Tuesday, July 31

• A new departure for Chamberfest, Bob Sutherby of El Viento Flamenco gives a workshop to anyone with a nylon-string (not steel-string) guitar and some background in fingerstyle. (4:00 pm Freiman Hall). Available for interviews to Aug. 1.
• Flamenco in a Church? Well yes. El Viento Flamenco performs at 11:00 pm at The Church of St. John the Evangelist. Available for interviews to Aug. 1.
• Flamenco at the Bank of Canada? Yes again. The ensemble gives a FREE noon-hour concert on the plaza. Available for interviews to Aug. 1.
• Ottawa-born Peter Kiesewalter and Tyley Ross of East Village Opera Company vowed to return to Ottawa each year until a new community concert hall for acoustic music is built. Tuesday evening (7:00 pm) they stage a FREE concert on the parking lot of the proposed building to present their electric fusion of rock and famous opera arias. Available for interviews to Aug. 1.

Wednesday August 1, to Closing Chamberfest Gala Aug.4

• Typically, the programme in the second week of the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival is peppered with Early Music – that is music up to 1750 (the year J.S. Bach died). Churches are almost always full. See www.chamberfest.com for July 27 news release Early Music is Alive and Well and Living in Ottawa.
• It has been said that Early Music cannot fully define itself. And therein lies its fascination. Musicians are drawn to the genre, either by recreating ‘historical performances’ or digging up old manuscripts in libraries all over the world and reinterpreting the music. Ottawa-born Daniel Taylor unearthed a Nicolaus Bruhns (1665-1697) composition and will present it at the closing Gala concert. (Aug. 4)
• Taylor is also both a countertenor and artistic director of a loose-knit group of musicians who have made solo careers in Early Music. While leading or working with other ensembles, they also perform under the Theatre of Early Music umbrella. Taylor is available for Eng/Fr. interviews to August 4.

Following are highlights in the 20-concert Theatre of Early Music series at Chamberfest.

• Matthew Wadsworth, blind since birth, has carved out a stellar career since switching to lute from classical guitar and memorizing an entirely new repertoire. At Chamberfest he will play the music of Giovanni Kapsberger (c1580-c1651), Alessandro Piccinini (1566-1638), and Robert de Visée (c1655-1732) on August 2. Available for interviews to Aug. 4.
• London Handel Players present their trademark series of profiles on great Baroque composers: J.S. Bach (July 31), Jean-Marie Leclair (August 3), and George Frideric Handel (August 3). Adrian Butterfield (violin) is considered one of the most versatile period-instrument musicians of his generation. Available for interviews to Aug. 4.
• Laurence Cummings (harpsichord) is in the front ranks of Early Music and a founding member of the London Handel Players. He plays Couperin (1668-1733), Handel and Henry Purcell (1659-1695): August 1. Available for interviews to Aug. 4.
• As Chamberfest draws to a close, Nancy Argenta will take the stage. Hailed as the supreme Handel soprano of our time, she works with major orchestras around the world. Her CD of songs and airs by Purcell, O Solitude won a Classic CD award. (August 2 and 3). Available for interviews July 30 to Aug. 4.
• Joining Argenta on August 4, are countertenors James Bowman and Daniel Taylor, Charles Daniels (tenor), Peter McGillivray (baritone) and the Theatre of Early Music ensemble. Available for interviews to Aug. 4.
• James Bowman says he is retiring from international engagements. So this is probably the last time his Ottawa fans will see him in concert. Arguably the most accomplished counter-tenor of his time, he has 180 recordings to his credit. “A legend in his time,” says Daniel Taylor who called in a couple of rain checks to engage him for Chamberfest. Limited availability for interviews. Aug. 3 to Aug. 4.
• Matthew Halls had to play the Goldberg Variations with a harpsichord that was suffering under the heat in St. Andrews Church (July 28). The first harpsichord - normally kept in an air-conditioned room – quickly snapped several strings in the heat. Halls had to quickly tune a second harpsichord but was not able to fix one of its snapped strings in time for his concert. With good humour, he then challenged the packed church to figure out which string was broken and was therefore not playable. Available for interviews to Aug. 4.

For Fact Sheets please see www.chamberfest.com.

For a searchable schedule ask for a Programme Sched. (in Word format).

For recent (past 12 months) discography ask for list.

For Premiere performances at Chamberfest ask for list.

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For further information contact

Frances Phillips, Interim Communications Director

Tel: (613) 234-8008, Ex. 241. Mobile: (613) 852-7848. Email: media@chamberfest.com