Congratulations to our board member, Francis Price!

Francis Price

We are absolutely thrilled to share the news that our beloved board member, Francis Price, has been honoured with the prestigious National Opera Trustee Recognition Award!

This award, bestowed by the Opera America and Association for Opera in Canada, acknowledges exemplary leadership and service, and we couldn’t be prouder that Francis has been recognized among the visionary leaders of the opera world. This award is a testament not only to Francis’ tireless efforts within our organization, but also to the broader influence and impact of opera nationally.

Francis has been an Edmonton Opera board member for over 20 years, and has made significant contributions to our success, notably leading an annual endowment campaign that raised millions of dollars over the past decade. He supports us as a donor, hosts visiting artists, and provides valuable insight to the Board and management team. Francis has been instrumental in supporting young artists and promoting diverse storytelling through partnerships with other arts organizations such as Fringe Festival and Pop Goes the Opera.

This recognition is truly well deserved! Please join us in congratulating Francis on this extraordinary moment for him and for our entire Edmonton Opera family. Bravo!

Edmonton Opera announces Sue Fitzsimmons as new Executive Director

Sue Fitzsimmons

For immediate release: June 20, 2022

EDMONTON OPERA ANNOUNCES SUE FITZSIMMONS AS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Sue Fitzsimmons comes to the Edmonton Opera after serving as a Vice President at both the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and Medicine Hat College. She is a long-time Edmontonian who believes in the power of creativity and the arts to build and sustain community. Sue has a track record with over 15 years of senior leadership experience helping professional, leadership, and executive teams accomplish outcomes critical to their missions. For Edmonton Opera, that mission is to bring the community together through meaningful artistic experiences that celebrate our shared humanity–a mission that resonates deeply with Sue, given the challenges the world is facing.

Sue will work closely with the Opera’s Artistic Director, Joel Ivany, who welcomes her arrival saying: “We are lucky to have Sue join the team at such an important time. We will all benefit from her leadership, generosity and experience. She is going to be a difference maker.”

Sue’s early career began as a music educator. She taught music methods within the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta and University of Winnipeg. She is an experienced choral singer, and plays piano well and guitar “rather poorly.” Sue holds a PhD from the University of Alberta.

In the summer, you’ll find Sue wandering through off-leash parks with her big black dog, paddleboarding on the North Saskatchewan River with her husband and daughter, or exploring Edmonton’s food scene by bicycle. In the winter, you’ll find her playing defense on a women’s ice hockey team, cross-country skiing in the mountains with her family, or making music with friends.

Sue is thrilled to join the team at Edmonton Opera!

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Media Availability

Interviews with Edmonton Opera’s Executive Director Sue Fitzsimmons are available. For inquiries or to schedule an interview, please contact Madison Kerr, Director of Marketing & Patron Services at (780) 940-6803 or madison.kerr@edmontonopera.com.

JOEL IVANY ANNOUNCES EDMONTON OPERA SEASON “IT’S GOING TO BE ELECTRIC AND EXCITING”

For immediate release: May 30, 2022

JOEL IVANY ANNOUNCES EDMONTON OPERA SEASON
“IT’S GOING TO BE ELECTRIC AND EXCITING”  

Edmonton Opera is proud to announce Joel Ivany’s first season as Artistic Director of Edmonton Opera.  “In Toronto, they have called Joel’s work ‘electric and exciting’ and that is exactly how we feel the new season will be for Edmonton”, said board chair, Tom Bradley. “We believe our company is shaping up to be a dynamic, new force in this city.”

Ivany himself said “the season will be the start of an adventure, with new experiences for many and, for others, some new ways of experiencing opera.”

“But this will also be the season where we bring grand opera back to Edmonton. We open with Puccini’s Tosca, one of the grandest of all operas, in a production from Seattle Opera. Our Tosca will be celebrated American soprano, Karen Slack.” 

“Our second production on the main stage of the Jubilee Auditorium will be Gluck’s Orphée+, which goes back to the very beginning of opera. But this presentation will be a modern feast for the eyes and ears and a new opera experience for Edmonton audiences. I am truly excited about that.”

