When: December 9, 2022
What time: 8 pm
Where: Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre, 355 Cooper Street
PRICE: From $38.15 • Click here for tickets
On December 9, Ottawa can delight in a heart-warming concert, perfect for the holiday season. A magical evening with the music of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Gloria, featuring the 100 voices of CPNM-Ottawa, formerly Ottawa Classical Choir, and its partner choirs, at Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre.
The artists will perform under the baton of accomplished pianist and conductor Michel Brousseau, artistic director of the Société philharmonique du Nouveau Monde. An opera enthusiast, Brousseau has been called upon to conduct operas in Europe, the United States and Canada. He has also directed Ottawa’s Pellegrini Opera and has won a unanimous award for piano while studying at the Montreal Conservatory of Music. Brousseau was also a finalist at the 2005 Luigi Mancinelli International Opera Conducting Competition, in Italy.
World-renowned Stehgeiger (a standing violinist who leads a musical ensemble, violin in hand) Alexandre Da Costa will perform as soloist to Vivaldi’s classic Four Seasons. Hailed as a rockstar of classical music by CBC Radio Canada, Da Costa is known for his lively and entertaining performances.
Da Costa has been guest soloist or conductor at over 2000 shows in 30 countries on four continents at venues that include Vienna’s Musikverein and New York’s Carnegie Hall. Da Costa has taken home awards worldwide, including the International Violin Competition Pablo Sarasate, a prestigious Spanish competition for classical artists. His talent has not gone unnoticed in Canada, where he won a Juno award in 2012 for Best Classical Album.
Da Costa plays the prestigious “Deveault” Stradivarius violin, made in 1701. This makes the violin older than the Four Seasons itself. The instrument is generously on loan from the Château du Lac Sacacomie.
Joining the choir for the Gloria, is Ottawa’s own Ania Hejnar. Known for her soaring soprano voice, Hejnar is also a talented violin and voice teacher and regularly performs the national anthem at Ottawa Redblacks and Senators’ home games.
The show will also feature Montreal mezzo-soprano Stéphanie Pothier whose repertoire extends from operatic classics to modern creations and much in between.
The first piece on the program, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, was a revolutionary work for its time, and even those unfamiliar with classical music will undoubtedly recognize it. This timeless composition was originally four separate violin concertos. Each was meant to align with the feeling and atmosphere Vivaldi felt for the season.
The second piece, Vivaldi’s magnificent Gloria, for choir, soloists, and orchestra, is one of the composer’s best sacred works. Considered one of sacred music’s most uplifting choral works, it is a joyful hymn of praise and worship divided into 12 movements, ranging from festive brilliance to profound sadness.
The concert venue is as impressive as the artists: the historic Carleton-Dominion Chalmers Centre. The large United Church at the corner of Cooper and O’Connor Streets in Ottawa’s Centretown is a turn-of-the-century building noted for its fantastic acoustics. Purchased in 2018 by Carleton University for an event space, the church continues to be used for religious services. It maintains its interior Edwardian-era charm and classical style.
Don’t miss this chance to see some of Ottawa’s best musical talent alongside one of Canada’s most renowned violinists.
Get your tickets here to see a musical experience like few others.
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For more information, visit La Société Philharmonique du Nouveau Monde-Choeurs et Orchestre at spnm.ca/en/concerts
