Zukerman to quit NACO in 3 years

Pinchas Zukerman has announced that he'll be stepping down as music director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa when he completes his term in just over three years.

The world-renowned conductor, violinist, violist and music educator will wrap up his 16-year tenure with the NACO on August 31, 2015.

The Zukerman name has helped attract international stars such as Gustavo Dudamel, Valery Gergiev, Zubin Mehta and Itzhak Perlman to Ottawa.

He has also performed around the world as a soloist and as a chamber musician.

"I am very proud of my work with the musicians of this wonderful orchestra; together we have attained a tremendously high level of playing," Zuckerman said in announcing his plans to leave.

"I was pleased to play the leadership role in creating many of the NAC’s music-education programs, including the Summer Music Institute and the Institute for Orchestral Studies - a legacy which gives me great pride," he said.

A devoted and innovative teacher, Zukerman chairs the Pinchas Zukerman Performance Program at the Manhattan School of Music. To maintain close relationships with his students while travelling extensively for concert engagements, Zukerman has pioneered the use of distance-learning technology.

"Pinchas Zukerman’s gift of music has delighted audiences across Canada and internationally," said Peter Herrndorf the president and CEO of the National Arts Centre.

"The NAC has benefited immeasurably from his leadership on the podium, his artistry as a soloist and his deep commitment to music education," Herrndorf said.

Zukerman’s discography contains more than 100 titles, and has earned him 21 Grammy nominations and two awards.

Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 1948, Zukerman was first taught by his father to play the recorder, then the clarinet, and ultimately the violin and viola. At the age of eight, he began studying with Ilona Feher at the Israel Conservatory and the Academy of Music in Tel Aviv.