Ottawa (Friday, May 18, 2007) — Something old. Something new. And something entirely different is what audiences have come to expect from Ottawa’s international chamber music festival/Chamberfest. Presented by the Ottawa Chamber Music Society (OCMS) Chamberfest ‘07 will give music lovers a full programme of international stars, as well as several events showcasing up and coming talent from Canada and around the world.

The 14th summer festival headlines three of Canada’s top pianists:

• Angela Hewitt - named by Gramophone as Artist of the Year for 2006 opens the festival on July 21 in a concert with German cellist Daniel Müller-Schott. She will also be appearing in a solo recital on July 23.
• André Laplante – winner of the prestigious Tchaikovsky International Competition, joins famed Russian ensemble, the Moscow String Quartet, to play the Shostakovich Piano Quintet.
• Louis Lortie – artist in residence for Chamberfest ‘07 will give four concerts paying tribute to the works of Grieg and Schumann.

The festival runs non-stop from July 21 to August 4. It concludes with the traditional finale featuring many of the stars over the two-week run. This standing-room only event will include the superb – but rarely heard – sextet for piano and winds by Ludwig Thuille, performed by Stéphane Lemelin and musicians from the National Arts Centre Orchestra.

“Previous festivals under the creative direction of Julian Armour set a standard of excellence that has received world acclaim. The expectations of concert-goers are very high, not just in terms of choice, but also in the calibre of performers, programme content and the festival’s international reputation,” said Colin Cooke, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Ottawa Chamber Music Society. “With the spirit and dedication of our OCMS team, we are confident that this year’s line up will meet and exceed everyone’s expectations.”

In addition to appearances by Angela Hewitt, Louis Lortie and André Laplante, other highlights include:

• Arnold Schoenberg - will be celebrated at Chamberfest ’07 with four concerts including a gala on July 26 to launch an international symposium and exhibit on his influence on 20th century music. These concerts will be attended by Schoenberg’s daughter and two sons.
• Shanghai Quartet - back by popular demand to participate in the Pass-Plus concert series where all of Beethoven’s seventeen String Quartets will be performed. Known for its careful melding of Eastern and Western sounds, the Shanghai Quartet will also present a Master Class and a second concert featuring selections from ChinaSong.
• Gryphon Trio – another festival favourite, the Trio will premiere a new work by composer Marjan Mozetich jointly commissioned with OCMS and dedicated to Mary and David Bullock and all the Society’s volunteers. The Gryphon Trio will also perform a special concert from Music Toronto’s Chamber at the Lula series with renowned oud player Simon Shaheen and eight of Canada’s top jazz and Middle Eastern musicians.
• East Village Opera Company - this 11-person ensemble deftly fuses rock and opera in a free concert at 150 Elgin Street, the future site of the Ottawa Community Concert Hall.
• St. Lawrence String Quartet - JUNO award winner, and one of the world’s premier chamber ensembles, the Quartet plays three concerts in the festival. Their repertoire will include Beethoven’s unforgettable Great Fugue, Opus 133.
• Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet - all five original members of this celebrated quintet founded during the era of Herbert von Karajan in 1988 will make their first appearance at the festival.
• Vienna Piano Trio - rated by the Washington Post as "one of the world's leading groups for violin, cello and piano.” Concertgoers will have three opportunities to watch their technique, listen and judge for themselves.
• James Bowman - countertenor, star of opera stages, and internationally renowned, recording artist tops off the final day of Chamberfest ’07 with two virtuoso performances.

“A festival like this is a wonderful opportunity for rising stars to perform alongside established musicians,” says programming team member André Laplante. Chamberfest ’07 celebrates rising stars in a special concert on July 22 that will feature the first prize winners of several major international competitions. These musicians will be featured in other concerts throughout the festival.

Ottawa composers, including Roddy Ellias, Evan Ware, Victor Herbiet, Christian Elliot, Kevork Andonian, Evelyn Stroobach and Jan Järvlepp, will showcase their works at the Church of St. John the Evangelist. And the Montreal-based Ensemble Caprice, newly signed to Canada’s Analekta label, offers a programme of original compositions by Matthias Maute.

With more than 100 concerts to choose from, discounted passes and free events, Chamberfest ’07 provides a feast of great music for aficionados and those who are exploring chamber music for the first time. In addition to the familiar classical repertoire, Chamberfest ’07 presents music from the Ukraine, China, India, Sumatra, Sweden, Denmark, Israel and many other countries.

Music, dance, the spoken word— Chamberfest ’07 aims to mix traditional chamber music with an eclectic twist. Performances will both please concertgoers from years past and attract new fans.

• Throughout the festival, night owls can take in 11:00 pm ‘Late Night’ concerts.
• Families will enjoy an afternoon of music and baroque dance when Ensemble Caprice teams up with Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière, in a concert complete with set and costumes. Those looking for an afternoon of discovery, contemplation and renewal might want to take in James Kudelka’s premiere for Quebec dance artist Laurence Lemieux.
• Also featured are violinist Adrian Butterfield, the Orchestra of the Theatre of Early Music and Canada’s renowned countertenor Daniel Taylor.
• A special screening of a new documentary, To Think Like a Composer by Ottawa film maker Michael Ostroff profiles composer Stephen Hatfield and the making of Hatfield’s new chamber opera, Ann and Seamus.
• In a family concert staged in the Museum of Civilization, the Ayorama Wind Quintet, with a narrator, will present Prokofiev’s beloved introduction to the instruments of the orchestra, and other musical adventures.

“Putting together this year’s line up with Programming Director Tristan Lauber and his team (André Laplante, Renée-Paule Gauthier and Jean-Philippe Tremblay) generated many new ideas that will ensure Chamberfest ’07 is a resounding success,” said OCMS acting Executive Director John Frecker.