A prominent member of the Ottawa arts community once told me that the greatest gift you can give an artist is “time and opportunity.”
This sentiment from Peter Honeywell, executive director of the Council for the Arts in Ottawa, is especially true for Ottawa’s orchestral players.
Of course, it’s important to highlight the extraordinary talent of Ottawa’s professional artists who are able to obtain success. But at the grassroots level, there are artists who need a jumping-off point – a place to join together, showcase their work and develop their craft. They may not play professionally, but they are from our city and want to hone their abilities as much as the next performer.
It seems that in comparison to other cultural metropolises like Montreal and Toronto, Ottawa is simply lacking in certain artistic community options.
Take Ottawa orchestral players, for example. There is a large population of professional musicians who are privileged enough to play in an established orchestra.
But there are also a number of budding musicians who are not developed enough to join an elite orchestra – perhaps some post-secondary musicians or complete musical newcomers.
Unlike the abundance of theatre troupes that are available for actors of all types to join, it seems Ottawa orchestral musicians don’t have the same options.
Earlier this month, I attended a beautiful performance by the Divertimento Orchestra at St. Thomas d’Aquin Church. A group of about 65 amateur musicians in their best dress performed classical scores and symphonies in front of an audience of over 400 people. They may be classified as “amateur,” but they sounded perfect and practically flawless.
Leading the orchestra was former Ottawa Symphony conductor Gordon Slater, whose experience can certainly be credited as one contributing factor to their unblemished sound.
Performances by such talented orchestral players are not only an auditory treat, but are needed in order to show off Ottawa’s high level of talent. However, to join such an orchestra, one needs to audition.If an orchestral player is denied entry, some of their only other options are to try to join the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Ottawa Chamber Orchestra or the Ottawa Symphony.
I was told the same musicians travel within these organizations, making the whole process seem slightly incestuous and hard for a newcomer to break in.
Amateur musicians’ talent deserves exhibition, but this example begs the question – if an artist does not exactly make the cut to perform in one of these exceptional groups, where do they go to develop their skills?
Options cost money, but funds from the city could create opportunities and contribute to a flourishing cultural capital.
Over the past six years, the Ottawa arts community has worked vigorously to put themselves on the map. Their activism succeeded in avoiding harsh cuts to their budgets.
But as Honeywell so wisely articulated, not all Ottawa artists have the peace of mind in knowing they can be a part of something, somewhere.
Everything, of course, returns to the point of funding and how badly the arts need it.
Ottawa has a community of people ready and waiting to make noise in this country, they are just struggling to have a place to be heard.