National Youth Orchestra of Canada returns to the stage for its 62nd season this summer, performing live in six cities, under the baton of Maestro Sascha Goetzel
Borealis 2022
July 20 – August 3, 2022
Tickets are Now on Sale!
After two years of digital masterclasses, lessons and virtual performances, The National Youth Orchestra of Canada (NYO Canada) is thrilled to return to the stage for its 62nd season this summer. Performing live in six cities, from July 20th – August 3rd, 2022, under the baton of Maestro Sascha Goetzel, tickets are now on sale.
“NYO Canada symbolizes the values and ideals that lie in the heart of Canada – unity through the enrichment of communities and diversity,” says Maestro Goetzel. The Borealis tour embodies our mission to reacquaint classical music audiences of the nation with the best young classical musicians from across the country. The imagery of the northern lights (captured by Northwest Territories photographer Matonabee Paulette) is a powerful parallel for welcoming audiences once more to connect through music. This tour will bring music back to our community and express our deep feelings of unity and appreciation for their unwavering support.
This triumphant tour begins with an incredible opening performance at the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts in Kingston on July 20th before continuing through Montreal, Ottawa, Mont-Laurier, and Quebec City, concluding in Toronto on August 3rd. The program includes music by Strauss, Brahms, and Rota and features two inspiring young Canadian composers: Montreal-based violist Leo Purich (Canopies/Canopées) and British Columbia composer Katerina Gimon (Roots Beneath), ushering in a new chapter of performance and collaboration.
The season includes performances in the following cities:
- Wed. July 20 @ 7:30 p.m. – Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts, 390 King St. W., Kingston, ON
- Fri. July 22 @ 7:30 p.m. – La Maison Symphonique, 1600 St. Urbain St., Montreal, QC
- Mon. July 25 @ 7:00 p.m. – Carleton Dominion-Chalmers, 355 Cooper St., Ottawa, ON
- Fri. July 29 @ 7:30 p.m. – Espace Theatre, 543 Rue du Pont, Mont Laurier, QC
- Mon. August 1 @ 7:30 p.m. – Palais Montcalm, 995 Rue D’Youville, Quebec, City, QC
- Wed. August 3 @ 7:30 p.m. – Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St. W., Toronto, ON
The Canadian Commissions to be performed on this tour were composed by Leo Purich and Katerina Gimon. Both composers were the recipients of awards from the SOCAN Foundation.
NYO member Leo Purich is a Montreal-based composer and a performer on viola, violin, and piano. He is the recipient of The SOCAN Foundation Composer Residency competition. It is designed to recognize Canadian composers who are 30 years of age or under, provides an opportunity for young composers to attend an NYO rehearsal reading of their orchestral composition, and have the opportunity for their work to be performed in concert halls across the world. Purich holds a Double DEC in Science and Music from Vanier College (Montreal). While at Vanier, he combined the two fields by undertaking a research internship at the Music Perception and Cognition Lab of McGill University’s Schulich School of Music. He is currently majoring in Music Theory at McGill since 2002.
Katerina Gimon was the recipient of The SOCAN Foundation Emerging Composer Mentor Program and NYO Canada’s 2022 commissioned composer. Gimon is a composer, improviser, and vocalist. Her work has been performed widely across Canada, the United States, and internationally. She has also been recognized with several accolades, including two SOCAN Awards, a nomination for Western Canadian Composer of the Year and CBC’s list of Canada’s “hot 30 classical musicians under 30).
To complement NYO Canada’s 2022 season and Borealis theme, the orchestra appointed Matonabee Paulette as its 2022 Visual Artist and is using four of his stunning images to represent its vision of discovery, learning and hope. Paulette is renowned for his work of natural landscapes and displays of the north with truthful interpretations of topography, peaks of dawn, and the northern lights. Paulette, a self-taught photographer, was born and raised in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, where he continues to live with his wife and two children and a third on the way.
Maestro Sascha Goetzel, NYO’s Music Director for 2022 – 2023, is Music-Director Designate of the l’Orchestre National Des Pays Del La Loire and Principal Guest conductor of the Sofia Philharmonic. He is a frequent guest conductor with some of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, and he previously led the NYO and members of the European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO) in the collaborative “Frenergy” concert tour of Ontario and Quebec 2019. Born and raised in Vienna, Goetzel trained as a violinist and began his conducting studies in Austria and with Jorma Panula at the Sibelius Academy. He has worked with some of the world’s most prestigious and acclaimed conductors and was a Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Festival.
Tickets are now on sale for all six performances of Borealis 2022 and can be purchased online at: https://nyoc.org/tickets/borealis-tour/
National Youth Orchestra of Canada (NYO Canada) recruits the best young classical musicians from across the country and prepares them for careers as professional orchestral musicians. Each year, NYO auditions more than 500 musicians between the age of 16 – 28. Mentored by world-renowned faculty of professional musicians and educators, orchestra members participate in the NYO Canada Chamberfest and Orchestral Training Institute, including a recording session and a concert tour with performances in Canada and abroad in some of the world’s finest concert halls.
As the bridge between music education and a music career, NYO Canada’s vision is to launch Canada’s next generation of professional orchestral musicians by offering a comprehensive program that encompasses a full range of skills and experiences, entirely tuition-free. Additionally, each member of the orchestra receives a personal scholarship generously provided by our sponsors and donors.
The mandate of NYO Canada is to discover and inspire well-rounded and skilled orchestral musicians, support and promote Canadian emerging composers and artists, and build appreciation for classical music among audiences in every corner of the nation.
National Youth Orchestra of Canada is grateful for the support of the Government of Canada, Ontario Arts Council, RBC Foundation and its many donors who support its 2022 training institute.
For Media Information:
Vince J. Ciarlo Emily Dunbar
Ciarlo Communications National Youth Orchestra
Tel: 416-763-3783 Tel: 416-532-4470 x 225
Cell: 416-458-5090 Toll Free: 1-888-532-4470 x 225
Email: vciarlo@ciarlo.ca Email: edunbar@nyoc.org