Ottawa Chamber Music Festival
Encyclopedia
Ottawa Chamberfest is a music festival
held by the Ottawa Chamber Music Society in Ottawa
, Canada
.
The members of the Juno award-winning Gryphon Trio (cellist Roman Borys, violinist Annalee Patipatanakoon and pianist Jamie Parker) are the Artistic Programming Directors for Ottawa Chamberfest.
Among those who performed in the 2011 edition of the festival were Jan Lisiecki
, Isabel Bayrakdarian
, Simone Dinnerstein
, Marc-André Hamelin
, Julie Nesrallah, Yehonatan Berick
, National Arts Centre Orchestra
, The Swingle Singers
, Nexus (ensemble), Trio con Brio Copenhagen
, New Zealand String Quartet
, TorQ Percussion Quartet and more.
Past performers include Paul Merkelo, Patrick Wedd, Guy Fouquet, Musica Camerata, Stéphane Lemelin, the Beaux Arts Trio
, the Tokyo String Quartet
, Martin Beaver
, Penderecki Quartet, Paul Stewart
, Martin Chalifour, Monica Whicher, Jennifer Swartz, and Gino Quilico
,Quartango, Neil Gripp, Richard Raymond, the St. Lawrence Quartet
, Mayumi Seiler, Keller Quartet, and Adaskin String Trio.
composers and also music from non-European countries. The concerts of a typical day would have several different types of music. For Ottawa Chamberfest 2011, performances are divided into several Concert Series.
. The confirmed venues for Ottawa Chamberfest 2011 are:
In previous years the University of Ottawa
was also a regular venue. The Festival has also used, on occasion, Southam Hall in the National Arts Centre
for special gala concerts.
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
held by the Ottawa Chamber Music Society in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Artists
In 1994, the idea of a chamber music festival in Ottawa came to life to remedy the meager availability of live classical music during the summer months and fill the city’s churches with splendid sounds. Ottawa Chamberfest started life as the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival with 22 concerts in two churches and was an immediate hit. Growing steadily over the years, the 2011 edition of Ottawa Chamberfest presented almost 100 concerts, attracting over 80,000 listeners and is the largest chamber music festival of its kind in the world.The members of the Juno award-winning Gryphon Trio (cellist Roman Borys, violinist Annalee Patipatanakoon and pianist Jamie Parker) are the Artistic Programming Directors for Ottawa Chamberfest.
Among those who performed in the 2011 edition of the festival were Jan Lisiecki
Jan Lisiecki
Jan Lisiecki is a classical pianist. Born in Calgary, Canada to Polish parents, Lisiecki is most well known as being extremely accomplished in piano as well as in academics at a young age....
, Isabel Bayrakdarian
Isabel Bayrakdarian
Isabel Bayrakdarian is a Grammy Award-nominated Armenian Canadian opera singer.-Early life:Born in Lebanon in 1974, she moved to Canada as a teenager. Bayrakdarian graduated in 1997 from the University of Toronto with an honours B.A.Sc...
, Simone Dinnerstein
Simone Dinnerstein
Simone Dinnerstein is an American classical pianist who became celebrated, both critically and commercially, for her self-financed recording of Johann Sebastian Bach's Goldberg Variations, released in 2007.-Education:...
, Marc-André Hamelin
Marc-André Hamelin
Marc-André Hamelin, OC, CQ, is a French Canadian virtuoso pianist and composer.Born in Montreal, Quebec, Marc-André Hamelin began his piano studies at the age of five. His father, a pharmacist by trade who was also a pianist, introduced him to the works of Alkan, Godowsky, and Sorabji when he was...
, Julie Nesrallah, Yehonatan Berick
Yehonatan Berick
Yehonatan Berick is a violin and viola virtuoso and pedagogue.Born in Israel, he started his musical education at the age of six. His principal violin teachers were Ilona Feher, Henry Meyer, Kurt Sassmanshauss, and Dorothy Delay...
, National Arts Centre Orchestra
National Arts Centre Orchestra
The National Arts Centre Orchestra is an orchestra in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada's capital. It is a classically-sized ensemble currently conducted by Pinchas Zukerman.-Description:Since 1998, Pinchas Zukerman has been the Music Director. Mario Bernardi C.C...
, The Swingle Singers
The Swingle Singers
The Swingle Singers are a mostly a cappella vocal group formed in 1962 in Paris, France by Ward Swingle with Anne Germain, Jeanette Baucomont, Jean Cussac and others. Christiane Legrand, the sister of composer Michel Legrand, was the group's lead soprano through 1972. Until 2011 the group...
, Nexus (ensemble), Trio con Brio Copenhagen
Trio con Brio Copenhagen
Trio con Brio Copenhagen is an award-winning piano trio based in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was formed in 1999 and consists of the Danish pianist Jens Elvekjaer and the two Korean sisters Soo-Jin Hong and Soo-Kyung Hong....
, New Zealand String Quartet
New Zealand String Quartet
The New Zealand String Quartet is New Zealand’s only full time string quartet. The current formation of musicians consisting of Helene Pohl , Douglas Beilman , Gillian Ansell and Rolf Gjelsten was established in 1994.The Quartet performs more than eighty concerts a year in New Zealand and...
, TorQ Percussion Quartet and more.
