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Review: Sock 'n' Buskin's ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD at the Kailash Mital Theatre
by Courtney Castelino - January 25, 2026
This week, Sock ‘n’ Buskin presented a limited engagement of Tom Stoppard's comedy-meets-existential-crisis, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,...
Review: The World Premiere of Natasha Mumba's COPPERBELT at the National Arts Centre
by Courtney Castelino - January 16, 2026
What did our critic think of COPPERBELT at National Arts Centre?...
Review: Broadway Across Canada's Presentation of CLUE LIVE ON STAGE! at the National Arts Centre
by Courtney Castelino - January 07, 2026
Broadway Across Canada’s presentation of Clue Live on Stage! rolled into Ottawa’s National Arts Centre last night. The show, written by Jonathan Lynn, is based on the 1985 film, Clue (also written by Lynn), which was itself based on the popular Hasbro board game....
Review: Ottawa Musicals' HANSEL AND GRETEL GO WEST
by Courtney Castelino - December 24, 2025
What did our critic think of HANSEL AND GRETEL GO WEST at Ottawa Musicals?...
Review: Pierre Brault's A CHRISTMAS CAROL: SOLO at Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe
by Courtney Castelino - December 20, 2025
Pierre Brault’s A Christmas Carol: Solo is back again this season at Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe! This is an extraordinary interpretation of Charles Dickens’ holiday classic....
Review: Kid Koala's THE STORYVILLE MOSQUITO at National Arts Centre
by Courtney Castelino - December 06, 2025
What did our critic think of THE STORYVILLE MOSQUITO at National Arts Centre?...
Review: A SHERLOCK CAROL at Ottawa Little Theatre
by Courtney Castelino - December 04, 2025
What did our critic think of A SHERLOCK CAROL at Ottawa Little Theatre?...
Past Shows
The Music of John Williams
Jun 19 – Jun 21, 2014
You’ll savour these live performances of fabulous John Williams scores, including E.T. the Extraterrestrial, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones and Harry Potter movies, War Horse,...
Mozart and Mahler
Jun 11 – Jun 12, 2014
At 18 years of age, Jan Lisiecki is in the spotlight for Mozart’s Ninth Piano Concerto, called “one of the greatest wonders of the world”....
A Postcard "From the New World"
Jun 5
Superstar Leila Josefowicz (“a superb fiddle player” ~ Chicago Tribune) plays Stravinsky’s 1931 Baroque-inspired concerto, a brilliant combination of energy, wit, and charm—a perfect match...
Roald Dahl’s Little Red Riding Hood
May 31
Not your grandpa’s Little Red Riding Hood! Rest assured, the familiar cast of characters is all here: wolf, grandma, and the girl in a red...
Fauré's Requiem
May 28 – May 29, 2014
Saint-Saëns’s Third Violin Concerto—from its flights into the stratosphere of the violin’s register, to the finale’s whimsical flourishes—showed the composer to be a master of...
Mixed Repertoire
May 21
A newly invigorated Dance Theatre of Harlem returns to the NAC with a dynamic evening of high-octane works, including Far But Close, a recent commission...
Mendelssohn's Double
May 14 – May 15, 2014
Beethoven’s playful Eighth Symphony is known for its “metronome” movement—a tribute to a then-new time-keeping gadget (there’s an app for that, you know). So keep...
Coppélia
May 1 – May 3, 2014
One of the world’s most beloved story ballets, Coppélia sparkles with wit and charm. Featuring a voluptuous score by Léo Delibes, a flirty, feisty heroine...
Madama Butterfly
Apr 19 – Apr 26, 2014
One of the most famous and beautiful operas of all time, Madama Butterfly is set in Japan in the late 1880’s. It tells the hauntingly...
Pirates of Penzance
Apr 19 – Apr 26, 2014
Come sail the seas with the infamous Pirate King! This witty Gilbert and Sullivan operetta has been cleverly abridged for families making it the perfect...
Dancing With Beethoven
Apr 10 – Apr 11, 2014
After a brilliant debut with NAC Orchestra last season, Juraj Valcuha returns….Béla Bartók’s Second Violin Concerto reflects the composer’s Hungarian heritage, including a set of...
Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Apr 9
On the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s much-anticipated annual visit to Southam Hall, GRAMMY Award-winning pianist Richard Goode joins Maestro Peter Oundjian and the TSO when they...
Tango Pasión
Apr 8
Back at the NAC by popular demand, Argentina’s internationally-renowned Tango Pasión brings an unforgettable mix of music, song and dance in a brand new production....
Zukerman and Bronfman in Recital
Mar 31
Pinchas Zukerman and one of his favourite musical partners, Yefim Bronfman, get together for a recital of intimate chamber music repertoire. You’ll marvel at the...
Rodin/Claudel
Mar 27 – Mar 29, 2014
Rodin/Claudel is a story of passion, obsession and betrayal that vividly portrays the intimate lives of two people entangled in love and artmaking. Inspired by...
Songs of the Wanderers
Mar 21 – Mar 22, 2014
A masterpiece of imagination and timeless inner tranquility, this visually stunning paean to spiritual pilgrimage is a signature work of Taiwan’s leading contemporary dance company....
Hr?ša Conducts Eroica
Mar 19
Named as a conductor “on the verge of greatness” by Gramophone and praised for his “…penetrating musicianship and with the technical means to achieve it”...
Forsyth's Double Concerto
Mar 6
Italy’s sun-drenched landscapes and joie de vivre of its people prompted Mendelssohn’s spirited symphony, one of the most beloved in the repertoire (he himself referred...
Brahms' Third Symphony
Feb 26 – Feb 27, 2014
A concert inspired by the forces of destiny and love. In just nine minutes Brahms’s profound choral masterpiece Song of Destiny, set on Friedrich Hölderlin’s...
Denzal Sinclaire Sings the Nat King Cole Songbook… and More
Feb 20 – Feb 22, 2014
Take Denzal Sinclaire—Canada’s most popular jazz vocalist—add the great classics from the songbook of the extraordinary Nat King Cole and other favourites, plus conductor Jeff...
Symphonic Mozart and Schubert
Feb 12 – Feb 13, 2014
Principal Oboe Charles Hamann takes the spotlight amongst his NAC Orchestra colleagues for Vaughan Williams’s rarely heard jewel of a concerto, which charms the ear...
Peter and the Wolf
Feb 8
Without upsetting the maestro, symphony musicians and a conductor’s assistant must outwit a powerful wolf who challenges orchestra and audience alike. The concert hall becomes...
Parker Plays Mendelssohn
Feb 5 – Feb 6, 2014
Inspired by his sunny sojourn in Italy (and a brief infatuation with a young pianist), Mendelssohn composed an equally unclouded piano concerto, brimming with free-flowing...
Swan Lake
Jan 30 – Feb 1, 2014
A classical ballet masterpiece brought to life by ingenious choreographer James Kudelka. His provocative, passionate ideas and dynamic choreographic palette heighten the ballet’s mingling of...
Louis Lortie Plays Wagner
Jan 27
101 years after the birth of Richard Wagner, Louis Lortie presents this homage to the iconic opera composer. The pianist considers it “a nice challenge...
Legendary Singer-Songwriters
Jan 16 – Jan 18, 2014
Michael Cavanaugh, charismatic voice of the Rock & Roll Songbook, joins Jack Everly and the NAC Orchestra in his much-anticipated return to the NAC to...
The Hockey Sweater
Jan 11
What’s it like to have to wear a Toronto Maple Leafs sweater in a hockey-crazed Quebec town where everyone is a Montreal Canadiens fan? That’s...
Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto
Jan 8 – Jan 9, 2014
“The heart’s jewel” …that’s what Mendelssohn’s genially-inspired Concerto has been called. Among the most popular in the repertoire it not only lets soloists display technical...
Measha's Magical Christmas with the NAC Orchestra
Dec 20
Celebrate the joys of Christmas! Alain Trudel and the NAC Orchestra are joined by stellar soprano Measha Brueggergosman who will add sparkle along with the...
Handel's Messiah
Dec 17 – Dec 18, 2013
Handel’s Messiah—composed in an astonishing three weeks—is the inspired and inspiring meditation on the prophecy and fulfillment of God’s plan to redeem the world through...
Barenaked Ladies: Hits and Holiday Songs
Dec 12 – Dec 14, 2013
What a way to get into the holiday spirit! Winner of eight Juno Awards, 15 million record sales, and 20 years of entertaining fans across...