Ivany also announced that “because of the extraordinary generosity of Grace and Arnold Rumbold, this season Edmonton Opera will host the first annual Rumbold Vocal Prize, a new and prestigious event for emerging Canadian singers. The public will be invited to a masterclass for Rumbold competitors, held by internationally acclaimed Adrianne Pieczonka in the foyer of the Jubilee Auditorium. And before the final prizes are awarded, finalists for the Rumbold Vocal Prize will perform before the judges. That too will be open to the public and a first opportunity for Edmontonians to see some of Canada’s most promising vocal artists.”

In the 22/23 season, Edmonton Opera will also present a uniquely staged and choreographed performance of Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, a Home for the Holidays concert in December following the Opera’s first holiday concert last year, and a new partnership with the Citadel Theatre of My First Hundred Years, a cabaret featuring Edmonton’s own, extraordinarily talented Andrew MacDonald-Smith.

Ivany said “we are thrilled to be back with a full season.” 

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Notes to media:

·       Season details are provided in this notice to subscribers: http://edmontonopera.com/season/

·       Visual assets attached

Media Availability

Interviews with Edmonton Opera’s Artistic Director Joel Ivany are available. For inquiries or to schedule an interview, please contact Madison Kerr, Director of Marketing & Patron Services at (780) 940-6803 or madison.kerr@edmontonopera.com.

TENOR STEPS INTO LEAD ROLE ONLY FOUR DAYS BEFORE OPENING NIGHT OF PUCCINI’S LA BOHÈME AT THE JUBE

On Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, Edmonton Opera will return to the Jubilee stage for the first time with a lavish production of Puccini’s timeless love story, La Bohème. Rehearsals are currently underway, and the cast and creative team are currently hard at work bringing 19th Century Paris to life. Opening night will mark the first time the company has presented a full-scale production to a live audience since February 2020.

Led by Conductor Simon Rivard in his company debut and Director François Racine, La Bohème tells the story of a poor seamstress and her group of artist friends as they search for love and meaning in the City of Lights. 126 years after its premiere, this opera continues to move audiences and influence pop culture, inspiring several adaptations ranging from the popular film Moulin Rouge to the Broadway musical Rent.

The story of La Bohème is especially prescient during a global pandemic, as Mimì suffers and ultimately succumbs to a respiratory illness. Its themes of poverty, friendship, love, and loss are as relevant today as when the opera was written 126 years ago.

Tenor Andrew Haji was set to make his company debut in the iconic role of Rodolfo, one made famous by star singers like Luciano Pavarotti. Less than a week before opening night, Haji tested positive for Covid-19 and is currently isolating and feeling well. With only four days before opening, tenor Adam Luther boarded a plane from Stratford, Ontario and is currently hard at work learning a month’s worth of staging, coaching with the conductor, plus last-minute wardrobe fittings. Haji is expected to resume performances for the remaining performances on Feb. 8 and 11.

On opening night, Luther will be joined by his co-star, soprano Miriam Khalil, and an all-star Canadian cast of singers. Khalil has sung the role of Mimì across North America (The Canadian Opera Company, Calgary Opera, Minnesota Opera), earning rave reviews for her sensitive portrayal of Rodolfo’s true love. Khalil last appeared in Edmonton Opera’s 2010 production of Bohème but in the role of Musetta. 

The safety of artists and audiences is a priority for Edmonton Opera, and the company has enhanced its safety protocols due to the increased transmissibility of the Omicron varient. Proof of double vaccination is required for all artists and guests at the Jubilee Auditorium (proof of negative Covid-19 tests are not permitted), audience capacity is limited to 50%, and KN95 masks will be available to all ticket buyers upon arrival. For detailed safety protocols, please visit edmontonopera.com/covid. 

Media Availability & Preview

Interviews with members of the cast or Joel Ivany, Edmonton Opera’s Artistic Director, are available with advanced notice. B-roll footage with audio of the performance (limited to 5 minutes in duration) may also be recorded at the media preview on Feb. 3 at 7:00pm.

 

To schedule an interview or rsvp your outlet’s attendance, please contact Cameron MacRae, Director of Marketing and Communications, at 780.984.3634 orcameron.macrae@edmontonopera.com.

EDMONTON OPERA ANNOUNCES JOEL IVANY AS ITS NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

After a three-month international search, Edmonton Opera’s Board of Directors is thrilled to announce the appointment of the company’s new Artistic Director, Joel Ivany. “Over the past 58 seasons, Edmonton Opera has built a proud foundation, and we’re in an opportune position to expand the ways in which we serve our community,” says Thomas Bradley, Board Chair. “The entire team is excited for a new era of opera in Edmonton, and we feel that Joel is the perfect person to lead the company into the future as we emerge from the pandemic.”

