NAC Orchestra Family Adventures Await!

Looking for a fun (and affordable) activity for your family? Bring the whole family to explore the wonders of music.

Our Kinderconcerts (ages 3 to 5) are 45-minute shows in French or English, with storytelling, live music, and a whole lot of rhythm!

The NACO Family Adventures (ages 5 to 12) are exciting and interactive bilingual concerts with the whole orchestra playing classical hits and contemporary music in Southam  Hall.

Buy 3+ shows and get 15% off!

Check out the different shows below and choose your own family adventure!

Tune Into Nature

September 25, 2022

For children 5+ and the whole family

What do Beethoven, R. Murray Schafer, and Greta Thunberg have in common? They prompt us to listen to our environment and reflect on our role here on earth.

Join Principal Youth Conductor and Creative Partner Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, the NAC Orchestra, and influential leaders and artists from across Canada as they celebrate the art and importance of listening with empathy – to our environment, our elders and each other – in a concert featuring music inspired by nature and creative responses to our world, the climate crisis, and the times we live in.  

***See the Macaroni Kid Ottawa Ticket Contest for this show***

Mozart's Flights of Fancy

Kinderconcert Series

January 15, 2023

For ages 3 to 8

Children will dive into the world of the great composer Mozart and discover one of his many inspirations : the clarinet.

One afternoon Mozart and his big sister, Maria Anna, find themselves home alone for an hour of free time! Excited by the freedom to run around and have fun without parental supervision, Mozart imagines various fantasy scenarios while his sister tries to bring him back down to earth. That’s when their good friend Anton shows up with a magnificent instrument: the clarinet!

This instrument only further fuels and drives Mozart’s imagination. Watch Mozart, Maria Anna, and Anton explore the world of classical music as Mozart is told to finish his composition homework before his parents get home!

Rhythm and Soul, Latin Style

Family Adventures with the NAC Orchestra

January 21, 2023

For children 5+ and the whole family

Spice up your Saturday afternoon and travel to Latin America with the NAC Orchestra!

Rhythm, sound, and tradition. Music, lyrics, and dance. It’s a feast for the senses when the NAC Orchestra shares its Latin groove with you, under the direction of Cuban guest conductor Cosette Justo Valdés.

In Latin America, live music is everywhere, and there’s always dancing! This special musical celebration will take you to the stages and streets of countries like Cuba, Argentina, and Mexico, and will send you spinning into the best of Latin America’s musical styles. Tango, salsa, rumba, conga, bossa nova – just try to sit still when NACO and its special guests explore the complex rhythms, unique sounds, colourful instruments, and rich, bold history of Latin American music!

Celebrate Africa!

Kinderconcert Series

February 12, 2023

For ages 3 to 8

Feel the energy when Masabo hits the stage! These hereditary West African master musicians and dancers fill the air with soaring melodies and driving rhythms as the ancient arts of West Africa are brought to life. This performance is a feast of traditional songs, stories, dance and stunning musicianship. 

Let’s Dance

Family Adventures with the NAC Orchestra

April 29, 2023

For children 5+ and the whole family

Electrifying performers, spectacular choreography, and the NAC Orchestra – You’ll be dancing in the aisles.

All over the world people move to music, through movement we tell our stories and express our emotions. Come experience some of the world’s best dance music including ballet, hip-hop, Irish step dance, Latin and Chinese dance, and much, much more.

Let’s Dance is an interactive multi-disciplinary experience that showcases how different people around the world show expression through dance. Hear your National Arts Centre Orchestra and see the dancers as we move and play our way through some of the world's best dance music.

C’mon, Let’s Dance!

Latin American Music with Colores Andinos 

Kinderconcert Series

May 28, 2023

For ages 3 to 8

Find your groove as Colores Andinos (Andean Colours) brings Latin-Andean fusion to life in this energetic and authentic concert featuring more than 20 instruments – from bamboo flutes to string and percussion instruments and everything in between! 

Evoking the mysteries of the Andes, Central America, and the Caribbean Islands, Colores Andinos blends Native-Andean rhythms and contemporary influences such as salsa, bossa-nova, and jazz to create a genuine panorama of the past and present of Latin American culture – a mix that could only truly happen in Canada.