Most Canadians believe financial cost of hosting Olympics outweighs benefits, survey shows
Although Canadians are very proud of the country’s accomplishments in the Olympics, most don’t want to see Canada host the Games again, new data from the Angus Reid Institute shows. Canada has had an undeniably successful summer games, earning an impressive 23 medals thus far with more to come. Canada’s top achievements in the Paris 2024 Olympics include swimmer Summer...
Review: Cheng2 Duo mark Chamberfest homecoming with heartwarming performance
Ottawa’s favourite piano-cello duo returned for their annual Chamberfest homecoming on Aug 7 at the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre for a magical night of music. Silvie and Bryan Cheng made their debut at Chamberfest way back in 2007 at the Rising Stars showcase. This year, they once again returned with a new folk-inspired repertoire, titled Kindred Spirits, exemplifying the spirit of...
Review: Angela Hewitt pairs Mozart and Brahms to great effect at Chamberfest
The Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre was packed on Saturday night when Ottawa’s own world-class pianist Angela Hewitt took the stage for an elegant evening of Mozart and Brahms. The humidity and thunderstorms only added to the dramatic nature of the night. The Officer of the Order of Canada and a Officer of the Order of the British Empire was showcasing her...
From Rising Stars to Signature Series: Silvie and Bryan Cheng return to their musical roots at Chamberfest
Silvie and Bryan Cheng have come full circle at Chamberfest. The talented sister and brother started as the winners of the very first Rising Stars showcase. Today they are rocking the festival’s premier Signature Series in the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre stage on Aug 7 . The siblings have been playing together professionally for years. But it started in the family...
Review: Danish String Quartet captures the heart and soul of Chamberfest with delightful classics and modern adaptations
The Danish String Quartet and Finnish cellist Johannes Rostamo gave a stunning performance at the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre on Aug 2 with their take on Franz Schubert’s String Quintet in C Major, D. 956, Op. posth. 163. Along with this chamber music classic, they performed a modern arrangement of the quintet, by Thomas Adès. The performance is part of the...
Review: Pouliot and friends deliver rare performance of Mendelssohn’s Octet in elegant concert of romantic music
Canadian violin virtuoso Blake Pouliot took over the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre stage on July 31, much to the delight of the audience. For Pouliot, this was a return visit to Chamberfest for the talented violinist from Toronto who has forged a stellar international career as a soloist. He was the grand prize winner at the 2016 Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal...
The wheels on the bus: Black History Ottawa’s educational tour connects families and community
Black History Ottawa is educating the city about local history with an interactive History in the Streets Bus Tour, every Saturday this summer. The tour showcases the contributions of Black Canadians in Ottawa’s rich history, from athletes to politicians to activists and medical professionals. Names mentioned include Rawlson King, the first Black Canadian city councillor in Ottawa in 2019, Wangari...
Review: Nicole Presentey and John Dapaah dazzle Chamberfest audience with piano duet
Delicacy, precision, power. These words come to mind when Nicole Presentey and John Kofi Dapaah make music together. The Ottawa pianists performed “1 Piano, 4 Hands” in the NAC’s Thorsteinson Staircase, part of the Midday Matinées series at Chamberfest. The pair met at Carleton University, where Dapaah studied with Presentey. Soon after, they began playing duets together at Chamberfest and...
The “Bratification” of Kamala Harris: Gen Z at the intersection of internet culture and politics
Bright lime green, simple font, Charli XCX’s hit album “Brat” is everywhere these days. It’s even put its stamp on Democratic presidential candidate and current U.S. vice president Kamala Harris’ social media accounts. “Brat” is a dance-pop album defined by a gritty authenticity, capturing the vulnerability of the cool-girl aesthetic. But it’s more than the music. Charli herself says Brat...
Review: The Art of Time Ensemble kicks off Chamberfest with heartwarming Beatles tribute
The energy was high in the Carleton Dominion Chalmers Centre Thursday night as the Art of Time Ensemble warmed up ahead of their performance of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, kicking off Chamberfest’s 30th anniversary. The group, led by concert pianist Andrew Burashko, offered a classical and jazz inspired arrangement of the iconic Beatles album, hailed as one of...
A Capital Current Profile: Consumed by passion for music, Henry Kennedy brings his talent to role as NACO’s resident conductor
Henry Kennedy is the NAC Orchestra’s new resident conductor and a rising talent in the classical music scene, although that’s not to say that the young conductor hasn’t already had an impressive career. As resident conductor, Kennedy will spend the next two years working with the NAC Orchestra under the guidance of music director Alexander Shelley. Capital Current spoke with...
A Capital Current Profile: Ottawa’s John Kofi Dapaah finds meaning and faith in the intersection of classical and jazz music
For John Kofi Dapaah, music is more than just a career. It’s a way of connecting with his faith and family. Dapaah is a well-known pianist and music teacher in Ottawa who will perform at Chamberfest on July 30 alongside his teacher and friend Nicole Presentey. Dapaah comes from a musical family and his first experience with music was in...