 “Edmonton is very familiar to me and my family, and I’m incredibly excited and grateful to work at Edmonton Opera right here on Treaty 6 territory,” says Ivany, having moved from Toronto earlier this summer when his wife, Lebanese-Canadian soprano Miriam Khalil, was appointed to the voice program’s faculty at the UofA. “It has many wonderful memories such as my first full opera that I ever directed as well as the various productions that both my wife and I have lucky to have been apart of.” Ivany directed his first ever production at Opera Nuova in 2007 and later made his debut at Edmonton Opera directing a new production of The Tales of Hoffmann in 2013. “Edmonton has great energy and is such a wonderful place to raise a family. It has been such a great start living here and making Edmonton our home.”

Ivany is known for pushing the boundaries of opera, and has been called “Canadian opera’s enfant not-so-terrible.” In 2010, Ivany founded Against the Grain Theatre in Toronto where he will continue to devote time. He has adapted and translated over ten operas presented in unexpected venues, and was named an Arts Hero by The Globe and Mail in 2020 for his work directing the critically-acclaimed digital Messiah/Complex. He has also directed over 50 productions for opera companies across North America and Europe including The Canadian Opera Company, Vancouver Opera, and Minnesota Opera. Ivany currently leads Banff Centre’s “Opera in the 21st Century” Program where he mentors the next generation of singers and opera creatives.

When asked what Edmonton audiences can expect from future programming, Ivany says “The last year and a half has shown us how opera is evolving and morphing into many other outlets. I’m hoping to embrace that change at Edmonton Opera while paying respect to where this art form came from.  I think we’re going to embrace all that opera can be in the future.”

The board and staff of Edmonton Opera look forward to collaborating with Ivany as the company prepares to reopen with Puccini’s La Bohème at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium on Feb. 5, 2022.

Media Availability

Interviews with Joel Ivany, Edmonton Opera’s new Artistic Director, are available upon request.For inquiries or to schedule an interview, please contact Cameron MacRae, Director of Marketing and Communications, at 780.984.3634 orcameron.macrae@edmontonopera.com.

Edmonton Opera announces revised plans to reopen in February 2022 with Puccini's La Bohème

Dear opera lovers,

I hope that you, your family and friends have enjoyed the summer months and are keeping well. All of us at Edmonton Opera have been hard at work preparing for the season ahead, including building new scenery for Mozart’s Così fan tutte and gorgeous period costumes for Puccini’s La Bohème.

A few weeks ago, we sent out a survey to ticket buyers asking for input on our reopening strategy and last season’s digital content. For those of you who were sent the survey and took the time to share your thoughts, we can’t thank you enough for providing this valuable feedback. Like you, we miss the thrill of live performances and coming together to experience opera as a community.

We were hoping to reopen this October, but given feedback from our audience and considerable uncertainty relating to rising cases in Alberta, we have decided to postpone reopening to February 2022. Opera is the most complex art form to produce, with over a hundred artists, orchestra members, and crew working together in close quarters. 

Here are some important updates to note:

• We will not be mounting a production this October. The season will now feature two operas: La Bohème and Così fan tutte. Anne Boleyn (Anna Bolena) will no longer be performed.

• Dates for the winter and spring productions remain the same. La Bohèmewill play February 5, 8 & 11, and Così fan tutte will play March 19, 22 & 25.

• All Saturday opening night performances will begin at 7:30pm instead of 8pm.

• Season ticket holders have been offered the choice of a refund, a credit towards a future performance, or to donate the value of their tickets in exchange for a charitable tax-receipt.

• Single tickets for La Bohème and Così fan tutte will go on sale in mid-October. Be sure to stay tuned to our e-newsletter for the latest updates and exciting programming announcements!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our box office team at 780.429.1000 (Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm) or email boxoffice@edmontonopera.com. 

On behalf of all of us at Edmonton Opera, I’d like to thank you for your continued support, patience and understanding. We hope you’ll join us online for the Wild Rose Opera Project this November.

