Storgårds Conducts Sibelius

Start: 2023-11-03T20:00:00-04:00
End: 2023-11-03T23:00:00-04:00
Location: Southam Hall

Featuring Niillas Holmberg

https://nac-cna.ca/en/event/33670

In-person event

Finnish music is filled with magic and mystery, from the traditional music and songs of the nomadic Sámi people to the brilliance of Finland’s national composer Jean Sibelius who was inspired by the same Finnish folktales as JRR Tolkien—and, later, Howard Shore. Yoik is traditional singing unique to the Sámi, the last nomadic peoples of Northern Europe, who live in Sápmi (formerly known as Lapland and comprising parts of Finland, Norway, Sweden, and...

November 2 - 3, 2023

Southam Hall 1 Elgin Street Ottawa Canada

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Storgårds Conducts Sibelius

Nov 2 - 3, 2023

Southam Hall

nillas-marek-sabogal-1-cropped — Niillas Holmberg © Marek Sabogal

Music Classical music Masterworks Vocal

EINOJUHANI RAUTAVAARA Cantus Arcticus: Concerto for Birds and Orchestra
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ROOPE MÄENPÄÄ Luovus: Symphony for Yoik and Chamber Orchestra
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JEAN SIBELIUS Symphony No. 3 in C major, Op. 52

Featured artists

In-person event

Finnish music is filled with magic and mystery, from the traditional music and songs of the nomadic Sámi people to the brilliance of Finland’s national composer Jean Sibelius who was inspired by the same Finnish folktales as JRR Tolkien—and, later, Howard Shore.

Yoik is traditional singing unique to the Sámi, the last nomadic peoples of Northern Europe, who live in Sápmi (formerly known as Lapland and comprising parts of Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Russia). Composer Roope Mäenpää’s “Luovus” Symphony for Yoik and Chamber Orchestra is built on poetry written by guest Yoik vocalist Niillas Holmberg, a genre-defying musician and advocate for the Sámi people. (Holmberg and Mäenpää often perform together, combining Niillas’s singer-songwriter style with Roope’s classical background to create unique Arctic folk music in which language is no barrier.)

Finnish composer Jean Sibelius’s Symphony No. 3 is deeply influenced by Finnish folk music and filled with the energy and enchantment of the ancient northern woods. In this symphony, listen for the passages that might have influenced Howard Shore as he composed the score for The Lord of the Rings.

Learn more in the program notes ›

Artists

Conductor John Storgårds
Conductor John Storgårds

Principal Guest Conductor of the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa and Chief Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, John Storgårds has a dual career as a conductor and violin virtuoso and is widely recognized for his creative flair for programming as well as his rousing yet refined performances. As Artistic Director of the Lapland Chamber Orchestra, a title he has held for over 25 years, Storgårds earned global critical acclaim for the ensemble’s adventurous performances and award-winning recordings.

Internationally, Storgårds appears with such orchestras as the Berliner Philharmoniker, Munich Philharmonic, Orchestre National de France, Vienna Radio Symphony, and the London Philharmonic, as well as all of the major Nordic orchestras, including the Helsinki Philharmonic where he was Chief Conductor from 2008 to 2015. He also regularly returns to the Münchener Kammerorchester, where he was Artistic Partner from 2016 to 2019. Further afield, he appears with the Sydney, Melbourne, Yomiuri Nippon and NHK Symphony Orchestras as well as the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and New York Philharmonic.

Storgårds’s award-winning discography includes not only recordings of works by Schumann, Mozart, Beethoven, and Haydn, but also rarities by Holmboe and Vask, which feature him as violin soloist. Cycles of the complete symphonies of Sibelius (2014) and Nielsen (2015) with the BBC Philharmonic were released to critical acclaim by Chandos. November 2019 saw the release of the third and final volume of works by American avant-garde composer George Antheil. Their latest project, recording the late symphonies of Shostakovich, commenced in April 2020 with the release of Symphony No. 11. In 2023, Storgårds and the BBC Philharmonic were nominated for Gramophone magazine’s Orchestra of the Year Award.

