Eric Friesen presents the NAC Orchestra
How did the NAC Orchestra become the world class
organization it is today? Veteran broadcaster Eric
Friesen chronicles the unfolding drama of the NAC
Orchestra from its earliest days in 1969 to the present
time. With his charming personality and a host of
probing questions, he interviews conductors, orchestral
musicians, guest artists and administrators about the
Orchestra’s beginnings, the challenges it faced, the
tours it made all over Canada and to many foreign
lands, and the kind of individuals it took to mold the
Orchestra into what it is today.
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Programme 01 - An Orchestra is born: The Bernardi Years
The National Arts Centre Orchestra was born in the
cultural euphoria of the 1960’s, an off shoot of a
bold Centennial Year project for our nation’s
capital. Not only did Ottawa get its first arts
centre complex, it acquired a world class orchestra
almost instantly. Meet the bold and visionary men who
created the NAC and the orchestra. Hear from Music
Director Mario Bernardi and from players and music
lovers alike who remember those early days, and hear
excerpts from the orchestra’s audio archive.
Programme 02 - The Eighties: Mannino and Chmura
After 13 years under Bernardi, the NAC Orchestra’s
new leader was another Italian: Franco Mannino. Where
Bernardi had been all northern Italy - cold blue
light, Mannino was all southern Italy - red hot
light. Listen to the smiles that come into the voices
of those who remember Mannino. Then a darkness
descends on the NAC as financial woes threaten the
orchestra and its ambitious programs, and the
orchestra goes on strike. The young Polish Israel
conductor, Gabriel Chmura, succeeds Mannino, but his
stay in Ottawa is short-lived.
Programme 03 - The Pinnock Years and a Memorable Principal Guest Conductor
Through much of the 1990’s, the NAC Orchestra was led
by the baroque and classical specialist from England,
Trevor Pinnock. This was a time of continued
financial challenges for the NAC, but Trevor Pinnock
was not only a superb musician, but a man of great
character and helped heal the ravages of the late
1980’s. The NAC Orchestra also shows its flexibility
as gifted and colourful Principal Guest Conductor
Franz Paul Decker leads them into the territory of
Richard Strauss, Paul Hindemith, Jean Sibelius and
Johannes Brahms.
Programme 04 - The Golden Years with Pinchas Zukerman
The return of the NAC Orchestra to stability and
health coincides with the arrival of a superstar
violinist/conductor, and a man with a huge vision for
expansion and education. Pinchas Zukerman pushes the
organization to a larger greatness and a new CEO,
Peter Herrendorf, and Board Chair David Leighton,
help Pinchas achieve his dreams. The players, the
audience, and a wave of young performers, composers
and conductors all benefit. We’ll hear the singular
voice and personality Pinchas Zukerman reflect on his
11 years here and find the passion for more burns
brightly. Others chime in.
Programme 05 - Beyond Ottawa: The National Mandate of NACO
The National Arts Centre Orchestra has, from its
conception, had a mandate beyond Ottawa, a mandate to
serve all Canadians from coast to coast to coast. The
key national stages for the NAC Orchestra have been
broadcasting, recording and touring, to which has now
been added a significant presence on the internet. As
part of the national mandate the NAC Orchestra has
always been committed to nurturing and presenting
great Canadian performers. We hear from Angela
Hewitt, Jon Kimura Parker and Anton Kuerti. The
national mandate has also meant commissioning and
playing works by Canadian composers; R Murray Shafer,
Alexina Louie and Gary Kulesha are heard from, their
voices and their music.
Programme 06 - Beyond Ottawa: NACO and the World!
The NAC Orchestra has from its very early years been
known outside the boundaries of Canada. In its third
year of life, it made a triumphant debut in New York
City. From there touring to Asia, Europe, the rest of
the US and South America have won it friends and
admirers. Recordings have also been part of the NAC
Orchestra’s international reputation, as have great
virtuosos who have come to play at the NAC and then
gone away again, singing the orchestra’s praises. We
hear from Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, and Garrick
Ohlsson, among others. At the end of this program, we
look to the future and see the “decade of magic”
continuing.