Sincerely,

Richard Cook

Interim General Director

Edmonton Opera

For media inquiries, please contact Cameron MacRae, Director of Marketing & Communications
780.984.3634 • cameron.macrae@edmontonopera.com

EDMONTON OPERA POSTPONES REOPENING TO FALL 2021

Yesterday at its Annual General Meeting, Edmonton Opera announced the decision to postpone its reopening to Oct. 23, 2021 from a previously announced late-January 2021 start.

“Putting on an opera employs up to 200 artists, crew and staff, and we require about 4-months lead time to scale up and produce a work,” says Tim Yakimec, the company’s General Director.  “Many of our singers travel from across Canada, and with COVID-19 cases on the rise and limits on gatherings still in place, we are unable to move forward with performances in January.”

2021/2022 season at the Jubilee Auditorium

Edmonton Opera is committed to presenting the same repertoire announced prior to the pandemic. The season will open on Oct. 23, 2021 with a new production of Mozart’s charming romantic comedy, Così fan tutte. In February 2022, Puccini’s timeless love story La Bohème whisks audiences off to Paris with a lavish period costumes and scenery. The season closes in March 2022 with a Western Canadian premiere — Donizetti’s rarely heard, Tudor-inspired tragedy Anne Boleyn (Anna Bolena). 

“The safety of our audiences, artists, staff and volunteers continues to be our priority,” says Yakimec. Edmonton Opera is committed to following Alberta Health Service guidelines to develop necessary safety protocols.

In the meantime…

Edmonton Opera continues to offer free digital content via its popular Edmonton Opera at Home series. So far audiences have been treated to online videos featuring Kitchen Concerts with chorus members, Happy Hours with stars from the upcoming season, interactive activities for families learning from home, and concerts shot around Edmonton. For more information please visit: edmontonopera.com/operaathome.

“People are turning to the arts for inspiration and connection — now more than ever,” says Yakimec. “We’d like to thank all of our funders, sponsors, donors and audience members for standing by us and showing that the arts truly matter to this city.” To make a donation to support the future of live opera in Edmonton, visit us online at edmontonopera.com or call 780.429.1000. 

Media Availability

Edmonton Opera’s General Director, Tim Yakimec is available for interviews by phone or Zoom meeting.

For inquiries or to schedule an interview, please contact Cameron MacRae, Director of Marketing and Communications, at 780.984.3634 or cameron.macrae@edmontonopera.com

EDMONTON OPERA WILL REOPEN ON JAN. 30, 2021

Click here for Edmonton Opera’s media release

Click here for joint media release from Edmonton Performing Arts

Media contact:
Cameron MacRae, Director of Marketing & Communications
(780) 984-3634
cameron.macrae@edmontonopera.com

For immediate release: Jun. 9, 2020.                                                       

For the first time in the company’s history, Edmonton Opera has made the decision to delay its 57th season to ensure the safety of its artists and audiences.

 

“Despite the challenges of the past several months, we’re committed to pulling out all the stops to bring opera-lovers three beautiful productions that showcase the very best voices that Canada has to offer,” says Tim Yakimec, the company’s General Director. “International travel may be on hold, but audiences can join us at the Jubilee to escape to sun-drenched southern Italy, romantic Paris or the drama of the Tower of London. We look forward to connecting with our audiences again and sharing the spark that only live theatre and music can provide.” 

The season will open on Jan. 30 with a new production of Mozart’s charming romantic comedy, Così fan tutte, with ESO Assistant Conductor Cosette Justo Valdés leading the orchestra in her company debut. In March, Puccini’s timeless love story La Bohème whisks audiences off to Paris with a production starring acclaimed soprano Miriam Khalil, who earned rave reviews for her interpretation of Mimì across Canada. The season closes with a Western Canadian premiere — Donizetti’s rarely heard, Tudor-inspired tragedy Anne Boleyn (Anna Bolena) with celebrated soprano Tracy Cantin returning to portray one of history’s most controversial queens.

“The safety of our audiences, artists, staff and volunteers is our priority,” says Yakimec. Edmonton Opera is committed to following Alberta Health Service guidelines to develop necessary safety protocols. In the coming months, Edmonton Opera promises to keep the community up-to-date with any developments prior to 
opening night.

In the meantime…

In addition to presenting operas at the Jubilee Auditorium, the company is committed to developing new videos for its popular Edmonton Opera at Home online content hub. Every week, audiences are treated to online videos featuring Kitchen Concerts with chorus members, Happy Hour with stars from the upcoming season, and interactive Do-It-Yourself Opera activities designed especially for elementary students and their parents learning from home. For more information please visit: edmontonopera.com/operaathome.

