VOICEBOX: OPERA IN CONCERT Highlights Anniversaries with VERDI, BRITTEN & RAMEAU

Commemorative anniversaries for three great composers from three different musical eras will be celebrated this year and VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert's own 40th Anniversary Season highlights the brilliance of this operatic legacy. "Rameau, Verdi and Britten were unequalled in their ability to combine insights into the human condition with music of power and originality and our operas for this season showcase their genius," says General Director Guillermo Silva-Marin.

The season opens on Sunday, November 24, 2013 at 2:30 PM with the Canadian premiere of Benjamin Britten's GLORIANA, generously supported by the estate of Stephen Ireland, who was a past member of Opera in Concert's Board of Directors. This large-scale work was written in honour of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953. Britten chose to concentrate on the responsibilities of a monarch and vividly contrasted the public and private life of Queen Elizabeth I, shining a light on the conflict between instinct and duty. Musical Director and Pianist is Peter Tiefenbach in his VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert debut and Robert Cooper will lead VOICEBOX: OIC's Chorus in the stirring ensembles Britten gives to Elizabeth I's loyal subjects. Soprano Betty Waynne Allison, also debuting, stars as Elizabeth with tenorAdam Luther as Essex. Rounding out the cast are Jennifer Sullivan, Jesse Clark and Mark Petracchi.

Jean-Philippe Rameau revolutionized the French operatic tradition and HIPPOLYTE ET ARICIE is his crowning achievement. VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert will present Rameau's final version (1757) of this astounding work on Sunday February 2, 2014 at 2:30 PM with conductor Kevin Mallon leading the cast, chorus and Aradia Ensemble on period instruments. The stellar cast includes Allyson McHardy as Phèdre, Meredith Hall as Aricie, Colin Ainsworth as Hippolyteand Alain Coulombe as Thésée. Following the performance, the work will be recorded for international release by Naxos.

The season closes on Sunday, March 23, 2014 at 2:30 PM with Giuseppe Verdi's inflammatory work from 1850,STIFFELIO. It was nearly banned by the local censors because of Verdi's unblinking look at adultery in the home of an ordained minister. Supported by the Jackman Foundation, the work features Laura Albino, Ernesto Ramirez and Geoffrey Sirett with Michael Rose as Music Director and Pianist along with Robert Cooper and the VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert Chorus.

As a special treat, VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert Patrons are invited to enjoy the tribulations of THE STRESSED-OUT IMPRESARIO, a spoof based on Mozart's satire Der Schauspieldirektor, on Sunday October 6, 2013 at 2:30 PM. Guillermo Silva-Marin is the stressed out impresario dealing with a series of divos and divas clamouring for his attention and a starring role. The solution...let the audience vote!

Don't miss the pre-concert chat - THE BACKGROUNDER - with Iain Scott 45 minutes before each show; a chance to learn about the opera, the composer and the musical culture of the times.

Opera in Concert is supported by the Jackman Foundation, Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Canada Council for the Arts, theOntario Arts Council and the Toronto Arts Council. Single tickets are available from the St. Lawrence Centre's Jane Mallett Theatre Box Office, 27 Front St. East, by phone - 416-366-7723 or 1-800-708-6754 - or online at www.stlc.com. The theatre is wheelchair accessible and close to public transit and municipal parking. All performances are on Sundayafternoons at the St. Lawrence Centre at 2:30pm.

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