A Day in the Life

People sometimes ask me what my job consists of. Well, yesterday was an example of a difficult day. Here’s how it went… 06:45  Music Director calls from New York to update on travel problems due to huge storm (500 flights cancelled). It’s likely he’ll miss the first rehearsal, and maybe the second as well. This … More A Day in the Life

A Tale of Two Movies

Once every couple of years we present a movie on our Pops series. The film is shown on a big screen suspended above the stage while the orchestra performs the score. The Bugs Bunny show from a few years ago was very successful, and many patrons still talk about the Charlie Chaplin films. This week’s … More A Tale of Two Movies

Perahia in Recital

I am fortunate to hear really talented artists perform nearly every week at the NAC. I am in awe of Pinchas’s ability on the violin and viola, I’ve heard amazing wind and brass soloists, and many great singers. There is really nothing like hearing a great pianist in concert, though. The gap between their level … More Perahia in Recital

KODO

This is one of those weeks when I feel really lucky to work at the NAC. There’s something interesting on nearly every night, and I’m fortunate enough to get to see some great artists for free.The week kicked off last night with a performance by the Kodo drummers from Japan. I saw Kodo perform in … More KODO

My New Favourite Song

I can’t stop listening to Intervention from Arcade Fire’s new album Neon Bible. The church organ intro, the steady build, the unexpected chord changes near the end – it’s just great. I’ve been a little slow jumping on the Arcade Fire bandwagon. In the past week, I’ve read numerous articles about them, including a big … More My New Favourite Song