“As a non-profit organization, Edmonton Opera has always counted on the support of our community”, says Yakimec. “We thank all of our funders, sponsors, donors and audience members that have pledged their support to see us through these unchartered waters.” To purchase a season ticket package or make a donation to support the future of live opera in Edmonton, visit us online at edmontonopera.com or call 780.429.1000.

 

Media Availability

Edmonton Opera’s General Director, Tim Yakimec is available for interviews this week by phone or Zoom meeting.

 

For inquiries or to schedule an interview, please contact Cameron MacRae, Director of Marketing and Communications, at 780.984.3634 or cameron.macrae@edmontonopera.com

1920s PARIS COMES ALIVE IN A SPECTACULAR NEW PRODUCTION OF LA TRAVIATA

This fall, Edmonton Opera presents a thrilling new production of Verdi’s grand romantic masterpiece La Traviata, setting it in the decadent music hall scene of 1920s Paris. Audiences will experience this classic opera like never before, complete with lavish scenery, sumptuous costumes, and Verdi’s iconic score performed live by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.

Based on the novel Lady of the Camellias by Alexandre Dumas fils, La Traviata is the story of a courtesan named Violetta who is consumed both by love and a life-threatening illness. When she meets Alfredo, the two instantly fall in love and dream of a life together, but fate has other plans for Violetta. With famous tunes such as ‘Sempre libera’ and ‘Brindisi’ (The Drinking Song), this tragic opera is an audience favourite and has even inspired big screen blockbusters like Pretty Woman and Moulin Rouge!

Acclaimed Montreal-based director Alain Gauthier reimagines Verdi’s opera in the 1920s, interpreting Violetta as a larger-than-life celebrity similar to Josephine Baker. Soprano Laquita Mitchell, praised by The New York Times for her “rich, shimmering, and sizeable” voice,” makes her highly anticipated Canadian debut in the role of Violetta. 

This production of La Traviata marks an important moment in Canadian opera history, becoming the first co-production between five leading Canadian opera companies, namely Edmonton Opera, Manitoba Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, Opéra de Montréal, and Vancouver Opera. Stratford Festival veteran Christina Poddubiuk designed sets and costumes for the production, and the spectacular multi-level set was built in Edmonton at the Opera Centre by skilled local professionals. 

La Traviata will be sung in Italian with projected English translation. Performances are on Saturday, Oct. 20 (8 p.m.), Tuesday, Oct. 23 (7:30 p.m.), and Friday, Oct. 26 (7:30 p.m.) at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. Tickets start at $29, and special pricing for patrons under 40 is available. 

For media inquiries and interview requests, please contact Cameron MacRae, Director of Marketing and Communications, at 780.984.3634 or cameron.macrae@edmontonopera.com

MOZART’S ANTIHERO RETURNS IN EDMONTON OPERA’S BOLD NEW DON GIOVANNI

For immediate release: April 6, 2018

This spring, Edmonton Opera turns up the heat with a fiery new production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, setting it in the sultry bullfighting arenas of Spain. Audiences will experience this classic opera like never before, complete with spectacular scenery, lavish costumes, and thrilling pyrotechnics!

Based on the story of Don Juan, a mythical womanizer and libertine in Seville, the protagonist of Mozart’s drama is a reckless antihero. Helped along by his sidekick Leporello, Giovanni attempts to seduce woman after woman throughout the opera until, at last, a paranormal force drags him to hell for his immorality.

Dynamic young Québécois director Oriol Tomas reimagines the opera in a timeless Spanish era, interpreting Don Giovanni as a matador with powerful celebrity status. “In my vision, Don Giovanni is a very popular bullfighter who thinks he can do anything with the women he meets,” says Tomas. “The themes of this opera are a very hot topic these days, based on what we’re seeing in the media and Hollywood,” he adds, referring to the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. In Tomas’s production, the women ultimately hold Don Giovanni accountable for his actions.

Baritone Phillip Addis, adored by Edmonton audiences as Figaro in 2014’s The Barber of Seville, brings his “physically commanding, vocally authoritative energy” (Opera Canada) to the title role. Other accomplished Canadian singers in this cast include soprano Michele Capalbo and tenor John Tessier. Set designer Bretta Gerecke, known for her daring concepts for Edmonton’s Catalyst Theatre, creates a dark and visually striking world that will contrast with Deanna Finnman’s seductive Spanish-inspired costumes.

