The National Arts Centre Orchestra (NAC Orchestra) is a Canadian

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, ...

based in

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

. The NAC Orchestra's primary concert venue is Southam Hall at the

National Arts Centre The National Arts Centre (NAC) () is a Arts centre, performing arts organization in Ottawa, Ontario, along the Rideau Canal. It is based in the eponymous National Arts Centre (building), National Arts Centre building. History The NAC was one ...

. Since its inception, the Orchestra has commissioned more than 90 works, mostly from Canadian composers. The NAC Orchestra has made over 50 commercially released recordings. The current music director of the NAC Orchestra is

Alexander Shelley Alexander Gordon Shelley (born 8 October 1979) is an English conductor. He is the music director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, principal associate conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and Artistic and Music Director ...

History

The NAC Orchestra was founded in 1969 as the resident orchestra of the newly opened

, with

Jean-Marie Beaudet Jean-Marie Beaudet (20 February 1908 – 19 March 1971) was a Canadian conducting, conductor, organist, pianist, radio producer, and music educator. He had a long career with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, serving variously as a music prod ...

as music director and

Mario Bernardi Mario Bernardi, (20 August 1930 – 2 June 2013) was a Canadian conductor and pianist. ...

as founding conductor. Bernardi became music director in 1971 and held the post until 1982. The NAC Orchestra undertook first international tour in 1973 to

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

, travelling as far as Leningrad. Beaudet and Bernardi are the only Canadian conductors to be appointed music director of the NAC Orchestra. Bernardi was named Conductor Laureate in 1997. Subsequent NAC Orchestra music directors have included

Franco Mannino Franco Mannino (25 April 1924 – 1 February 2005) was an Italian film composer, pianist, opera director, playwright and novelist. Biography Mannino was born in Palermo. He was married with Uberta Visconti di Modrone, a sister to the film and s ...

(1982–1987), Gabriel Chmura (1987–1990), and

Trevor Pinnock Trevor David Pinnock (born 16 December 1946 in Canterbury, England) is a British harpsichordist and conductor. He is best known for his association with the period-performance orchestra The English Concert, which he helped found and direct ...

(1991-1997). From 1999 to 2015,

Pinchas Zukerman Pinchas Zukerman (; born 16 July 1948) is an Israeli-American violinist, violist and conductor. Life and career Zukerman was born in Tel Aviv, to Jewish parents and Holocaust survivors Yehuda and Miriam Lieberman Zukerman. He began his musica ...

was the NAC Orchestra's music director. The orchestra expanded to 61 players during Zukerman's tenure. The NAC Orchestra has remained committed to touring internationally, averaging approximately one tour per every two years. Previous tours have taken them to the UK, Japan (in 1985 with soloist

Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi (born July 28, 1942 in Tokyo) is a world renowned Japanese cellist. In an international career which began in 1954, Tsutsumi has performed and recorded all of the principal standard works in the cello repertoire, both solo and concerto. He has ap ...

, who had taught at

University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO; branded as Western University) is a Public university, public research university in London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and the Thame ...

in Canada from 1967-1984), China, the United-States of America, and all over Europe. The NAC Orchestra has visited more than 125 cities in Canada and more than 130 cities internationally in its 51-year history, including a coast-to-coast Canadian tour in 1999 and again in 2017. In October 2013, the NAC Orchestra announced the appointment of

as its next music director, as of the 2015–2016 season, with an initial contract of 4 years. In 2018, the NAC announced the extension of Shelley's contract to 2022. In May 2019, the NAC Orchestra completed a five-country European tour. In May 2025, the NAC Orchestra announced that Shelley is to conclude his tenure as its music director at the close of the 2025-2026 season.

Franz-Paul Decker Franz-Paul Decker (26 June 1923 – 19 May 2014) was a German-born conductor. Life Decker was born in Cologne, Germany, where he studied at the Hochschule für Musik with Philip Jarnach and Eugen Papst. He made his conducting debut at the ag ...

was Principal Guest Conductor from 1991 to 1999. In 2001,

Jean-Philippe Tremblay Jean-Philippe Tremblay (born 1978) is a Canadian orchestra conductor. In addition to an international career as guest conductor, he is the founding Artistic Director and chief conductor of the Montreal based Orchestre de la Francophonie The Orch ...

became the NAC Orchestra's Apprentice Conductor, a then newly created post, for a two-year term. John Storgards is the orchestra's current principal guest conductor, currently contracted with the NAC Orchestra through the 2027-2028 season.

Jack Everly Jack Everly (born January 13, 1952) is an American conductor who serves as Principal Pops Conductor with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Naples Philharmonic and the National Arts Centre Orchestra (Ottawa, Canada). Born in Richmond, Indiana, ...

is the orchestra's current principal pops conductor.

Music Directors

(1969–1971) *

Mario Bernardi Mario Bernardi, (20 August 1930 – 2 June 2013) was a Canadian conductor and pianist. ...

(1971–1982) *

(1982–1987) * Gabriel Chmura (1987–1990) *

(1991–1997) *

(1999–2015) *

(2015–present)

References

External links

Official homepage of the National Arts Centre Orchestra
{{Authority control Musical groups established in 1969 Orchestras in Ottawa Tourist attractions in Ottawa 1969 establishments in Ontario