Pacific Opera Victoria Announces Its 2018/19 Season

Pacific Opera Victoria's 2018/19 season includes two well-known masterworks by major composers as well as a delightful work from the classical operetta repertoire.

The season opens October 11, 2018, with Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio. Wim Trompert, director of POV's 2014 production of Das Rheingold, returns to direct this production, joined by his design partner from Das Rheingold, Nancy Bryant. Fidelio, which runs through October 21, will feature soprano Tracy Cantin as Leonore. Also in the cast are Canadian baritone Peter McGillivray and Scottish bass Brian Bannatyne-Scott.

Following Fidelio will be Verdi's masterpiece, La traviata. This is an historic co-production by five Canadian opera companies: Manitoba Opera, Edmonton Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, Vancouver Opera and Opéra de Montréal. Directed by Alain Gauthier, the production will be staged in Victoria from February 14 to 24, 2019, and will feature Lucia Cesaroni as Violetta and James Westman as Germont.

After the dramatic intensity of Fidelio and romantic tragedy of La traviata, Emmerich Kálmán's Countess Maritza will provide a light-hearted end to the season. The production, which runs April 25 to May 5, 2019, is directed by Glynis Leyshon and designed by Patrick Clark, the team behind POV's 2013 production of Albert Herring. Countess Maritza will feature sopranos Leslie Ann Bradley and Suzanne Rigden and tenor Adam Luther.

All 2018/19 season productions will be presented at Victoria's Royal Theatre and conducted by Pacific Opera Victoria's founding Artistic Director Timothy Vernon. For more information and for season tickets, visit www.pov.bc.ca or call 250-385-0222.