Nutcracker
Dec 4 – Dec 8, 2013
The perfect holiday treat for the whole family! RWB’s Nutcracker updates the best of the original ballet with uniquely Canadian elements such as a snowy...
Mozart and Shostakovich
Nov 28 – Nov 29, 2013
Young piano phenom Conrad Tao, who amazed audiences during last season’s Beethoven Festival, returns to play a Mozart piano concerto that has a sunny disposition,...
One Thousand Pieces
Nov 23
Resident choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo’s magical One Thousand Pieces – the company’s first-ever full-evening work – was created in celebration of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s 35th...
Barber's Violin Concerto
Nov 20 – Nov 21, 2013
What could be more romantic than being awakened by a birthday serenade played by 13 musicians on Christmas morning? That was Wagner’s gift to his...
Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery
Nov 16
Vivaldi, Venice, and Violins! You’ll be intrigued by Classical Kids Live’s award-winning story of Katarina, a gifted girl sent to study music at the Pietà...
All-Beethoven Celebration
Nov 13 – Nov 14, 2013
An all-Beethoven celebration! The brilliant Third Piano Concerto is a showcase for the prodigious talents of Dejan Lazi?, marking his debut with the NAC Orchestra....
Warner Bros. presents Bugs Bunny at the Symphony
Nov 7 – Nov 9, 2013
What could be more entertaining than watching beloved classic cartoons, starring that “Wascally Wabbit” Bugs Bunny and other Looney Tunes characters on a giant screen...
Symphonie fantastique! Casual Fridays
Nov 1
When Berlioz fell for Shakespearean actress Harriet Smithson, he fell hard, and the world benefitted. The resulting Symphonie fantastique is a work of marvelous orchestral...
Symphonie fantastique!
Oct 31
You’re in for a wild ride when Cameron Carpenter ("smasher of cultural and classical music taboos" L.A. Times) brings his staggering talent – and sequined...
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal
Oct 29
The Montreal Symphony Orchestra and violinist Viviane Hagner (“rich, burnished tone, crystalline articulation and subtle expression” Washington Post) present Prokofiev’s tour-de-force First Violin Concerto, with...
Zukerman, Mozart and Brahms
Oct 1 – Oct 2, 2013
Pinchas Zukerman conducts and solos in Mozart’s sparkling Violin Concerto No. 3, whose ethereal middle movement “could have fallen straight from heaven,” as a commentator...
Zukerman and a Romantic Concerto
Sep 26
Bruch is best known for his romantic First Violin Concerto, whose lyricism and bravado have made it a perfect showcase for a virtuoso like Pinchas...
An Evening with Renée Fleming
Sep 24
Called “The people’s Diva” (The New York Times), soprano Renée Fleming is one of today’s most beloved and celebrated opera superstars – and a recent...
NAC Gala with Paul Anka
Sep 21
From "teen idol" to universally adored singer-songwriter who’s never stopped thrilling us, Paul Anka comes home for this season’s NAC Gala. And you’re invited to...
Beethoven's Fifth
Sep 20
Beethoven intended his Piano Concerto No. 2 as a display piece for himself; now hear distinguished pianist Christian Zacharias’ commanding interpretation. And with one of...
Opening Night with Tchaikovsky
Sep 19
From bold opening chords to dazzling pyrotechnics to soaring melodies, Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto always brings cheering audiences to their feet, especially when superstar pianist...
Carmen
Sep 7 – Sep 14, 2013
A soldier with a past is seduced by a beautiful gypsy who cares only for her own freedom. Passions and jealousy build in sultry Seville,...
Ax Performs Mozart
Jun 13 – Jun 14, 2013
Elgar — Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 36, “Enigma Variations” Frequently described as one of this generation’s greatest artists, celebrated piano giant Emanuel Ax...
Glory of the Baroque
Jun 5 – Jun 6, 2013
Maestro Zukerman conducts and performs a program devoted to the glory Baroque, an era that saw the dawn of the orchestra and produced countless virtuosic...
Schubert's "Great"
May 15 – May 16, 2013
Latvian conductor Ainars Rubikis makes his NACO debut leading Schubert’s “Great” Symphony, a work of unyielding melody and majesty cementing the composer as Beethoven’s successor...
