January 20.2012…On Saturday, February 4, 2012, the Viennese Opera Ball will once again take over the National Gallery of Canada to dazzle its guests with incredible music, a menu that stays true to Viennese cuisine, with a Canadian twist, and a night filled with dancing to the music of Ottawa’s own Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra and the Stevens & Kennedy Band.
RBC Royal Bank of Canada has returned for a second year as the Title Sponsor of the Ball, underscoring the institution’s commitment to partnering and collaborating with the arts and cultural community.
PERFORMANCES
A unique feature of the Ball is the traditional demonstration of the Polonaise by the Debutantes and Cavaliers. Under the creative direction of Melissa Krulick of the Fred Astaire Dance Studio, 30 young dancers from 9 different schools have dedicated hours of their time to learning the intricate movements of the Polonaise and the special steps of a new choreography to Strauss’s much loved Wine, Women and Song.
The evening will also feature the Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra following a hiatus of several years. Conducted by the renowned maestro Kevin Mallon, the Orchestra will delight guests with their wonderful interpretation of Viennese music.
For the first time this year, the Ball will welcome Olympic Medalist Elizabeth Manley who will join Fred Astaire Dance Studio’s award-winning dancer Dan Labelle in a reprisal of their 2011 winning performance from the Dancing with the Stars competition in support of Easter Seals.
The Ball is also pleased to present two young singers from the Opera Lyra Ottawa Studio program, mezzo-soprano Arminè Kassabian and tenor David Lafleur who will perform duets from Verdi’s La Traviata and Johann Strauss’s Wiener Blut.
The Master of Ceremonies for the evening is Rob Clipperton, former CBC Radio host and producer.
SPECIAL GUESTS
As host of the evening, His Excellency, Werner Brandstetter, Ambassador of Austria will welcome a number of special guests for the evening including the Chief Justice of Canada, the Rt. Hon. Beverley McLachlin; Speaker of the House, the Hon. Andrew Scheer; H.E. Wilhelmus Julius Geerts, Ambassador of the Netherlands; H.E. Shashishekhar M. Gavai, High Commissioner for India; H.E. Georg Witschel, Ambassador of Germany; H. E. Bernhard Matthias Brinkmann, Ambassador of the European Union ; H.E. Piragibe Dos Santos Tarrago, Ambassador of Brazil, and MPP Yasir Naqvi.
BENEFICIARIES
Over the past 15 years, the Viennese Opera Ball has raised over $650,000 for programs that benefit youth across the city. The 2012 Ball will continue its support of two incredible local arts organizations: Opera Lyra Ottawa’s Opera Studio, a training program for aspiring young opera singers and OrKidstra, a remarkable musical instruction and instrument program for children in our capital city who could not otherwise afford it.
SPONSORS
This event would not be possible without its many sponsors – title sponsor RBC Royal Bank of Canada; Gold Sponsors Frequentis, Mark Motors and Mariazellerland; Silver Sponsors Bytek, KPMG, MHPM Project Managers, and the Ottawa Citizen; Bronze Sponsors Porter Airlines, Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP, Avison Young Intelligent Real Estate Solutions, Trinity Development Foundation, and CD Warehouse. We would also like to thank the many other businesses and individuals who have also made vital contributions to the success of the event.
Check out our website for more details:
www.vienneseoperaballottawa.com
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For more information, please contact:
Moira Johnson Consulting
Viennese Opera Ball Coordinators
Tel: 613-565-0666
Email: moira@moirajohnson.com or megan@moirajohnson.com
