Arts Headlines / April 15, 2005

Ottawa violinist releases latest in string of CDs   Moments after his plane arrived at the Ottawa International Airport from British Columbia, classical violinist Ioan Harea was already in his car and on his way to teach music at the State University of New York in Potsdam.   Concert takes listeners on a cross-cultural journey   The melodic voices of the Cantata Singers of Ottawa rise in a crescendo and the sound fills the small practice room at Knox Presbyterian Church all the way to the arched ceiling. They sing in Spanish, and while you may not understand what they are saying, you can’t help but sense the emotion in the music.   Social activists use puppets to deliver messages   Activists across Ottawa could soon be using puppets to voice their concerns after the highly-acclaimed Bread and Puppet Theatre visits for the first time.   Touring show brings fun classical music to youngsters   Children in Ottawa are being invited to take a trip back to the Baroque period with a show this month at the NAC.   Arts Beat: Rise of co-productions good for Canadian theatre   The National Arts Centre just announced its 2005-2006 English theatre season, and like the current season, four of the five main stage plays will be co-productions. This fits the NAC mandate “to co-produce plays with theatre companies in other Canadian centres,” but what does this increasingly heavy focus on co-production mean to the rest of Canadian theatre?