Ottawa - my/maSCENA

Browsing: Ottawa

Ottawa articles, news, reviews

Festival Bites: Insiders Dish on the Best Food Spots

By Kaitlyn Chan on 1 June 2026 Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, West

Hours spent absorbing music, theatre and dance at Canada’s finest summer festivals can work up an appetite. To help you narrow down your choices, local artists and festival organizers offer their top picks of nearby restaurants, cafés and bars. And, this year, the La Scena Musicale team shares their favourite spots in Montreal! Early Music Vancouver’s Summer Festival Selections by Idan Cohen | Choreographer of Bach Dances (Aug. 1) www.earlymusic.bc.ca Favourite Spot for a Meal: Nuba “I’m always searching for Middle Eastern food that brings me a sense of home, and Nuba truly does. It’s one of the best places…

Left: Chamberfest's Canadiana, 2025. Right: Chamberfest's Rising Stars Showcase, 2024. Photos: Curtis Perry

Ottawa Chamberfest 2026: Expanding the Definition of Chamber Music

By Hal Kowalewski on 1 June 2026 Baroque and Early, Chamber Music, Classical Music, Opera, Ottawa, Scena Jazz

Chamberfest is, above all else, a celebration of form. With this festival, Artistic Director Carissa Klopoushak aims to highlight both the best of what chamber music is, and what it can be. “Chamberfest uses a very broad definition of chamber music,” she says. “It’s purposefully done, and it’s carefully done, too.” Chamberfest aims to create a milieu where chamber music builds connections among its performers, and between artist and audience. The smallness of the presenting ensembles and the intimacy of the venues shrink the distance between stage and house, allowing listeners to feel truly absorbed by the music. “We use…

Photo: Curtis Perry

Alexander Shelley: Saying Goodbye to NACO

By Emma Yee on 1 June 2026 Classical, Classical Music, Orchestral, Ottawa

Eleven years ago, in 2015, Alexander Shelley was named the youngest-ever music director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO). He recalls the great anticipation he felt at the prospect of working with “such a classy group of musicians, such a great group of individual talents, and such a sophisticated orchestra. I knew I’d have this double-sided challenge of maintaining the qualities they had developed from years prior, and also exploring new territory.” When Shelley began his tenure, the orchestra was starting to plan for Canada 150, which, the maestro says, created a challenge “to interrogate the question of national…

Stewart Goodyear (left) and Lucy Landymore (right)

Music and Beyond 2026: From Vivaldi to Duke Ellington

By La Scena Events on 1 June 2026 Chamber Music, Classical Music, Orchestral, Ottawa, Strings, Violin, Vocal

Ottawa’s summer cultural calendar will once again come alive with the 16th season of the Music and Beyond festival, which runs from July 4–17. Now firmly established as one of North America’s most distinctive classical music and multidisciplinary arts festivals, Music and Beyond continues to redefine what a classical music festival can be by linking music with a wide range of other art forms and cultural disciplines. Presented in venues throughout the Ottawa area, the 2026 edition offers a wide-ranging and ambitious program. As always, audiences can expect internationally celebrated artists, innovative thematic programming, and performances that move fluidly between…

Capella Regalis Brings Choral Tradition and Maritime Culture to Quebec and Ontario

By Emma Yee on 20 May 2026 Choral, Classical Music, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vocal

From May 22-31, Nova Scotia’s choir Capella Regalis will go on tour for the first time outside of the Maritimes, in collaboration with festivals, cathedrals, and churches in Montreal, Ottawa, Kingston, and Toronto. Capella Regalis—founded and directed by Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal winner Nick Halley—is steeped in the European tradition of church choir training. Halley, born in New York City, brings a background as a percussionist, keyboardist, composer, and conductor in jazz and classical performance. As well as being artistic director of Capella Regalis Choirs, Halley’s work with cathedral-style choirs extends to the Cathedral Church of All Saints,…

