Ottawa (July 19, 2007) — Ottawa-born Angela Hewitt will be opening Chamberfest '07 with a grand gala performance July 21 at 8:00 pm, Dominion-Chalmers United Church, Ottawa. Sharing the stage and a two-year tour programme will be acclaimed cellist Daniel Müller-Schott, with whom Hewitt has recently recorded J.S. Bach's Gamba Sonatas.

Indeed, the two will strike the first chords of Chamberfest with the Viola da gamba Sonata in D major. Since childhood Müller-Schott says he has felt a great love for the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. So it is not surprising that this partnership is garnering so much international interest.

Hewitt, who has been variously described by London's The Guardian newspaper as "the pre-eminent Bach pianist of our time." Or "Nothing less than the pianist who will define Bach performance on the piano for years to come," (Stereophile) is also leading off Chamberfest's six-recital Piano Series. So festival-goers will have two more opportunities to see her. Firstly, on July 23 when she will be Eric Friesen's guest on Studio Sparks, and again the same evening when she plays a programme of Rameau, Beethoven and Schumann.

Since winning, at the age of 15, first prize in the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians, Daniel Müller-Schott has carved out a stellar solo career that has seen him under the baton of almost every major conductor in the world.

"Having two great virtuoso musicians share the stage at our opening gala sets the tone for the quality of musicianship Festival-goers have come to expect of what is - after all - the largest chamber music festival in the world," said executive director John Frecker. "And it is a tribute to the hard work everyone has contributed to Festivals past and present."

While both Hewitt and Müller-Schott are in high demand by major orchestras, and as solo performers, both clearly love to share their music beyond major concert halls. Hewitt is on record as particularly enjoying those recitals that take her deep into the Canadian heartland. She also runs her own Trasimeno Music Festival in Italy's Umbria region. For his part, Müller-Schott, who rose to fame at such an early age, has said that he would like to help more young people take an interest in classical music.

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Notes to Editors

Louis Lortie, Chamberfest '07 artist in residence, will be playing in four of the six piano series recitals.
July 23: Two Pianos: Grieg, Schuman with Hélène Mercier.
July 28 and 29: Two concerts with acclaimed violinist Augustin Dumay.
August 2: A solo programme of Grieg and Schumann.

Daily Telegraph, London

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