Shelley will become the artistic and music director of the Pacific Symphony in Costa Mesa, Calif.Curtis Perry/Supplied
When British conductor Alexander Shelley succeeded Pinchas Zukerman as music director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra in 2015, the 35-year-old became its youngest conductor since the orchestra’s founding.
In that time, Shelley brought the orchestra on tours across Canada and Europe, to Carnegie Hall in New York and online for pandemic-era livestreams. He commissioned more than 50 new works for the NAC and recorded around 15 albums, including a four-part symphonic series that told the stories of influential composers Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms. He helped launch a mentorship program in 2021 that annually invites around 50 early career musicians to learn from the NAC, based in Ottawa, and started the orchestra’s first Resident Conductor Program in 2024.
Alexander Shelley delivers stirring swan song with National Arts Centre Orchestra
Now, after 11 seasons at the helm, Shelley is stepping down to make way for Finnish conductor John Storgårds. Shelley, whose contract ends in August, will take his final bow onstage as music director on July 2. He will become the artistic and music director of the Pacific Symphony in Costa Mesa, Calif., and principal conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra Ireland.
The Globe spoke with six of Shelley’s colleagues to learn about the legacy he’s leaving behind and his collaborative style of conducting.
Nelson McDougall (tour manager, 2013-2021; managing director, 2022-present)
When Alexander first joined the orchestra, he spearheaded quite a significant project called Life Reflected, which was making a statement at the start for his commitment to Canadian artists – his commitment to looking outside of the orchestral stream to say, ‘Okay, what else can we do? What are the different ways that we can grow the points of access?’
And that project did just that. I sincerely believe that he has enriched the artistic landscape of Canada because he’s come with a curious, collaborative, communicative approach, the way he’s brought people in.
'There was no one else on the stage who knew more about what we were doing than him,' said principal trumpet player Karen Donnelly.Curtis Perry/Supplied
Karen Donnelly (principal trumpet, 1999-present)
We would always joke that there was no one else on the stage who knew more about what we were doing than him. He always brought an extremely high level of preparation – almost, at times, kind of annoying how many details he knew from memory. It’s a little bit humbling.
He’s a very engaging public speaker. We’re going to miss his charming pre-concert talks, always quite funny and very relatable, giving an easy arc of what the concept of the whole concert is.
Joanna G’froerer (principal flute, 1992-present)
The orchestra’s sounding better than it has since I joined. He’s really brought a clarity and a precision to our playing that has lifted the level of our artistry.
I feel like part of Alexander has become Canadian over these 11 years, and I don’t mean technically in citizenship. From the get-go he was so enthusiastic and open to learning about us as an orchestra, as musicians, but also the Canadian people. Our music, the composers, our stories.
Christopher Deacon (president and CEO, 2018-2025)
Some people confuse what he’s doing when he walks out before a concert and talks to the audience - that he’s trying to charm them or something, but not at all. He’s inviting them into the music. I think that’s his commitment to peeling back the layers of what’s going on in the music. Enabling people to appreciate it more deeply is a key pillar of strength for him.
Alexander has set the bar for how someone who isn’t from Canada completely embraces and engages with Canadian culture, and uses that position to advance the culture of Canada, not to advance their own career.
Chris Lee (principal tuba, 2018-present)
He’s a very clear conductor, very fluid, very polished. The National Arts Centre Orchestra has a history of being very classical, clean. Mozart, Beethoven – they’ve always been world class at this type of repertoire. His conducting lends itself to that and takes it up another notch.
He’s made me feel comfortable so that I can play the way I want to play, and do the things I want to do. He’s a collaborative leader.
James Ehnes (guest violinist, 1993-present; artist in residence, 2021-2024)
You could get just about anybody up in front of the National Arts Centre Orchestra to wave their arms around, and it would sound good because the orchestra would do what they do. To have a leader that creates an artistic identity that is unique and special, at the highest level both technically and interpretively, that’s a testament to his skills as a conductor, his persuasiveness as a person and musician, and his commitment to the art form.
It’s an orchestra where I feel every member plays like it’s the most important thing for them, and that’s a reflection of the way he works with music and feels about music.
These interviews have been edited and condensed.