Yannick Conducts Strauss
May 8 – May 9, 2013
Newly-appointed music director of the Philadelphia Orchestra and conducting phenomenon, Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads the combined forces of the National Arts Centre Orchestra and Montreal’s Orchestre...
Legendary Itzhak Perlman in Recital
May 6
Praised for decades as one of the greatest musicians of his generation, violinist Itzhak Perlman continues his reign as the undeniable virtuoso of the violin....
Scheherazade and Resin
May 4
Making their hotly anticipated NAC debut, Alonzo King LINES Ballet boasts a company of the most gorgeous and technically fearless contemporary ballet artists touring today....
Tchaikovsky's "Little Russian"
Apr 24 – Apr 25, 2013
Rising English conductor Alexander Shelley conducts Tchaikovsky’s exuberant “Little Russian,” a work full of lively folk melodies from the Ukraine, a country referred to as...
Love Lies Bleeding
Apr 19 – Apr 20, 2013
The undeniable joy of pop-rock meets the breathtaking athleticism of ballet in the sequined spectacle, Love Lies Bleeding. Alberta Ballet’s artistic director Jean Grand-Maître, choreographer...
Mendelssohn's "Reformation"
Apr 17 – Apr 18, 2013
Described by London’s Evening Standard as “a true poet of the keyboard,” Inon Barnatan will display his impeccable technique with Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 2,...
The Sleeping Beauty
Apr 4 – Apr 6, 2013
The Sleeping Beauty is considered the most grand and intimate of the great ballets – a fairytale where good triumphs over evil with a single...
Autorretrato
Mar 27
Internationally renowned Flamenco artist María Pagés is a bold, uninhibited innovator, recognized for infusing contemporary movement and music into the traditional dance form. Her Autorretrato...
LA TRAVIATA
Mar 21 – Mar 23, 2013
Verdi’s musical masterpiece is based on Alexandre Dumas’ novel and play, La Dame aux Camélias. It tells the bittersweet story of the doomed love affair...
Shostakovich's Cello Concerto
Mar 14 – Mar 15, 2013
Praised for his rich, gorgeous tone and playing that can range from lovely and elegant to a vigorous rock star energy, German-Canadian cellist Johannes Moser...
Mozart's Requiem
Feb 27 – Feb 28, 2013
The enormity of Mozart’s legacy is on display with two of the composer’s final and greatest compositions. First, the Orchestra will perform Mozart’s “Jupiter” Symphony,...
Finnish Landscapes
Feb 21 – Feb 22, 2013
The wintry and majestic landscapes of Finland continue to be a muse for classical composers. Finnish conductor John Storgårds makes his first appearance with the...
Angela Hewitt in Recital
Feb 19
The Ottawa Citizen declares that “one of the best ways to attract a large audience in Ottawa is to have Angela Hewitt on your program....
Herman Schmerman, 1st Flash and Petite Cérémonie
Feb 12
Under the new artistic direction of Emily Molnar, Ballet BC returns to the NAC to present a program of ambitious contemporary ballets from the world’s...
Bronfman Plays Brahms
Feb 6 – Feb 7, 2013
Over the years, the NAC Orchestra and Maestro Zukerman have developed a special fondness for the compositions of Johannes Brahms and devote an entire program...
Romeo and Juliet
Jan 31 – Feb 2, 2013
Artistic Director Karen Kain commissioned a fresh interpretation of Shakespeare’s timeless tale from superstar Alexei Ratmansky, resident choreographer of American Ballet Theatre. His Romeo and...
Tchaikovsky's Pathétique
Jan 24 – Jan 25, 2013
Astounding audiences and winning multiple international competitions including the 2011 Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, pianist Daniil Trifonov makes his NAC Orchestra debut with Liszt’s demanding...
West Side Story with the NAC Orchestra
Jan 17 – Jan 19, 2013
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic winner of 10 Oscars® – the NAC Orchestra plays Leonard Bernstein’s score live with the re-mastered film (directed...
Legendary Russians
Jan 9 – Jan 10, 2013
Legendary Russian pianist and Van Cliburn Competition Winner Alexander Toradze returns to perform Rachmaninoff’s beloved and technically demanding Piano Concerto No. 3....
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