinchas Zukerman’Äôs students from the NAC Summer Music Institute and the Manhattan School of Music, will perform Mozart, Brahms and Beethoven in two different programmes in the Rideau Chapel of the National Gallery at 12 noon on October 1 and 2.

There are two family events on Saturday, September 27. The Shoestring Opera will present a show for children aged 5 to 8 based on Mozart’Äôs Magic Flute in the Panorama Room at 11 a.m. At 3 p.m. there will be an interactive workshop exploring the NAC’Äôs Flentrop Organ for ages 8 to 15 given by organist Thomas Annand and Ian MacKay of the Royal Canadian College of Organists.

COMPLETE MOZART BRAHMS FESTIVAL PROGRAMMING

ITZHAK AND PINCHAS

Tuesday, September 23 at 8 p.m.

Mark Motors Audi Signature Series and Mozart Brahms Festival

Pinchas Zukerman, conductor, viola

Itzhak Perlman, violin

MOZART Duo for violin and viola in G major

MOZART Sinfonia concertante

BRAHMS Symphony No. 1

Pre-Concert Chat at 19:00 (in English)

’ÄúThe Mozart/Brahms Connection’Äù

with CBC Radio Network Host Eric Friesen

ITZHAK AND PINCHAS ENCORE

Wednesday, September 24 at 8 p.m.

Mark Motors Audi Signature Series and Mozart Brahms Festival

Pinchas Zukerman, conductor, viola

Itzhak Perlman, violin

MOZART Duo for violin and viola in G major

MOZART Sinfonia concertante

BRAHMS Symphony No. 4

Pre-Concert Chat at 19:00 (in French)

’ÄúAimez-vous Brahms? Et Mozart?’Äù

with music critic Jean Jacques Van Vlasselaer

TOKYO STRING QUARTET

Friday, September 26 at 8 p.m.

Mozart Brahms Festival

National Gallery of Canada Auditorium

Tokyo String Quartet

HAYDN String Quartet No. 60 in G major, Op. 76, No. 1

MOZART String Quartet No. 22 in B-flat major, ’ÄúPrussian 2’Äù

BRAHMS String Quartet No. 1 in C minor

SHOESTRING MAGIC FLUTE

Saturday, September 27 at 11:00 (in English)

Mozart Brahms Festival

Panorama Room: mats for children and chairs for grown-ups (for ages 5-8)

Based on Mozart’Äôs famous opera, Shoestring Opera presents the story of Allegra, lost in a dark forest on her way home from school. Enter Papageno, a feathered birdcatcher pursued by a Dragon ’Äì and the fun, adventure and glorious singing begin! Featuring two singer-actors, a cellist, a pianist and Mozart’Äôs beautiful music this is an ideal child’Äôs introduction to the joy of opera.

EXPLORE THE FLENTROP ORGAN

Saturday, September 27 at 3 p.m.

Mozart Brahms Festival

For ages 8-15

Southam Hall backstage

Thomas Annand, organ

Ian MacKay, Royal Canadian College of Organists

Ever wonder why the organ is called ’Äúthe king of instruments’Äù? Find out in this exciting interactive workshop especially for families held backstage in Southam Hall. Hear the music of Mozart and Brahms as your children explore the massive Flentrop organ, a thank-you gift to the NAC from the Dutch community in Canada.

MOZART’ÄôS TRANSCENDENT REQUIEM

Saturday, September 27 at 8 p.m.

Mozart Brahms Festival

Pinchas Zukerman, conductor

Arianna Zukerman, soprano

Heather Johnson, mezzo-soprano

Wesley Rogers, tenor

John Fanning, bass-baritone

Cantata Singers of Ottawa

Ottawa Choral Society

Ottawa Festival Chorus

Duain Wolfe, chorus master

MOZART Requiem

Musically Speaking Pre-Concert Chat at 19:00 (in English)

’ÄúEyeing Eternity’Äù

CBC Radio host Alan Neal leads a discussion with CBC Radio Music Producer Jill LaForty

Musically Speaking Post-Concert Talkback (in English)

NACOcast host and principal bassoon Christopher Millard hosts a podcast with Pinchas Zukerman and his daughter Arianna Zukerman.

TOKYO STRING QUARTET

Sunday, September 28

Music for a Sunday Afternoon and Mozart Brahms Festival

National Gallery of Canada Auditorium at 2 p.m.

Tokyo String Quartet

Pinchas Zukerman, viola

Amanda Forsyth, cello

WEBERN String Quartet, Op. 28

HAYDN String Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 50, No. 1
BRAHMS String Sextet No. 2 in G major, Op. 36

ESCHER STRING QUARTET

Wednesday, October 1 at 12 noon

Mozart Brahms Festival

National Gallery of Canada Rideau Chapel

Escher String Quartet

MOZART Quartet No. 14 in G major, K. 387
BEETHOVEN Quartet Op. 59, No. 3

MEHTA, ZUKERMAN AND BRAHMS

Wednesday, October 1 at 8 p.m.

Ovation Series and Mozart Brahms Festival

Zubin Mehta, conductor

Pinchas Zukerman, violin

BRAHMS Violin Concerto

BRAHMS Symphony No. 2

Pre-Concert Chat at 19:00 (in French)

’ÄúAprˆ®s l’Äôart pour l’Äôart, voici la musique pour la musique’Äù

with Montreal music critic and composer Franˆßois Tousignant

ESCHER STRING QUARTET

Thursday, October 2 at 12 noon

Mozart Brahms Festival

National Gallery of Canada Rideau Chapel

Escher String Quartet

MOZART Quartet No. 17, B-flat major, K. 458, "The Hunt"
BRAHMS Quartet No. 3 in B-flat major

THE PASSION OF MOZART AND BRAHMS

Thursday, October 2 at 8 p.m.

Ovation Series and Mozart Brahms Festival

Pinchas Zukerman, conductor

Janina Fialkowska, piano

MOZART Overture to Cosˆ¨ fan tutte

MOZART Piano Concerto No. 24

BRAHMS Symphony No. 3

Pre-Concert Chat at 19:00 (in English)

’ÄúWhat Mozart forgot to tell Brahms’Äù

with Ottawa Citizen music critic Richard Todd

Tickets are on sale now 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’Äôs website at www.nac-cna.ca.

Tickets for the NAC Orchestra concerts in Southam Hall at 8 p.m. (if available) are $39 to $115 on Sept. 23 and 24; $25 to $89 on Sept. 27 and Oct. 1; and $19 to $86 on Oct. 2 (5% GST and Facility Fee included). The Tokyo Quartet concerts in the Auditorium of the National Gallery are $29 and the Escher Quartet concerts in the Rideau Chapel are $ 20. The Shoestring Magic Flute and Explore the Flentrop Organ, both on Sept. 27, are $8 for children and $14 for adults.

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 at $11 (subject to availability) are available for full-time students aged 13 to 29 between 2 p.m the day before a performance until 6 p.m the day of the performance, 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. Subscriptions are also still available by calling the Subscription Office at 613-947-7000, ext. 620.