Storgårds studied violin with Chaim Taub and conducting with Jorma Panula and Eri Klas. He received the Finnish State Prize for Music in 2002 and the Pro Finlandia Prize 2012.

Premier chef invité de l’Orchestre philharmonique de la BBC et de l’Orchestre du Centre national des Arts, John Storgårds mène de front une carrière de chef d’orchestre et de violoniste virtuose, et est renommé pour ses programmes innovants et ses prestations à la fois fougueuses et raffinées. Il assure également depuis 25 ans la direction artistique de l’Orchestre de chambre de Laponie, renommé partout dans le monde pour ses prestations audacieuses et ses enregistrements primés.

Sur la scène internationale, Storgårds se produit régulièrement avec les orchestres philharmoniques de Berlin, de Munich et de Londres, l’Orchestre national de France et l’Orchestre symphonique de la radio de Vienne, de même que les principaux orchestres scandinaves, y compris l’Orchestre philharmonique d’Helsinki, dont il a été chef attitré de 2008 à 2015. Il retourne régulièrement diriger l’Orchestre de chambre de Munich où il a été partenaire artistique de 2016 à 2019. Sur les autres continents, il a été invité au podium des orchestres symphoniques de Sydney, de Melbourne, de la NHK à Tokyo et Yomiuri du Japon, ainsi que des orchestres symphoniques de Boston et de Chicago et de l’Orchestre philharmonique de New York.

La discographie primée du maestro comporte des enregistrements d’œuvres de Schumann, Mozart, Beethoven et Haydn, mais aussi des raretés de Holmboe et Vask, où on peut l’entendre comme soliste au violon. Avec l’Orchestre philharmonique de la BBC, il a gravé sous étiquette Chandos l’intégrale des symphonies de Nielsen (2015) et de Sibelius (2014), qui lui ont valu les éloges de la critique. En novembre 2019, il a publié le troisième et dernier volume des œuvres du compositeur américain d’avant-garde George Antheil. Leur dernier projet en date est l’enregistrement des symphonies tardives de Chostakovitch, notamment celui de la Symphonie n^o 11 paru en avril 2020. En 2023, Storgårds et l’Orchestre philharmonique de la BBC ont été en lice pour le titre d’orchestre de l’année décerné par le magazine Gramophone.

John Storgårds a étudié le violon auprès de Chaim Taub et la direction d’orchestre auprès de Jorma Panula et d’Eri Klas. Il a reçu le Prix de la musique de l’État finlandais en 2002 et le prix Pro Finlandia en 2012.
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Yoik Soloist Niillas Holmberg

Yoik Soloist Niillas Holmberg

Jalvvi Niillas Holmberg is a Sámi poet, novelist, scriptwriter, and musician from Utsjoki, Sápmi. He has published a novel and six books of poetry, and his works have been translated into more than ten languages. Niillas is a genre-defying musician who works as a vocalist, composer, and lyricist, and has produced six albums.

For many years Holmberg has been involved in several movements against the exploitation of nature, such as mining, in the traditional Sámi areas. Environmental and cultural aspects are the core of his artistic expression and he is known as an upfront spokesman for Sámi and Indigenous rights.

Originaire d’Utsjoki (Sápmi), Jalvvi Niillas Holmberg est un poète, romancier, musicien et scénariste sami. Auteur d’un roman et de six recueils de poésie et traduit dans plus de dix langues, Niillas Holmberg est aussi un musicien au style inclassable : chanteur, compositeur, parolier et producteur de six albums.

Depuis de nombreuses années, il participe aux mouvements de lutte contre l’exploitation des ressources naturelles – minières, par exemple – dans les terres traditionnelles samies. L’environnement et la culture sont au centre de son expression artistique. Niillas Holmberg est aussi reconnu comme franc héraut des droits des Samis et peuples autochtones.

