Tapestry Opera to Present TAP:EX METALLURGY

Punk and operatic virtuosity collide in Tapestry Opera's latest exploration of opera evolution. Members of the Polaris Prize-winning art-rock punk band FUCKED UP join two of Canada's most masterful and versatile opera singers, mezzo-sopranoKrisztina Szabó and tenor David Pomeroy, for TAP:EX METALLURGY. This venture is the latest installment in TAP:EX, a production series committed to radically redefining the future of opera. Directed and conceived by Tapestry's Artistic DirectorMichael Hidetoshi Mori, the provocative series is now in its third year.

TAP:EX METALLURGY also features composer Ivan Barbotin, librettist David James Brock, and Tapestry's resident conductor Jordan de Souza on piano/keys. METALLURGY comes hot on the heels of last year's TAP:EX TABLES TURNED, a sold-out and critically acclaimed experiment that paired soprano Carla Huhtanen with Montreal composer, turn table artist and electronics specialist Nicole Lizée in a boundary-breaking, multi-media concert.

"Nothing comes from nothing, and if we don't allow ourselves the freedom to experiment, collaborate and try new things, opera will remain the same forever," says Tapestry Artistic Director Michael Hidetoshi Mori. "All the players in this project are geniuses of their genre, and I'm very excited to see what kind of electricity they create together."

Founded in Toronto in 2001, FUCKED UP is a hardcore punk band that regularly packs stadiums across North America and Europe. The band delivers blasting, triumphant rock to a growing fan base, using imagery and symbolism to ask tough questions. Band members featured in TAP:EX METALLURGY include Mike Haliechuk (a.k.a 10,000 Marbles) on lead guitar,Josh Zucker (a.k.a Concentration Camp and Gulag) on rhythm guitar, and Jonah Falco (a.k.a Mr. Jo and Guinea Beat) on drums.

Hungarian-Canadian Krisztina Szabó exemplifies today's modern singer: she is vocally versatile and possesses excellent stage prowess on both the opera and concert stages. A Dora Mavor Moore Award nominee and frequent collaborator with Tapestry Opera, Szabó also sings mainstage roles with the Canadian Opera Company, most recently portraying Thisbe in the world premiere of Barbara Monk Feldman's Pyramus and Thisbe. Szabó has also appeared as featured soloist with Continuum Music, Kingston Symphony, Music of the Baroque, Vancouver Early Music, Vancouver Bach Choir and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

Internationally acclaimed for his rich voice with thrilling top notes, Canadian tenor David Pomeroy appears regularly on the world's most important stages. With the Canadian Opera Company, Pomeroy has performed the title roles of Faust and Hoffmann, as well as Rodolfo (La Bohème), Skuratov (From the House of the Dead), Pinkerton (Madame Butterfly) and Alfred (Die Fledermaus). Notable international credits include Henri (Les Vêpres Siciliennes) with Royal Danish Opera and Paul (Die Tote Stadt) with Oper Frankfurt.

Tapestry Opera continues to drive the evolution of opera with an innovative 36th season which includes two world premieres:THE DEVIL INSIDE, March 10-13, 2016 at Harbourfront Centre; and ROCKING HORSE WINNER, May 27 - June 4, 2016 at Berkeley Street Theatre. Tapestry Opera will also present the annual SONGBOOK VI on February 5 & 6, 2016 at the Ernest Balmer Studio.

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