This Saturday, July 1, join the NAC Orchestra (NACO), conductor Alexander Shelley, and special guests for a FREE concert hosted at the NAC at 2:30pm! We spoke with bilingual slam poet and songwriter Yao, who will host the festivities for the second year in a row, about the day’s events and what we can expect.
“I’ve actually been hosting Canada Day for Canadian Heritage for 8-9 years,” Yao told us during a phone interview. “Last year I hosted Canada Day at Zibi and then went to the NAC to host this concert, and then went back to Zibi. Hosting with NACO is an incredible experience. It’s incredible to be able to go back this year to perform, too. Last year I did an a capella piece and read poems from other artists, and this year I’m bringing my own material as well. ”
Yao is an award-winning songwriter, performer, slam poet, winner of the Senate’s Commemorative Medal in November 2017, recipient of the 2018 Artist-Educator Award from the Ontario Arts Foundation, and has received many nominations and wins for his music.
Yao. Photo by Curtis Perry.
“I performed with NAC in March and April for their Truth in Our Time show. NACO is one of the best orchestras in the world, so for them to host a free concert on Canada Day is amazing. To take orchestral music out of typical form, bringing artists from different spectrums. My own music stems from this, too — bringing real instruments to the studio and showcasing where all the roots of modern music came from. It’s a great opportunity and a great idea from NACO,” says Yao.
Last year, NACO hosted concerts on rooftops, and it’s this idea of demystifying orchestral music—something that has been elitist for a long time—and sharing the universal language of music that ignites passion in Yao.
“I’m excited for people to see the collaborations we’ve planned this year. The whole idea with this concert is to create opportunities for artists to work together and present material in a different light.”
In fact, this concert features a wide variety of artists, including Canadian Indigenous JUNO Award-winning artist iskwē, with whom Yao was nominated for the Johanna Metcalf Prize and is excited to share the stage, and Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio resident mezzo-soprano Alex Hetherington.
Regarding the complicated relationship between Canada Day celebrations and the ongoing work of reconciliation with Indigenous people, Yao says the NACO team carefully approached the programming of the event, ensuring collaborations and artists represent the realities of what’s going on around us: “We are lending a true hand in real conversations. All of us want to put humanity first.”
The orchestra will also perform music by great Canadian composers like Iman Habibi, Rita Ueda, and Ana Sokolović. The concert will conclude with “Hymn to Freedom” by the late, great Oscar Peterson, and more exciting repertoire will be announced from the stage.
“The overall theme of the concert is hope and resilience,” adds Yao.
The NAC Canada Day concert is FREE with no need for tickets or pre-registration—just come on in! This yearly tradition brings together music lovers of all ages and creates unforgettable memories. There will be free service on OC Transpo buses, O-Train Line 1, and Para Transpo all day on Canada Day. While some roads will be closed downtown, the NAC building and parking garage will remain accessible. Please visit the City of Ottawa website for the latest updates.
.gif)
