Bringing classical Canada to the UK - Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra on tour

Alexander Shelley & the National Arts Centre Orchestra

Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra is touring Europe this month, and its first stop is the UK with concerts and outreach events from 10 May to 14 May. The full tour takes in five countries and seven cities, with events in Saffron-Walden, London, Paris, Utrecht, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Gothenburg. Conducted by Alexander Shelley, the tour is celebrating the orchestra's 50th anniversary. The orchestra's UK concerts are at Saffron Hall (12 May 2019) and Cadogan Hall (14 May 2019) when the music performed will include Serbian-Canadian composer Ana Sokolović's Golden slumbers kiss your eyes (a new song cycle on themes of childhood nostalgia and time forever lost with counter-tenor David DQ Lee), alongside Ravel's Piano Concerto in G with Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki, plus music by Dvorak.

The orchestra is also participating in a number of educational and engagement activities. It will be in residence at the Royal College of Music (13 & 14 May 2019) for chamber music coaching session, a conducting workshop, mock-audition session, and an event which will connect Brent District School band in London, England and OrKidstra, in Ottawa, Canada digitally in real time!

The National Arts Centre (NAC) in Ottawa, Canada is home to NAC Orchestra, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre and Dance, as well as showcasing established and emerging Canadian artists. The National Arts Centre Orchestra was founded in 1969 as the resident orchestra of the newly opened NAC, and its music director since 2015 is the London-born conductor Alexander Shelley. Past music directors have included Trevor Pinnock and Pinchas Zuckerman



Further information from the orchestra's website.