Mozart’s commanding score will be brought to life by a 50-piece Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, showcasing moments of comedy, intense drama, and even supernatural foreboding. Purely for its music, Don Giovanni is considered one of the greatest operas of all time.

Don Giovanni will be sung in Italian with projected English translation. Performances are on Saturday, Apr. 14 (8 p.m.), Tuesday, Apr. 17 (7:30 p.m.), and Friday, Apr. 20 (7:30 p.m.) at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. Tickets start at $40, and special pricing for patrons under 40 is available.

For media inquiries and interview requests, please contact Cameron MacRae, Director of Marketing and Communications, at 780.984.3634 or cameron.macrae@edmontonopera.com

SAIL INTO THE 1920s JAZZ AGE ON EDMONTON OPERA’S HMS PINAFORE

For immediate release: January 15, 2018

This February, prepare to sail the high seas with the crew of Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore! Edmonton Opera’s delightful new production puts a jazzy twist on this madcap British comedy, setting it in the extravagant 1920s and featuring new jazz-inspired orchestrations by NYC-based musical arranger Ed Windels. Audiences will experience HMS Pinafore like they’ve never seen — or heard — before!

HMS Pinafore is the classic ‘boy meets girl, girl’s father gets in the way’ story. On board this luxury liner, the Captain’s daughter Josephine and lower-class sailor Ralph Rackstraw fall unwittingly in love — but the Captain has already promised Josephine’s hand to Sir Joseph, a high-ranking officer in the Navy with a buffoonish personality. Mayhem ensues when the lovers decide to elope… while at sea!

Director Robert Herriot, whose penchant for physical comedy and inventive staging was evident in last year’s Sterling Award-nominated Cinderella, returns to steer the Pinafore into the 1920s Jazz Age. His new concept features spectacular sets by designer Camellia Koo, including a 90-foot-long curved stage extending over the Jubilee’s orchestra pit and a 28-foot-high smoke stack. Costume designer Deanna Finnman showcases 1920s glamour with colourful flapper dresses for the women and sleek Naval attire for the Pinafore’s crew.

New York City-based composer and arranger Ed Windels adds toe-tapping jazz orchestrations to Gilbert & Sullivan’s original score, which will be performed live on stage by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. Dressed in full crew uniforms, the ESO and conductor Peter Dala will be part of the action on deck in true jazz spirit!

HMS Pinafore brings together a cast of celebrated Canadian artists including soprano Vanessa Oude-Reimerink as Josephine, praised by Edmonton Journal for her “pure and powerful soprano, and charismatic stage presence,” and Adrian Kramer as Ralph, whose “robust lyric tenor voice” (Opera West) has earned acclaim across North America. This production also welcomes well-known talent from Edmonton’s theatre community such as veteran actor Glenn Nelson and beloved comedian and media personality Bridget Ryan.

With an array of stellar talent on stage, spectacular 1920s designs, and a jazzy new version of Gilbert & Sullivan’s cherished score, HMS Pinafore promises audiences an evening of entertainment and raucous comedy on board!  

HMS Pinafore will be sung in English with projected lyrics. Performances are on Saturday, Feb. 3 (8 p.m.), Tuesday, Feb. 6 (7:30 p.m.), and Friday, Feb. 9 (7:30 p.m.) at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. Tickets start at $40, and special pricing for patrons under 40 is available.

For media inquiries and interview requests, please contact Cameron MacRae, Director of Marketing and Communications, at 780.984.3634 or cameron.macrae@edmontonopera.com

GAY LOVE STORY TAKES CENTRE STAGE IN A POWERFUL AND PROVOCATIVE NEW CANADIAN OPERA

For immediate release: October 16, 2017

Edmonton Opera opens its 2017/18 season with the Alberta premiere of Lilies, a new opera based on the iconic Canadian play Les Feluettes by Michel Marc Bouchard. Set in a men’s prison in early 1900s Quebec, Lilies tells the story of forbidden love between two young men against the backdrop of the Catholic Church. Innocence quickly turns into deception and murder as the star-crossed lovers struggle through their feelings with tragic consequences.

