Rideau Centre CAMP Cube experience helps business spread the word to customers
In mid-August, a large, mysterious cube appeared inside the Rideau Centre. Located next to Bento Sushi and tucked underneath an escalator, it attracted a line of curious mall-goers. Some had seen it on Instagram; others had not. Turns out the Cadillac Fairview (CF) CAMP Cube is a futuristic marketing tool that provides shoppers with a sci-fi gameshow experience. It will...
City Builder: Jean-François Bélisle is at the forefront of art in Ottawa and beyond
Jean-François Bélisle is bringing new ideas to the National Gallery of Canada.
City Builder: Empress Nyiringango is a musician on a healing journey
Empress Nyiringango is an Ottawa based Rwandan-Canadian singer and song writer who embarked on a "healing journey" in response to genocide.
Orléans arts venue moves diversity to centre stage with new collaboration
The 15th anniversary season at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orléans features a new partnership with Axé WorldFest — an organization that empowers BIPOC artists, newcomers to Canada and 2SLGBTQ+ individuals. The initiative reflects the centre’s strengthened commitment to ensuring that its annual lineup of performers includes traditionally unrepresented groups. Born and raised in Brazil and living in Canada for...
City Builder: City Fidelia is more than the music
City Fidelia’s contributions to the city of Ottawa go further than his musical career.
Sounds of trouble: Canadian orchestras struggle against dwindling audiences, changing tastes in post-COVID era
In February 2023, Rebecca Diderrich’s dream came true: she landed a tenure-track position playing the viola with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra after seven years of playing as an extra with the venerable Central Ontario ensemble. Just eight months later, it all came crashing down. Over email, the KWS abruptly cancelled its season in September, the day before it was set...
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...
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...