From July 20 to August 3, Ottawa Chamberfest returns to bring a diverse and exciting lineup of chamber music to Ottawa, organized into six streams: Signature Series, Marina Kun Series, Chamberfringe Series, Midday Matinées, Beechwood Series, and New Music Now. The various performances take place at Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre, La Nouvelle Scène Gilles Desjardins, Club SAW, or Beechwood Cemetery. Carissa Klopoushak is back as Chamberfest’s Artistic Director for her third summer festival, and has packed the schedule with both familiar faces and fresh talents from Canada and around the world.
Viano Quartet plays the Marina Kun Series. Photo provided by Chamberfest.
Some of the festival’s highlights include:
- Grammy-award-winning violinist James Ehnes playing Bach concerti with the NAC Orchestra
- Local piano legend Angela Hewitt playing a Bach and Mozart extravaganza
- Lafayette Quartet’s Final Bow, featuring James Campbell; up-and-coming Isidore String Quartet, who won the 2022 Banff String Quartet competition
- Amir Amiri Ensemble, a group of musicians paying traditional and spiritual Persian music
- New York-based brass quartet The Westerlies, who explore jazz, roots, and chamber music
- Ukrainian pianist Illia Ovcharenko, winner of the 2022 Honens International Piano Competition
- Grammy-winning guitarist Jason Vieaux playing in Beechwood Cemetery’s Sacred Space
- An exciting program of brand-new pieces by young composers called HATCH as part of the New Music Now series
Isidore Quartet plays the Marina Kun Series. Photo provided by Chamberfest.
For folks who think they don’t like chamber music, there are some more eclectic performances to check out, including acclaimed pop songstress Sarah Slean accompanied by the Ironwood Quartet; American low-voice a cappella group CANTUS; and dynamic Ottawa-based, Antigonish-born fiddler Anna Ludlow in a performance that also includes dancers.
Sarah Slean. Photo provided by Chamberfest.
Passes and single tickets to all performances are now on sale. Check out the full lineup online at the Chamberfest website.
