National Arts Centre and CHEO partner to share the healing power of music for the holiday season
Dec. 2, 2025, Ottawa, Ont. – Today, a quartet of musicians from the National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) bring the majestic sounds of Canada’s stage directly to the children, youth, families, and dedicated staff at CHEO.
This exclusive performance launches an artistic partnership between CHEO and the NAC designed to integrate music and the performing arts into the healing journey of children and youth.
As part of this exciting collaboration — rooted in the therapeutic benefits of the arts — the NAC will present four curated, interactive performances on the main CHEO campus during each orchestra season over the next two years.
Performances will also integrate CHEO’s Child Life Services and music therapy programs to enhance patient well-being and support the mental health of families and health-care workers.
“There is growing evidence — including research led at CHEO — that music is medicine. CHEO clinicians connect families to non-clinical supports as part of our care to improve social health,” said Vera Etches, CHEO’s president and CEO.
“We are so grateful to welcome some of Canada’s premier musicians to CHEO to bring much-needed joy at a difficult time for children, youth, and their families, as well as for our teams who work so hard throughout the year.”
The world-class talent of the NAC supports CHEO’s holistic approach to care.
“As Canada’s national home for the performing arts, we’re honoured to partner with CHEO to share the work from our stages with our community,” said Christopher Deacon, President and CEO of the National Arts Centre.
“Like all performing arts, music has a unique ability to comfort, connect, and heal. Through this important partnership, we look forward to creating meaningful experiences for CHEO’s young patients, their families, and the dedicated staff who care for them.”
Future performances will be thoughtfully designed to accommodate the diverse accessibility needs of patients — including mobility, sensory, and other disability-related barriers — ensuring the arts reach everyone who can benefit from them.
Today’s interactive concert features a spirited collection of arrangements from seasonal and classical favourites, including “Let it Snow,” “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”, and “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” from The Nutcracker, selected to engage the audience and lift spirits during the holiday season. 
About the National Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
For more information from CHEO, please email:
For more information from the NAC, please contact:
Noah Richardson
Communications Strategist, National Arts Centre Orchestra
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