Music and Beyond is a classical music and arts festival that began in July 2010. Each year, the festival offers a variety of programming to highlight exciting connections between classical music and other art forms.
One mission of Music and Beyond is to introduce and foster new audiences as they explore or experience music and the arts. All the while emphasizing and providing opportunities for young people in the community.
An integral part of Music and Beyond’s mandate involves reaching out to provide Ottawa’s finest young musicians with transformative performance opportunities.
In addition to our annual summer festival, Music and Beyond also presents one of the most elegant cultural galas in all of Canada – the Viennese Winter Ball.
Whether novice, collector, or connoisseur, the Ottawa Wine Auction offers a chance to discover exceptional vintages and delve into the world of fine wines.
Over the past twenty years, Julian Armour has distinguished himself as a performing musician, arts administrator and artistic director, and has performed in concert halls in Canada, the United States, and Europe. His 2014 CD with the Chamber Players of Canada was nominated for a Juno Award, and his 2016 recording of Chopin concertos with Janina Fialkowska and the Chamber Players of Canada was named no.14 on the CBC’s list of the 30 best Canadian classical recordings ever. In 2002 Mr. Armour was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal by the Governor General, and was named a Chevalier de l’ordre des arts et des lettres by the Government of France. Julian is Artistic and Executive Director of Music and Beyond, Artistic Director of the Chamber Players of Canada, and Principal Cellist with the Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra. He is also a regular sessional lecturer of both music performance and arts administration at the University of Ottawa and Carleton University.
Music and Beyond has been recognized with numerous awards and nominations to celebrate our cultural significance in Ottawa.
In 2010, we were awarded New Company of the Year! We were also nominated for Festival of the Year in 2015.
On April 28th, 2016, the festival was presented with the 2015 Ottawa Tourism Award – Partnership of the Year, for our National Gallery Soirée evening, which was held on July 8th, 2015.
On May 3rd, 2018, Music and Beyond was awarded the 2018 Ottawa Tourism Award for Event of the Year.
Valerie Douglas is a former senior scientist in the government of Canada with over 35 years of experience in managing projects dealing with environmental and regulatory development. She has significant experience in governance strategies, negotiations, consensus building and managed projects in the US, Australia, Indonesia, among others. Currently she manages a consulting business, DES Inc. in areas of environmental policy and sustainability.
Valerie has served on a number of professional boards including as president of the Board of the Air and Waste Management Association, and the Canadian Association for the Club of Rome.
Valerie has extensive training in piano and voice and has sung with a number of excellent choirs in Canada and the US. She is former president of the Cantata Singers of Ottawa, and Board member of Opera Lyra Ottawa. She was also a producer of the Savoy Society of Ottawa theatrical group. She has been on the Board of Music and Beyond since 2011.
She brings many years of involvement in promoting the arts in Ottawa, a broad knowledge of the arts scene, and an understanding of the challenges in developing and growing new programs and new venues for artistic endeavours.
Gary Boyd is a lawyer who has practiced in Ottawa for more than 40 years. During that time, he has been active in the Ottawa musical community. He has served as the president of the National Capital Suzuki School, as a director and president of the Ottawa Bach Choir, Cantata Singers of Ottawa, and the Ewashko Singers. He has sung with and toured with several other Ottawa local choirs. He was a member of the board and a long-time chorus member of Opera Lyra. Gary is married, and his wife and both children were active musicians, with his son singing professionally.
Browning-Shelp has been a Music and Beyond director since August of 2019.
Music has always been part of her life. She believes that music can and should enrich every child’s life.
Through her own involvement singing in youth and adult choirs; working professionally as an accompanist for ballet dancers, vocalists, and instrumentalists; performing as a solo pianist; and teaching piano for 42 years (she was an Ontario Registered Music Teacher by age 16); she has seen what music can do for children and adults—she believes in its power.
She brings 34 years of experience in the field of strategic communications, both as a paid professional in the public and not-for-profit sectors, and as a volunteer, to the Music and Beyond board. Browning-Shelp is also a magazine and newspaper feature writer. She is the Arts Editor for the community newspaper The Mainstreeter, and she has published three books of fiction for young adults.
Christina Cameron is a resident of Ottawa. Her professional career as a public servant with Parks Canada and as a Canada Research Chair at the Université de Montréal has focused on heritage conservation. In particular, she has worked with UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention since 1987, chairing the World Heritage Committee in 1990 and 2008. She received the Order of Canada in 2014.
Dr. Ronald Stevenson has been member of the Board of Directors for two years. He is a lawyer who specializes in Indigenous constitutional rights and, until his retirement in 2019 was a senior lawyer with the federal Department of Justice. He also teaches at Osgoode Hall Law School and the University of Ottawa and holds degrees from Memorial University of Newfoundland, Oxford, Victoria, Osgoode and Ottawa. Dr. Stevenson has been active in the Ottawa music community as a singer and looks forward to contributing to the work of Music and Beyond.
Having enjoyed a 35+ year career in the not-for-profit sector, Robert has held leadership positions as a staff member and as a fundraising consultant to universities in Canada, the United States and Europe,the Canadian and American governments and two internationa lNGOs. Having recently retired from the Telfer School of Management as the Manager of Faculty Development, Robert was the VP of Philanthropy at SOS Children’s Villages Canada. Before that, he was the VP for Development at the Canadian Museum of History (CMH).Originally from Rhode Island, Robert earned a BA in History from Vassar College and a Masters in Management for the Canadian Voluntary Sector from McGill University. Robert now splits his time between Ottawa Canada and sunny Puerto Vallarta, Mexico where he has embarked upon a singing career. Threading the enchanting realms of musical theatre, opera, and cabaret, the captivating charm of Puerto Vallarta’s cabaret scene has embraced Robert’s artistry. Robert is thrilled to be taking on the lead role of Albin in Act 2’s (PV’s premier theatre company) upcoming production of La Cage aux Folles.
A multidisciplinary finance leader, William holds degrees from Toronto Metropolitan (BComm Hons), the Royal Conservatory (LRCM), Western (MMus), and Ottawa (MBA) where he served as President, Graduate Student Association. He has worked for such companies as TD Bank Group, Schneider Electric, and Yamaha. With a passion for the Chinese-Canadian community, he was the 3rd prize winner at the 2020 International ‘Chinese Bridge’ Mandarin language Proficiency Competition. William seeks to apply accounting oversight to furthering the effectiveness of Music & Beyond as Canada’s preeminent summer classical music festival.