Past performers include Paul Merkelo, Patrick Wedd, Guy Fouquet, Musica Camerata, Stéphane Lemelin, the Beaux Arts Trio
Beaux Arts Trio
The Beaux Arts Trio was a noted piano trio. They made their debut on July 13, 1955 at the Berkshire Music Festival, known today as the Tanglewood Music Center. Their final American concert was held at Tanglewood on August 21, 2008. It was webcast live and archived on NPR Music...
, the Tokyo String Quartet
Tokyo String Quartet
The is an international string quartet.The group formed in 1969 at the Juilliard School of Music. The founding members attended the Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo, where they studied with Professor Hideo Saito. Soon after its formation the Quartet won First Prizes at the Coleman Competition,...
, Martin Beaver
Martin Beaver
Martin Beaver is a Canadian violinist. As a part of the Tokyo String Quartet he plays the Paganini-Comte Cozio di Salabue violin circa 1727...
, Penderecki Quartet, Paul Stewart
Paul Stewart (concert pianist)
Paul Stewart is a Canadian pianist. Brought up in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, he started learning piano at the age of five. He initially studied with a local teacher, and subsequently with Tietje Zonnefeld in Halifax, Nova Scotia. At the age of 18 he moved to attend McGill University in Montreal,...
, Martin Chalifour, Monica Whicher, Jennifer Swartz, and Gino Quilico
Gino Quilico
Gino Quilico, OC is a Canadian lyric baritone of Italian descent and the son of Canadian baritone Louis Quilico and Lina Pizzolongo.-Early life:...
,Quartango, Neil Gripp, Richard Raymond, the St. Lawrence Quartet
St. Lawrence Quartet
The St. Lawrence Quartet is a Canadian string quartet, and one of Canada's premiere chamber ensembles. It was founded in 1989 and has served residencies at the Juilliard School, Yale University, the University of Toronto, the Hartt School, and Stanford University...
, Mayumi Seiler, Keller Quartet, and Adaskin String Trio.
Music
Although the concerts are primarily traditional classical music, the scope has evolved to include music by pop and jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
composers and also music from non-European countries. The concerts of a typical day would have several different types of music. For Ottawa Chamberfest 2011, performances are divided into several Concert Series.
- Chamber Chat - Lecture series.
- Music at Noon - Music at lunch.
- New Music Now - Show casing new and emerging artists.
- Meet the Artist - Meet several performers up close and personal.
- Bring the Kids - Free shows for children. Interactive and fun.
- 3PM Series - Afternoon shows
- The Siskind Concerts - Nightly shows dedicated to Jacob Siskind, music critic and arts patron.
- Market Soirées - Evening Shows with a focus on an intimate musical experience.
- Alfresco Concerts and Guerilla Gigs - Free outdoor concerts at Rideau Hall and other undisclosed locations.
- Late Night at the Kildare - Hosted by Saint Brigid's Church (Ottawa)Saint Brigid's Church (Ottawa)St Brigid's was Roman Catholic church located in the Lower Town neighbourhood of Ottawa, Canada. It was built to serve the English-speaking, Catholic population of the area. Until the opening of St Brigid’s, this community, largely of Irish heritage, had formed part of the parish of Notre-Dame, the...
, a nightly series featuring a diverse set of performers. - Festival Gala Series - 3 high profile performances at Dominion-Chalmers United ChurchDominion-Chalmers United ChurchDominion Chalmers United Church is a large United church, located in downtown Ottawa, at the corner of Cooper and O'Connor Streets...
.
Venues
The concert venues are generally churches or cultural facilities in the heart of downtown OttawaOttawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
. The confirmed venues for Ottawa Chamberfest 2011 are:
- Dominion-Chalmers United ChurchDominion-Chalmers United ChurchDominion Chalmers United Church is a large United church, located in downtown Ottawa, at the corner of Cooper and O'Connor Streets...
- Rideau HallRideau HallRideau Hall is, since 1867, the official residence in Ottawa of both the Canadian monarch and the Governor General of Canada. It stands in Canada's capital on a 0.36 km2 estate at 1 Sussex Drive, with the main building consisting of 170 rooms across 9,500 m2 , and 24 outbuildings around the...
- Beechwood CemeteryBeechwood CemeteryBeechwood Cemetery is the National Cemetery of Canada. Because it is located in Ottawa, Ontario, the nation's capital, it is the burial site for a number of statesmen as well as a large number of mayors of the city. A woodland cemetery founded in 1873, it is 160 acres and is the largest cemetery...
- Saint Brigid's Church (Ottawa)Saint Brigid's Church (Ottawa)St Brigid's was Roman Catholic church located in the Lower Town neighbourhood of Ottawa, Canada. It was built to serve the English-speaking, Catholic population of the area. Until the opening of St Brigid’s, this community, largely of Irish heritage, had formed part of the parish of Notre-Dame, the...
- Anglican Church of St. John the Evangelist (Ottawa)Anglican Church of St. John the Evangelist (Ottawa)The Church of St. John the Evangelist is an Anglican church found in the heart of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, at the corner of Elgin and Somerset Streets...
In previous years the University of Ottawa
University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
was also a regular venue. The Festival has also used, on occasion, Southam Hall in the National Arts Centre
National Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre is a centre for the performing arts located in Ottawa, Ontario, between Elgin Street and the Rideau Canal...
for special gala concerts.