The Heat Is On with Brott’s Organ Fireworks!

Organist Ken Cowan was spectacular

By Nonna Aroutiounian (NAO clarinet '11)
Playing an orchestral concert is tough enough as it is. The pressure to perform beautifully and musically while playing all the correct notes in time and in tune is no easy task.
But when forced to do so in a church with no ventilation and a temperature hovering around 40 degrees Celsius is a completely different story. I hope to tell you ours – from sweaty start to fabulous fini
While citizens of the GTA – including Hamilton and surrounding area -- will remember July 21 as the beginning of a sweltering heat wave, the musicians of the National Academy Orchestra of Canada who performed in the Organ Extravaganza concert that evening will remember it as possibly one of the hottest and most humid concerts ever to be played in the courses of their career

Nonna Aroutiounian (NAO clarinet '11)

The dress rehearsal that day was a challenge. Each musician packed at least two water bottles and towels to dry themselves off. We soon learned how hot it can get in Centenary Church. We quickly realized normal concert dress simply would not do. I could only imagine the anarchy if the men were forced to wear tuxedos.

As for proper concert attire, Boris Brott proudly announced, “Wear as little as possible! Well within reason, and keeping in sanctity of this church”. We all knew that with an audience, the stifling conditions of the church would rapidly worsen. Some in the orchestra were wondering if an audience would even show with a concert under such conditions. But the audience did show, and the concert, heated and sweaty as it was, went on.

I have to commend Ken Cowan, my fellow musicians and the conductors on playing a great concert under such brutal conditions. I don’t think anyone in the orchestra expected to be dripping sweat and panting quite so much while playing a concert. But I do have to say it was not in vain. Many in the audience came out in support of the NAO, and applauded everyone for playing a concert that would have normally been cancelled under such circumstances.

Organist Ken Cowan, a native of Thorold Ontario, has studied at Yale and works at Princeton. He completed his musical studies at The Curtis Institute of Music and Yale Institute of Sacred Music. He has done numerous recordings under the JAV Label and has toured throughout Canada, United States and Europe. While working with the orchestra all week he made do with a piano, but his technical skill and musical ability shined on Centenary’s restored five keyboard pipe organ. Nothing was more satisfying than when the first notes of the organ blossomed in the middle of Saint-Saens' Third Symphony.

I have to constantly remind myself, and I’m sure others do as well, it may have been hot and unpleasant, but it was and always is first and foremost about the music. As a musician, a standing ovation at the end of the concert was enough to make me feel the success of the night.

Why bother with classical music? (From the Spec)

Musicians strive to reinvent — to bring new life and energy to — orchestral music


by Nonna Arountinian (NAO Clarinet '11)

Special to the Spectator

 

2011 National Academy Orchestra performs under the baton of Boris Brott July 14, 2011

In today’s fast-paced world, what is popular and current in music is more often than not driven by those with short attention spans looking to make a quick dollar and piggyback on the latest beat or catchy chorus. So it’s no small wonder many orchestras are in a constant struggle to stay afloat.


Orchestras fight daily to make ends meet, to pay the cost of musicians, directors, administrative staff, covering the cost of venues, rehearsal space, and a number of other things — not to mention trying to keep the costs of attending such concerts low enough to keep them accessible to all types of audiences.

So why bother? Why bother trying to uphold a style of music and an industry that is clearly being pushed out by the pop stars of our generation?

Classical music and the tradition it upholds is one of the jewels of Western civilization, part of what makes the Western world what it is. It played an important role in the history and culture of Western populations and is at the root of our artistic and creative evolution. As a musician and performer, I truly believe it is something to be cherished and celebrated.

Luckily, the musicians of the National Academy Orchestra of Canada and the Brott Music Festival are helping to bring new life and energy to many classical works, symphonies and concertos this summer season. The NAO, primarily based in Hamilton, was founded in 1989 by conductor Boris Brott. It is made up of Canada’s emerging young professional performers who work as apprentice musicians alongside established professionals from some of Canada’s finest orchestras.

With nationwide auditions, an opportunity such as this does not present itself often to Canada’s young musicians. I personally feel incredibly lucky to be able to participate in this orchestra, to help reinvent music and share my passion for it. For many of us in the orchestra, myself included, this is a key stepping-stone to carving out a career as a professional orchestral musician, music administrator or a teacher.

The NAO’s orchestral season began on June 8 and runs through to Aug. 18. With seven concerts already behind us, my colleagues are relentless in bringing an unmatched youthful vitality and energy to our performances. With one of the most exciting starts to the season and a packed audience, the season kicked off impressively with a guest performance by Giampiero Sobrino on clarinet playing Weber’s Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra No. 1 in F minor, and the highly anticipated Beethoven’s 5th Symphony.

To the audience’s delight, the orchestra did not disappoint and followed it with an equally fantastic concert on June 18, with guest conductor and french horn player James Sommerville. He is also the music director for the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra and principal horn for the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

The season has continued to gain momentum with fantastic performances by guest artists Laurence Kayaleh on violin, Valerie Tryon on piano and most recently the young virtuoso pianist Jan Lisiecki.

