“Alexander Shelley, music director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, has had his contract extended for four years, to Aug. 31, 2023,” writes Peter Hum in Thursday’s (9/6) Ottawa Citizen (Canada). “ ‘I am thrilled,’ Shelley said Thursday in a statement. ‘The past three years have been enormously rewarding, and I’m so proud of what these incredible musicians and I have achieved together….’ The London-born Shelley, 38, succeeded Pinchas Zukerman as the orchestra’s music director in September 2015. With Shelley at the helm, the orchestra has released four albums of new works, toured Canada as part of the country’s sesquicentennial last year, and shared the stage with such guests as Emanuel Ax, Joshua Bell and Diana Krall…. Shelley is to conduct the NAC orchestra next week when it launches its 2018-19 season with a festival of Beethoven’s music, including all nine of his symphonies. In support of Shelley’s renewed contract, the NAC announced Thursday a $1-million donation in support of Shelley’s work by long-time NAC Foundation donor Elinor Gill Ratcliffe…. Shelley is also principal associate conductor of London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and he has recently been the guest conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic, the Leipzig Gewandhaus and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.”
Posted September 7, 2018