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Stage Manager Laurie Champagne

Stage Manager Laurie Champagne

Laurie began her stage management career with English Theatre and Jean Roberts’s company at the National Arts Centre. Since then she has been honoured to work with NAC English Theatre, NAC Indigenous Theatre, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, and NAC Presents (now Popular Music and Variety). Laurie has been Production Stage Manager for the Shaw Festival and Theatre Calgary, and Stage Manager for, amongst others, Arts Club Theatre Company, The Globe Theatre, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, Mirvish Productions, Stratford Festival, Great Canadian Theatre Company, Grand Theatre, Theatre New Brunswick, and Neptune Theatre.

Laurie Champagne a commencé sa carrière de régisseuse avec le Théâtre anglais et la compagnie de Jean Roberts au Centre national des Arts. Depuis, elle a travaillé avec le Théâtre anglais du CNA, le Théâtre autochtone du CNA, l’Orchestre du Centre national des Arts et CNA Présente. Elle a œuvré comme régisseuse de production pour le festival Shaw et Theatre Calgary, et régisseuse de scène pour l’Arts Club Theatre Company, The Globe Theatre, le Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, Mirvish Productions, le Festival de Stratford, la Great Canadian Theatre Company, le Grand Theatre, Theatre New Brunswick et le Neptune Theatre.

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Featuring NAC Orchestra
Featuring NAC Orchestra

Since its debut in 1969, the National Arts Centre (NAC) Orchestra has been praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary educational programs, and its prominent role in nurturing Canadian creativity. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, reaching and representing the diverse communities we live in with daring programming, powerful storytelling, inspiring artistry, and innovative partnerships.

Alexander Shelley began his tenure as Music Director in 2015, following Pinchas Zukerman’s 16 seasons at the helm. Principal Associate Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and former Chief Conductor of the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra (2009–2017), he has been in demand around the world, conducting the Rotterdam Philharmonic, DSO Berlin, Leipzig Gewandhaus, and Stockholm Philharmonic, among others, and maintains a regular relationship with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie and the German National Youth Orchestra.

Each season, the NAC Orchestra features world-class artists such as the newly appointed Artist-in-Residence James Ehnes, Angela Hewitt, Joshua Bell, Xian Zhang, Gabriela Montero, Stewart Goodyear, Jan Lisiecki, and Principal Guest Conductor John Storgårds. As one of the most accessible, inclusive, and collaborative orchestras in the world, the NAC Orchestra uses music as a universal language to communicate the deepest of human emotions and connect people through shared experiences.

Depuis sa création en 1969, l’Orchestre du Centre national des Arts (CNA) reçoit des éloges pour la passion et la clarté de ses interprétations, pour ses programmes éducatifs novateurs et pour son apport à l’expression de la créativité canadienne. Sous la direction du Directeur musical Alexander Shelley, l’Orchestre du Centre national des Arts est le reflet de la diversité des paysages, des valeurs et des communautés du Canada, et est reconnu pour sa programmation audacieuse, ses contenus nrratifs marquants, son excellence artistique et ses partenariats innovants.

Alexander Shelley a amorcé son mandat à la direction musicale de l’Orchestre du CNA en 2015, succédant à Pinchas Zukerman, qui a été aux commandes de l’ensemble pendant 16 saisons. Premier chef associé du Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Shelley a été le premier chef de l’Orchestre symphonique de Nuremberg de 2009 à 2017. Demandé partout dans le monde, il a dirigé entre autres la Philharmonie de Rotterdam, DSO Berlin, le Leipzig Gewandhaus et la Philharmonie de Stockholm, et il maintient des liens avec la Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie et l’Orchestre national des jeunes d’Allemagne.

Chaque saison, l’Orchestre du met en vedette des artistes de réputation internationale, tels que notre artiste en résidence James Ehnes, Angela Hewitt, Joshua Bell, Xian Zhang, Gabriela Montero, Stewart Goodyear, Jan Lisiecki et le premier chef invité John Storgårds. L’ensemble se distingue à l’échelle du monde pour son approche accessible, inclusive et collaborative. Par le langage universel de la musique et des expériences musicales communes, il communique des émotions profondes et nous rapproche les uns des autres.
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