Also worth mentioning are the wonderful conductors who are behind the creative process of the orchestra. While Brott heads the orchestra full time, he is joined by his apprentice conductor Philippe Menard, and guest conductors Martin MacDonald (resident conductor, Symphony Nova Scotia), Alain Trudel (artistic director, Orchestra London Canada) and Sommerville.

Nonna Aroutiounian

For myself and others in the orchestra, it is a complete pleasure and privilege to be able to work daily with such creative minds. I cannot even begin to describe the excitement and drive that is felt in every rehearsal and performance, it must be seen to be thoroughly understood.
To experience the wonder of what music has to offer, one truly must hear the beauty of sound in the moment of its creation. The NAO’s upcoming concerts on July 21, 23 and the 27, as will the rest of the season, lend themself to the highest of standards in offering audiences nothing but the very sublime.

Nonna Aroutiounian earned her Bachelor’s in Music Performance at the University of British Columbia and is currently earning her Masters in Clarinet Performance at the University of Michigan. She is a performing clarinetist for the National Academy Orchestra of Canada’s 2011 season.

The Three Bowties!

Boris Brott, Jan Lisiecki, Philippe Menard

McIntyre Centre for the Performing Arts July 14, 2011

From Ontario Arts Review: From Romance to a Love Affair

Review by Eyal Bitton  July 7th, ‘11
Photos by Diane Clark

Famed Metropolitan Opera star Ermanno Mauro

A public love affair with opera was on display last evening as maestro Boris Brott expertly seduced the audience with a selection of stellar romantic works in Opera Romance. The evening opened with the National Academy Orchestra's interpretation of the overture from Rossini's ‘Il Barbiere di Siviglia’, deftly conducted by the NAO's current RBC Foundation apprentice-conductor Philippe Ménard. Ménard's expressive conducting and evident joy in the music infused the opening piece with the evening's theme - passion. Mezzo Lauren Segal then graced the stage as Rosina from ‘Barbiere’.

Mezzo Lauren Segal sings 'Una voce poco fa" under the baton of Philippe Menard

We were indeed watching Rosina and not Segal as the mezzo completely immersed herself in her character. This was no recital but truly opera as Segal, with her rich, full voice playfully, coyly, and beautifully performed ‘Una voce poco fa’. The audience loved it as they could not contain their shouts of approval following the aria. Brava!

Perhaps the most impressive arias of the evening were sung by tenor Ermanno Mauro. What command! What beauty!

What drama! In his first aria, ‘Un di all'azzurro spazio’ from Giordano's “Andrea Chénier”; Mauro's entire body seemed to embrace the music. His tour de force, however, was ‘Vesti la giubba’ from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. Mauro's acting was unquestionably superb & breathtaking… it was a master class in opera. Watching Mauro's emotionally wounded Pagliacci was an incredibly heart-wrenching experience. As he stumbled, we stumbled; as he fell apart, we too, fell apart. The audience leaped to its feet to give Mauro a merited standing ovation for a formidable performance.

Another guest conductor, Martin MacDonald, made a brief but memorable appearance conducting an energetic and electrifying Bacchanale from Camille Saint-Saëns' “Samson et Dalila”. It was another audience favourite.

Sinead Sugrue sings 'Stridono Lassu' as Boris Brott conducts the National Academy Orchestra

Baritone Peter McGillivray and Mezzo Lauren Segal perform a duet from Saint Saens Samson e Dalila

Silky-voiced Irish-Canadian soprano; Sinéad Sugrue, was magnificent. A standout performance of the evening was her rendition of ‘Sempre libera’ from “La Traviata”. Sugrue possesses a stunning vocal instrument with great emotional and dynamic range. She displayed such facility in singing such a complex vocal piece and it was truly masterful. Baritone Peter McGillivray seemed to relish both the music and the roles he played as well. In a duet with Segal (‘J'ai gravi la montagne’ from “Samson et Dalila”), he was particularly contemptible & snide as the High Priest of Dagon, conveying the essence of the character through his acting as well as his voice. His mellifluous tones and powerful vocal chords filled the room. McGillivray had an opportunity to shine in his aria ‘Di provenza il mar’ from “Traviata”. He sang it beautifully; tenderly, and with lovely sensitivity.



A touching moment- one that captures the mood of the evening; occurred during Mauro's final aria, ‘Torna a Surriento’ by Ernesto De Curtis. Maestro Brott had earlier mentioned that the tenor was battling a vocal problem due to rehearsing for several days in the air-conditioned hall and was soldiering on nevertheless. By this time in the concert, Mauro had, unfortunately, lost his voice. He valiantly tried to sing his opening words but little came out. What happened next was beautiful. The audience took over. It was the audience's way of supporting an admired tenor who had won their hearts. It was a show of compassion and passion - not just for Mauro but for opera itself. The warmth filled the room. Indeed, this installment of the Brott Music Festival, Opera Romance, was a romance in itself. More than that, it was a love affair!