Former U of O choir and orchestra conductor takes on new role
Agnes Grossmann returned to Ottawa in her new role as conductor for the Taiwan National Choir to conduct a performance at Christ Church Cathedral on Nov. 21. Grossmann began her career leading the University of Ottawa choir and orchestra and holds an honorary doctorate from the university.
The concert was presented by Music and Beyond and the choir performed Brahms, Mendelssohn, Bruckner and a collection of Taiwanese folk songs.
Grossmann toured the world as a pianist until she injured her hand and turned to conducting. She has had a 30-year conducting career working with orchestras and choirs around the world, including the Chamber Players of Toronto and the Vienna Choir Boys.
The Taiwan National Choir has travelled extensively since its formation in 1985 and has collaborated with famed singers Plácido Domingo, José Carreras, and Diana Ross. In 2011, it was named best choir at the International Festival of Sacred Music in Italy. The Taiwan National Choir’s repertoire includes cantatas, masses, and folk songs from various countries.
—Sabrina Nemis
U of O organization holds movie ticket giveaway to create hype for fundraising
The University of Ottawa’s chapter of Building Walls of Wisdom (BuildWoW) gave away free tickets to a Silver Linings Playbook pre-screening throughout the week prior to the showing on Nov. 19. The new movie starring Robert De Niro, Jennifer Lawrence, and Bradley Cooper is about a man recently released from a mental institution who moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife.
BuildWoW gave the tickets away in hopes of generating enough hype for a $1,000 sponsorship from Alliance Films, the Canadian distributor of Silver Linings Playbook. The organization wants to add this money to their recent second-place winnings from a campus poutine-eating contest hosted by Smoke’s Poutinerie. All proceeds will go toward building a school in Nicaragua.
BuildWoW was founded in 2009 by U of O alumnus Geoff Morgan. The organization raises money for and aids in the construction of schools in areas of extreme poverty. Its goal is to build 10 new schools by 2019. So far, BuildWoW has secured funding to build schools in Kenya, Ecuador, Sri Lanka, and Ghana.
—Sabrina Nemis
Residence Life exceeds fundraising goal at annual benefit show for United Way
Students gathered in the Alumni Auditorium for the 12th annual Residence Life benefit show for the United Way on Nov. 14. For $2, the audience enjoyed an evening of singing, musical instruments, and dancing.
“We really have talent at uOttawa,” said Residence Life employee Hadi Wess. “I enjoyed it to the max.”
The inter-residence fundraising contest, which preceded the event, exceeded its goal of $5,000 and raised a total of $5,700. The money was donated to the United Way.
The United Way conducts research and works with community partners to identify areas of need within communities across Canada and supports them through various programs and partnerships.
—Sabrina Nemis
