Sketching the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra Open Dress Rehearsal

On Sunday May 1st, Ottawa urban sketchers met at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa to sketch an open dress rehearsal of the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra.

Ottawa urban sketchers meet and line-up to enter Southam Hall

Principal Guest Conductor, Alain Trudel, briefly addressed the audience and explained how he runs his rehearsals and he also talked about the musical piece that was being rehearsed.

Conductor Trudel was incredibly generous with information on how he became a conductor and the rehearsal process. His humour and passion for the music were contagious.

The members of the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra are amazing and when you sketch them while they play, you really witness their passion, precision and devotion to their instrument.

Sketch of Conductor Trudel by artist Joanne L.

The music piece that the orchestra practiced was Berlioz - Symphonie fantastique (which I later learned online was featured in the films The Shining, The Witches, and Sleeping with the Enemy)

• The complete Symphonie fantastique is 53 minutes long and you can listen to it in its entirety (by the Chicago Symphony) on youtube at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2Kky5BC9Uk
• For a visual analysis of the 5th movement, visit YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVUAR8Nk8xQ

Sketch by artist Diane D.

First movement: "Rêveries – Passions" (Reveries – Passions)

 
The Ottawa urban sketchers would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the NAC staff. From our earliest inquiries through the box office manager Mary O’Shea to the amazing ushers who were so helpful when we were getting seated (referring to us as the "Ottawa sketchers" and assisting us with our wheelchair accessibility needs.)

The house lights were kept on during the rehearsal and the artists in attendance used a wide variety of materials to sketch the orchestra. Time really flew. The open rehearsal was scheduled from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM and when it ended we all could not believe that an hour and a half had passed and that  the rehearsal was actually finished!

Below is a small sampling of some of the sketches posted online. To see all of our sketches, please visit our Urban Sketchers Ottawa facebook group page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/937458512999363/)

Sketch by Laurie F

Sketch by artist Suvitha R.

Sketch by artist Cindi F.

Sketch by Cynthia M.

Sketch by artist Gillian H

Sketchers sharing their sketches at the end of the "show and tell" session

This sketching event was incredibly fun and one that we hope we can repeat in the future.

More Ottawa Sketching Events?

We try to organize sketching events in Ottawa at least once per month.
Winters are challenging but now that the weather is finally warming,
there will be an increasing number of opportunities to gather and sketch being offered.

If you would like to join us, be sure to join our facebook group and/or look for the #urbansketchers hashtag on twitter (also #USkYOW) and/or sign up to follow this blog by email (add your email in the space provided on the right)

Chicago Symphony

 Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique 

(complete performance)

May 1st - Let's Sketch the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra!

 By Francesc Muñoz Found on Twitter Apr 4, 2016 (used here with permission from the artist)

Ottawa is a city that hosts many music festivals throughout the summer. Ottawa’s summer music festival season kicks off in June and goes until mid-September.

For urban sketchers, this is an excellent opportunity to sit and listen to great music and sketch the musicians on stage.

We have organized a free sketching event on May 1 (3:30-5:30 pm) at the Open Dress Rehearsal  "Inside the Music" at the National Arts Centre (NAC) (Ottawa). We have twenty FREE seats reserved for urban sketchers.

"Principal Guest Conductor, Alain Trudel, will briefly address the audience, explain how he runs his rehearsals, and talk about the musical piece that is being rehearsed."

We can then sketch a real professional orchestra in action!

Photographic and recording equipment is strictly prohibited inside the NAC hall without prior written permission from the NAC. We sought permission to sketch at this event and we can now confirm that sketchers are welcomed to sketch the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra rehearsal on May 1st at the National Arts Centre.

Date: Sunday, May 1, 2016
Time: 3:30 to 5:30 pm
Tickets are required and FREE: I have twenty set aside for sketchers.  

Use the contact space on the right 

if you would like to have 

one of the twenty reserved tickets.

If you are interested to attend with friends and family and wish to secure your own free tickets, visit Eventbrite at: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/open-dress-rehearsal-inside-the-music-with-the-ottawa-symphony-orchestra-tickets-23062393239

Open Dress Rehearsal  "Inside the Music"

About "Inside the Music"

"Inside the Music features free admission to a dress rehearsal of the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra in Southam Hall of the NAC. This event is geared towards young people and their families. The goal is to enhance their understanding of how an orchestra works. This event is part of the OSO's community outreach program designed to make live symphonic music accessible to all."

Links About Drawing People On Stage

Screen Capture: Jim Leggitt 
Drawing Auditoriums: Traditional & Hybrid Methods

• Urban Sketchers: Drawing People On Stage http://www.urbansketchers.org/2016/02/drawing-people-on-stage.html 
•  Drawing Auditoriums: Traditional and Hybrid Method http://jimleggitt.typepad.com/jim-leggitt-drawing-shortcuts/2011/03/traditional-and-digital-drawings-of-auditoriums.html 

Montreal Urban Sketcher Marc Talo Holmes 
FREE Handouts and Online Craftsy Courses

Screen capture of Marc Talo Holmes FREE pdf Actors on Stage: Sketching Characters on the Street

Marc Talo Holmes FREE pdf Actors on Stage: Sketching Characters on the Street

Montreal's Marc Talo Holmes offers a printable PDF version of his class notes for his session at the 2015 USK Symposium in Singapore "Actors on Stage: Sketching Characters on the Street" . It’s a collection of simple tips really, but I hope you find it handy. Feel free to try out the approach to sketching people – and use it in your own Urban Sketching outings.

Screen capture of Marc Talo Holmes FREE pdf  Drawing People In Motion

 Montreal's Marc Talo Holmes also offers a short (7 page)  printable PDF version called Drawing People In Motion packed with helpful drawing tips and step by step sketches. It was designed as a handout for his class at the 2013 Urban Sketchers symposium in Barcelona.

Craftsy Class with Sketching People in Motion with Marc Taro Holmes

Ottawa's Summer 2016 Music Festivals

Like the idea of sketching musicians on stage? Get your portable chairs, sketchbooks and pencils ready.....Here are the dates for some of Ottawa's summer music festivals in 2016

• Westfest (June 3-5, 2016)
• TD Ottawa Jazz Festival (June 23-July 3, 2016)
• Tim Hortons Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival (June 23-26, 2016)
• Canada Day: Parliamnet Hill (July 1, 2016)
• Music & Beyond (July 4-17, 2016):
• RBC Bluesfest (July 7-17, 2016):
• HOPE Volleyball SummerFest (July 16, 2016):
• Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival (July 21-Aug. 4, 2016)
• Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival (Sept. 1-5, 2016)
• CityFolk (Sept. 14-18, 2016):  

Note: Many of the summer music events in Ottawa cost money to attend but there are many free events offered as well. If you volunteer at the Ottawa music events you are generally entitled to free admission after a specific number of volunteer hours. We will post details on the free events on this blog and our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/937458512999363/