Often regarded as the Canadian Romeo and Juliet, Bouchard’s celebrated work has been adapted into an award-winning film and was then commissioned as an opera by Opéra de Montréal and Pacific Opera Victoria. Perfect for the operatic stage, Lilies includes a vibrant array of characters including a young pyromaniac, an exotic Frenchwoman who arrives by hot air balloon, and a chorus of vengeful prisoners that act out this play-within-a-play.

At its Montreal world premiere in 2016, Lilies was hailed as “a pure masterpiece” (Boucle Magazine), receiving standing ovations from sold out houses each night. Lilies opened in Victoria in spring 2017 and was declared a “powerful, poetic, unforgettable” new opera by the Times Colonist.

Composer Kevin March’s lavish and cinematic score is an eclectic mix of French Romanticism, Quebecois folk tunes, and quotes from Claude Debussy’s Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian. The music has been praised as “lyrical and dramatic, written in a musical language accessible to a wide audience” (Toronto Star).

Lilies features an all-Canadian cast including Met Opera veteran and Grammy-winning baritone Gino Quilico and renowned Albertan tenor Gordon Gietz. Promising young singers Jean-Michel Richer and Zachary Read star in the roles of Vallier and Simon, the opera’s romantic leads.

Lilies will be sung in French with projected English translation. Performances are on Saturday, Oct. 21 (8 p.m.), Tuesday, Oct. 24 (7:30 p.m.), and Friday, Oct. 27 (7:30 p.m.) at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. Tickets start at $40, and special pricing for patrons under 40 is available.

For media inquiries and interview requests, please contact Cameron MacRae, Director of Marketing and Communications, at 780.984.3634 or cameron.macrae@edmontonopera.com

DESCEND INTO DARKNESS WITH EDMONTON OPERA’S POST-APOCALYPTIC ELEKTRA

For media inquiries and interview requests, please contact Cameron MacRae, Director of Marketing and Communications, at 780.984.3634 or cameron.macrae@edmontonopera.com

When Elektra premiered in 1909, The New York Times review hailed composer Richard Strauss as “a genius and a wizard,” describing the opening night audience as “numbed, stunned, [and] hypnotized.” This groundbreaking one-act psychological thriller has since become known as one of the most riveting operas in the repertoire.

Based on an ancient Greek play by Sophocles, Elektra follows the journey of its protagonist as she pursues revenge against her mother. But when she becomes more and more obsessed with revenge, Elektra’s dark mind begins to unravel until, in a horrifying climax, her fragile psyche shatters completely.

Edmonton Opera presents the Alberta premiere of Strauss’s masterpiece in a newly designed, post-apocalyptic production that propels the Electra myth into a forlorn future. Director Michael Cavanagh and costume designer Deanna Finnman draw inspiration from the thundering and cinematic music of Elektra to create a dystopian landscape inhabited by characters on the brink of madness.

Elektra brings together a cast of 16 singers from across the continent, including powerhouse dramatic soprano Elizabeth Blancke-Biggs, known for her portrayals of opera’s ‘madwomen’ ­– Lady Macbeth (which she performed at the Met Opera), Salome, and Elektra. Blancke-Biggs’s previous performance as Elektra garnered praise for her “solid and brilliant” high notes (Teatro) and her “breathtakingly fascinating interpretation” of this challenging role (Liricamente).  

Strauss’s massive score will be brought to life by over 70 musicians of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and led by their incoming Chief Conductor, 24-year-old British sensation Alexander Prior.

Featuring an all-star cast, stylish post-apocalyptic costumes, and Richard Strauss’s bold modernist music, Elektra will take Edmonton audiences by storm like no opera before.

Elektra will be sung in German with projected English translation. Performances are on Saturday, Mar. 11 (8 p.m.), Tuesday, Mar. 14 (7:30 p.m.), and Thursday, Mar. 16 (7:30 p.m.) at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. Tickets start at $40, and special pricing for patrons under 40 is available. 

EDMONTON OPERA PRESENTS A CHARMING 1950S STYLE PRODUCTION OF CINDERELLA

For media inquiries and interview requests, please contact Cameron MacRae, Director of Marketing and Communications, at 780.984.3634 or cameron.macrae@edmontonopera.com

Most audiences are familiar with the classic rags-to-riches fairy tale of Cinderella, complete with glass slippers and enchanted pumpkins. But this February, Edmonton Opera presents a version like you have never seen (or heard) before in its production of Rossini’s Cinderella (La Cenerentola)!

