Loading...
Loading...
Featured
A Symphony of Stories: Discover Ottawa's 2025 Musical Journey
Ottawa is set to become a cultural hub in early 2025, as the National Arts Centre Orchestra hosts an impressive array of events, bringing together talented performers and legendary composers. From Branford Marsalis' saxophone brilliance to Marc-André Hamelin's piano prowess, and a symphony celebrating emotions with Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, the lineup promises to engage and inspire audiences. Let's dive into a journey of performances filled with both historical significance and contemporary flair, featuring works from Dvořák, Beethoven, and beyond.
Jan 18, 2025
Share1. Branford Marsalis: Cinematic Sax
Our concert opens with music from British composer Hannah Kendall. The Spark Catchers is inspired by the work of British poet Lemn Sissay, who memorialized the “matchwomen” of the Bryant and May match factory in London. The women went on strike in 1888 to protest their dangerous working conditions.
22 - 23 Jan, 2025
National Arts Centre Orchestra
Ottawa, ON · National Arts Centre
2. Mad.Sad.Glad: A Symphony of Emotions
Experience all the feels as Principal Youth Conductor and Creative Partner Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser leads the NAC Orchestra in a program designed to showcase how a range of emotions can be expressed — and experienced — through music. Hear works by Beethoven, Nielsen, and other evocative composers!
Jan 26, 2025
National Arts Centre Orchestra
Ottawa, ON · National Arts Centre
3. Hamelin & Beethoven's "Emperor"
Canadian pianist Marc-André Hamelin — whose "demon speed" (Boston Symphony) and "near-superhuman technical prowess" (New York Times) have earned him seven JUNO Awards — returns to the NAC Orchestra for what will undoubtedly be a powerhouse performance of Beethoven's "Emperor" Concerto. Written while the composer's hearing loss grew worse and the Napoleonic Wars raged outside his door in Vienna, Beethoven's commanding work for solo piano and orchestra speaks to the strength of the human spirit in times of darkness and despair.
5 - 6 Feb, 2025
National Arts Centre Orchestra
Ottawa, ON · National Arts Centre
4. WolfGANG Sessions #25
WolfGANG Sessions at Club SAW is a night of music that is sure to entertain. Grab your adventurous friends and take them out for a wild night of chamber music with your favourite musicians from the NAC Orchestra and special guest John Storgårds.
Feb 8, 2025
National Arts Centre Orchestra
Ottawa, ON · Arts Court
5. The Story of Babar the Little Elephant
Featuring the music of Francis Poulenc, one of France’s greatest composers, this show presents the remarkable story of King Babar. Majestic, entertaining, and moving, this show captures the adventures of the little elephant while presenting an evocative array of musical forms: the lullaby sung by Babar’s mother, the Musette waltz of the pastries, the wedding march and polka, and the lovely finale – a nocturne bathed in moonlight.
Feb 9, 2025
National Arts Centre Orchestra
Ottawa, ON · National Arts Centre
6. Bancroft, Dvořák & Clara-Jumi Kang
A summer holiday in the Bohemian countryside inspired Antonín Dvořák to compose his tranquil Eighth Symphony, where the composer weaves the traditions of Czech folk music with his own romantic melodies to evoke the beauty of his surroundings. Although this is a work of abstract music (meaning it doesn't tell a specific story), listen closely and you'll hear the enchanting sounds of summer — from beautiful birdsong to the echoes of a shepherd's horn and even a rumbling thunderstorm.
19 - 20 Feb, 2025
National Arts Centre Orchestra
Ottawa, ON · National Arts Centre
7. Steelpan Symphony
Your eyes and ears do not deceive you – come witness the enticing sounds of steelpan drums at the NAC. Take a musical journey to Trinidad and Tobago, the heart and homeland of calypso music, with conductor and NACO Creative Partner Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser in this co-commission with the NAC Orchestra and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra!
Feb 27 - Mar 1, 2025
National Arts Centre Orchestra
Ottawa, ON · National Arts Centre
8. Karen Gomyo's Playlist
Have you ever wondered what music inspires the performers that you love? The songs, the composers, the feelings? Our ongoing Playlist Series answers your burning questions with a live-in-concert “mix tape,” curated and shared by some of the finest classical performers at work today.
5 - 6 Mar, 2025
National Arts Centre Orchestra
Ottawa, ON · National Arts Centre
9. Music for a Sunday Afternoon: Winter Edition
In honour of International Women’s Day, the first half of this special concert features pieces celebrating the musical achievements of three extraordinary women artists from three different musical eras - contemporary Chinese American composer Chen Yi, 20th century Polish composer Grażyna Bacewicz, and 19th century Venezuelan Teresa Carreño.
Mar 9, 2025
National Arts Centre Orchestra
Ottawa, ON · Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre
10. Vancouver Symphony Orchestra & Stewart Goodyear
Sergei Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto is adored by music lovers — and feared by pianists — for its marriage of technical fireworks and passionate melodies. From the tolling of distant bells that haunts the opening to the spirited dances of its finale, this rollercoaster ride for solo piano and orchestra is brought to life by Canadian pianist Stewart Goodyear, whose performances of Rachmaninoff's music "would surely have won the composer's approval" (Gramophone).
Mar 17, 2025
National Arts Centre Orchestra
Ottawa, ON · National Arts Centre
Conclusion
The 2025 season at the National Arts Centre Orchestra is set to be a captivating journey through musical landscapes and narratives. With a lineup featuring celebrated artists and timeless compositions, each event invites audiences to connect with music's emotional and cultural depth. From the evocative strains of Dvořák to the steelpan rhythms of Trinidad and Tobago, there's something to inspire every listener. Whether you're a long-time concertgoer or new to the symphony, these performances promise to enrich and delight, making Ottawa a cultural destination not to be missed.
Share