The National Arts Centre Orchestra — with a few friends — will present a free concert with an all-Canadian program on July 1 in honour of Canada Day. The concert takes place in Ottawa’s Southam Hall.
“The NAC Orchestra is proud to continue its tradition of presenting free and bilingual programming on Canada Day,” says Alexander Shelley, conductor of the NAC Orchestra, in a statement. “Canada is home to some extraordinary artists, and now more than ever, it’s important to showcase Canadian talent on our stages. We invite our audiences to join us for an unforgettable celebration.”
It will be the last year to catch Shelley conducting the Canada Day concert, as he’s set to leave Ottawa to take up a new position as Artistic and Music Director Designate of the Pacific Symphony in California at the end of the 2025/26 season.
NAC Orchestra Music Director Alexander Shelley will be supported by the Orchestra’s Resident Conductor Henry Kennedy, and guest conductor Benoit Gauthier. The program will include music from celebrated Canadian composers Ian Cusson, John Estacio, Kati Agócs, and Jordan Nobles.
Bilingual slam poet, musician, and composer Yao returns to host this year’s event. Yao is an artist who blends his work as a singer and songwriter with education and outreach. The Ottawa native has roots in Togo and Côte d’Ivoire, and first gained public notice for his work in rap and slam poetry. He’s created French language workshops for high school students, and released four solo albums. His work has been recognized with multiple awards, including the Édith-Butler prize from the Foundation of the Professional Society of Authors and Composers of Quebec (SPACQ) in 2016, and three top prizes at the 2019 Trille Or Awards Gala, including as Artist of the year, Show of the year, as well as Media’s favourite.
NAC Orchestra Principal Trumpet Karen Donnelly also lays a key role as soloist. A native of Regina, Karen studied at the University of Regina and McGill University, where she completed a Master of Music. She was unanimously appointed Principal Trumpet of Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra in October 1999. She had spent the three previous seasons as acting principal trumpet, and prior to joining the NAC Orchestra, worked as a freelance musician in Montréal. She was the principal trumpet with Orchestra London (Canada) from 1994 to 1996, and has performed as guest principal trumpet with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Les Violons du Roy, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, among others. In addition to her NAC Orchestra position, she is currently also Associate Principal Trumpet with the Sun Valley Music Festival Orchestra.
Double bassist John Geggie plays everything from classical music to jazz and improvised free music. He’s performed with the NAC Orchestra and the 13 Strings Chamber Orchestra in Ottawa, and has participated in new music concerts at the Ottawa Chamberfest and Music and Beyond Festival. For 13 years, he’s curated and performed in an improvised music series in a cabaret setting. Along with his performance work, John is a composer for independent film projects, and he teaches at the Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam, Carleton University and at the Conservatoire de Musique de Gatineau.
At the age of 15, Ottawa-based James Greer is a genuine jazz piano prodigy. He began playing the piano at age ten during the COVID pandemic, teaching himself by watching videos of the giants of the genre. “I learned most of the stuff by just looking at people’s hands on YouTube videos,” he says in an interview with the Ottawa Citizen. He gave his first public concert in 2023, and hasn’t looked back since.
The concert’s finale will be a special rendition of Oscar Peterson’s Hymn to Freedom, spotlighting the voices of the Hamilton Children’s Choir.
The Hamilton Children’s Choir has worked with thousands of children and youth over its 50+ year history. Founded in 1975 by Donald Kendrick, organist of Hamilton’s prominent Christ’s Church Cathedral, the organization has grown from a small local ensemble to a much larger touring institution. The HCC routinely performs with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Bach Elgar Choir, and other instrumental ensembles. Over the last two decades or so, the choir has undertaken more than 10 international tours, and won several international competitions. The choir is led by Artistic Director Melanie Tellez.
In a special first, the NAC Orchestra will be sharing the stage with participants of the 2025 edition of the NAC Orchestra Mentorship Program. The cohort of 47 exceptional emerging and early-career artists took part in a two week intensive series of rehearsals and performances with the NAC Orchestra.
The concert in Southam Hall is free, with advance reserved seating required.
On July 1, doors to Southam Hall will open at 2:00 p.m., 30 minutes before the concert. The 75-minute performance will be presented without intermission, and broadcast live on television screens in the NAC’s public spaces for anyone to enjoy.
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