--Intermission--
Enjoy an evening devoted to the brilliance of the Classical era, featuring music by two of its greatest composers.
Mozart's spirited Overture to Idomeneo opens the concert with dramatic energy, followed by his lyrical and elegant Violin Concerto No. 4, performed by Bennett Van Barr, prize-winner of the Oakville Chamber Orchestra's 2026 Youth Concerto Competition. Showcasing both virtuosity and expressive warmth, this beloved concerto highlights the remarkable talent of a rising young artist.
After intermission, the orchestra presents Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, a work celebrated for its irresistible rhythmic vitality and exuberant spirit.
From Mozart's grace and refinement to Beethoven's powerful musical energy, this program offers an engaging journey through some of the finest orchestral music ever written while celebrating the next generation of exceptional Canadian musicians.
Growing up on a farm in Kinburn, Ontario, Bennett Van Barr started playing the violin at age four and is now pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music, where he studies with Andrew Wan.
Bennett has received numerous scholarships and awards, including Second Prize at the 2025 NACO Bursary Competition, earning him both the Crabtree Foundation Award and the Sturdevant Prize for Orchestral Excerpts. He holds both music and academic scholarships at McGill and has received several scholarships through the Ottawa Kiwanis Music Festival, including the FNACO Senior Scholarship and the Aruna-Rupa Anantaraman Scholarship.
Bennett is a member of the successful Hensel Quartet, and has served as concertmaster of both the McGill Symphony Orchestra and the Ottawa Youth Orchestra. He has performed as section violinist with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra, Ottawa Symphony Orchestra and Gatineau Symphony Orchestra.
Recently, Bennett has participated in masterclasses with Ida Kavafian, Kerson Leong, Karen Gomyo and Timothy Chooi. He has performed in two fundraising solo recitals in support of the Almonte General Hospital Foundation and enjoys volunteering with the Ottawa Sistema program (OrKidstra).
Bennett performs on a 2016 Guy Harrison violin, crafted in Ottawa, Ontario.