While Rossini’s opera itself transforms the Cinderella story — a buffoonish stepfather replaces the wicked stepmother, the fairy godmother is now a wise philosopher, and matching bracelets reunite the lovers instead of glass slippers — Edmonton Opera’s production also gives Cinderella a 1950s high fashion makeover!

Director Robert Herriot and costume designer Deanna Finnman have set Cinderella in the competitive world of 1950s haute couture, drawing inspiration from fashion houses such as Dior, Chanel, and Givenchy to style this charming new production. The costumes, custom made in Edmonton by Finnman and her team, showcase vibrant colours and patterns to complement Rossini’s bubbly romantic comedy.

Cinderella brings together a cast of celebrated Canadian artists including mezzo-soprano Krisztina Szabó in the title role and tenor John Tessier as the Prince. Szabó’s voice is described by the Globe and Mail as “a burnished joy, able to cut through a full orchestra with clarity and beauty,” while Edmonton native Tessier has been praised by the Seattle Times as a “lyrical, soaring tenor.”

Rossini’s energetic and delightful bel canto composition, previously experienced in Edmonton Opera’s The Barber of Seville (2014), will be performed by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra with conductor Peter Dala.

Featuring an array of stellar talent on stage, extravagant 1950s style costumes, and Rossini’s remarkable music, Cinderella is sure warm audiences’ hearts.

Cinderella will be sung in Italian with projected English translation. Performances are on Saturday, Feb. 4 (8 p.m.), Tuesday, Feb. 7 (7:30 p.m.), and Thursday, Feb. 9 (7:30 p.m.) at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. Tickets start at $40, and special pricing for patrons under 40 is available. 

PUCCINI’S GLORIOUS FINAL MASTERPIECE OPENS EDMONTON OPERA SEASON

Media contact: Cameron MacRae, Director of Marketing & Communications

780-984-3634; cameron.macrae@edmontonopera.com

Passion, sacrifice, and the indomitable spirit of love come together in Edmonton Opera’s season-opening production of Puccini’s Turandot this October. Acclaimed director Robert Herriot is at the helm of reviving Puccini’s final work, and promises a visually stunning and immersive interpretation of this familiar masterpiece.

Set in the dreamlike landscape of ancient China, the opera depicts prince Calaf’s tenacity to woo the cold-hearted princess Turandot. The princess infamously tests her suitors with complex riddles that have remained unsolved, and punishes their failures with death. Calaf, mesmerized by Turandot’s beauty, accepts the challenge and risks everything for love.

Soprano Othalie Graham makes her Canadian debut as Turandot, a role she has reprised several times in various productions across North America and beyond. Her interpretation of Turandot has garnered immense critical acclaim, and Graham is known to “unleash a potent and superbly controlled sound” (San Francisco Chronicle).

David Pomeroy, praised by The New York Times as “a powerful, agile tenor”, returns to Edmonton Opera in his role debut of Calaf, the ultimate operatic hero. Pomeroy brings this combination of strength and sublimity to his rendition of ‘Nessun dorma’, one of Opera’s most famous arias. He prepared for his role debut with renowned Italian-Canadian tenor Ermanno Mauro, who also sang Calaf with Edmonton Opera in 1981.

With an array of stellar talent on stage, the opulent production design, and­ Puccini’s remarkable composition, this opera is sure to enthrall audiences. “We are thrilled to present an all-Canadian dream cast for this production of Turandot; with spectacular scenery, elegant costumes, and over 80 performers filling the Jubilee stage,” says Tim Yakimec, General Director of Edmonton Opera.

Turandot will be sung in Italian with projected English translation. Performances are on Saturday, Oct. 22 (8 p.m.), Tuesday, Oct. 25 (7:30 p.m.), and Thursday, Oct. 27 (7:30 p.m.) at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. Tickets start at $40, and special pricing for patrons under 40 is available through our Explorers and Encore programs.

The media preview for Turandot will be on Thursday, Oct. 20, at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, at 7 p.m. Good visuals occur at the top of the show at 7 p.m. and throughout the first act. Interviews with the cast and creative team may be arranged with advanced notice.

Please RSVP your outlet’s attendance to Cameron MacRae, Director of Marketing & Communications, at 780-984-3634 or cameron.macrae@edmontonopera.com.