Newswire | Capella Regalis Announces Landmark Tour

By Newswire on 14 May 2026 Choral, Montreal, Newswire, Ottawa, Toronto, Vocal

“It’s a bold adventure for us and we love carrying the Nova Scotia spirit to new audiences,” says choir director Nick Halley. “We are honoured by the invitations we’ve received in Quebec and Ontario, and it’s a total community effort to get us there, including donations from many supporters – all very emotional.” Capella Regalis was founded and is directed by world renowned percussionist and choral director Nick Halley. In addition to being an outstanding choir enjoyed by Nova Scotia audiences, it trains young people to sing through mentorship and professional performance experiences, and part of this is they have…

Lennette Randall 2026 Mentorship Program Protégée & R. H. Thomson 2026 Mentorship Program Mentor

Newswire | R. H. Thomson to mentor Lennette Randall

By Newswire on 12 May 2026 Classical Music, Newswire, Ottawa

May 12, 2026 – OTTAWA (Canada) – The National Arts Centre proudly announces that acclaimed actor, director, producer, and arts advocate R. H. Thomson has chosen to mentor interdisciplinary artist Lennette Randall through the 2026 Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards (GGPAA) Mentorship Program. The Mentorship Program pairs past laureates of the GGPAA for Lifetime Artistic Achievement with mid‑career artists whose work is shaping the future of the performing arts. The program supports long‑term artistic growth and leadership within Canada’s cultural sector. The 2026 Mentorship Program brings together two artists whose practice reflects a deep commitment to craft, community, and the ongoing evolution of the performing arts in Canada. R. H. Thomson 2026…

NAC - National Arts Center

Newswire | NAC Announces 2026–2027 Season

By Newswire on 7 May 2026 Classical Music, Newswire, Ottawa

May 7, 2026 – OTTAWA (Canada) – In 2026–2027, we invite you to experience the best new and emerging artists, and reconnect with long-time favourites from around the world and close to home. The NAC Orchestra enters a landmark chapter as internationally-acclaimed conductor John Storgårds begins his tenure as Music Director. He joins the NAC Orchestra with a vision that balances world-class artistic excellence and a deep investment in Canadian voices. His inaugural season features rising Canadian soloists, including Kerson Leong, Élisabeth Pion, and Kevin Chen, and centres on the music of British Columbia composer Jean Coulthard through a major performance and recording project. Throughout the season, the NAC Orchestra also welcomes renowned international artists, including violinists Christian Tetzlaff and Hilary Hahn, and French hornist Ben Goldscheider. The Orchestra will offer a lively mix of musical experiences—from blockbuster film scores and classic pop…

OrKidstra performs for and meets Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 26, 2025

Newswire | OrKidstra Awarded Grow Grant from Ontario Trillium Foundation

By Newswire on 30 April 2026 Arts Industry, Newswire, Orchestral, Ottawa, Philanthropy

Ottawa, ON — April 24, 2026 — OrKidstra – Sistema Ottawa (OrKidstra) is proud and grateful to announce it has received a $554,000 Grow Grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) to expand its free after-school social development through music programs for children and youth in equity-deserving neighbourhoods in Ottawa. Over the next three years, this investment is expected to support approximately 285 young people ages 5 to 18, with a focus on children ages 5 to 12, through expanded programming in the Heron Gate and Carlington communities – two neighbourhoods where equity-focused investment in accessible youth programming can have…

Newswire | Ottawa Chamberfest Announces 2026 Summer Festival

By Newswire on 23 April 2026 Baroque and Early, Chamber Music, Classical Music, Dance, Multimedia, Newswire, Opera, Ottawa, Theatre

Ottawa, ON – Ottawa Chamberfest announces its 2026 Summer Festival, running July 23 to August 2, featuring a wide-ranging program of international and Canadian artists, bold new music, major chamber collaborations, and free community events across 11 days in the Nation’s Capital. Set against Ottawa’s bicentennial year, the 2026 edition reflects a city celebrating 200 years of history, growth, and cultural expression. At its core, the festival invites audiences to step away from the everyday and experience music as it happens: live, shared, and authentic. Chamberfest’s wide-ranging lineup of international and Canadian artists presents programs that span from baroque opera…

1 2 3 … 11 Next

Current Issue

PDF HTML

Next Issue : September

Ad Deadline : Aug. 21, 2026

Past Issues, Subscriptions, Advertising