Maestro Alexander Shelley, artistic director of the National Arts Centre of Canada, will leave Ottawa in July 2026 to lead the Pacific Symphony Orchestra in California.

In an interview with the Ottawa Citizen, he reflected on his decade in Canada. During that time, Shelley not only became an important figure in the country’s cultural life, but also celebrated the births of his two sons and initiated more than 50 premieres of new orchestral works.

“We’re leaving on a high note,” he says. “We have a tour of Korea and Japan ahead of us, an outstanding final season with world-class stars like Joshua Bell, Lang Lang, Hilary Hahn and others. It’s comparable to the best orchestras in the world.”

Shelly calls the NAC Orchestra a “national treasure” and is proud of the organization’s bold cultural missions, including projects on sensitive topics.

His personal connection to Ottawa remains deep: “My wife and children are Canadian. Our family history began here. It’s much more than work.”

He also emphasized the importance of creating interdisciplinary projects, an experience that now helps him run a multifunctional arts center in Florida.

Despite the move, he promises to return: “Every time I come to Ottawa, I think – this is one of the most beautiful and comfortable cities in the world.”