Ottawa Chamber Music Society

Thank you for making the 14^th Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival our best year ever!

A very special thank you to all our volunteers, the musicians, donors and sponsors for their support.

We hope you will join us as we celebrate the 15^th anniversary of the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival July 26 - August 9, 2008.

As you delve into our 2007 programme for this, the 14th annual Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, you will find music as it was played centuries ago, many new interpretations of the classics, and something entirely different to any chamber music you have heard before.

Certainly, it is a privilege to bring you our headliner performers. Such is their virtuosity and international standing, their names in the programme speak for themselves. At the same time, a festival of this size - 112 events in total - allows us to cover a broad spectrum of chamber music in a geographical sense.

Firstly, the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet makes its debut Ottawa performance with all five founding members, while the Leipzig String Quartet and the Vienna Piano Trio both return for command performances . Europe's three classical music centres represented at one festival.

Secondly, our complete cycle of Beethoven¹s 17 string quartets has attracted performers from Canada, China, Germany and Russia.

Thirdly, we have looked beyond the realms of western music as we know it. Classically trained musicians from around the world bring their own cultural imprints to Ottawa.

Take vocalist Maryem Tollar, a leading exponent of Arabic music. Or the father and daughter duo, Trichy and Suba Sankaran, who have a devoted following for their cross-over music, jazz interpretations, and original compositions. As well, the deft fusion of rock and opera presented by the East Village Opera Company, and the frequent melding of dance and narration with chamber music will please audiences of all ages.

Vocal music is another strong feature in this year's Chamberfest lineup. James Bowman, arguably one of the leading countertenors of his generation, will be in excellent company with countertenor Daniel Taylor, mezzo-soprano Julie Nesrallah, and soprano Nancy Argenta, among others.

And there is more. Music students can participate in masterclasses with Canada's André Laplante and the Shanghai Quartet, as well as workshops with members of the Red Chamber and El Viento Flamenco. Film buffs will hear 'How to Think Like a Composer' from Stephen Hatfield. Nor will those wanting to expand their musical appreciation want to miss the concerts, talks and exhibition on the enigmatic Arnold Schoenberg at the Carleton University international symposium.

Chamberfest ¹07 could be called a 'musical tour of the globe'. One that melds the European tradition with that of a world where musical exploration has no borders: a time and space where musicians and cultures can find common ground, and thrive.

Thank you for making the 14th Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival our best year ever!

Thank you for making the 14^th Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival our best year ever!