Toronto City Opera, Rossini Opera Festival and Aspes SpA Announce Partnership

Toronto City Opera, Rossini Opera Festival and Aspes SpA have joined forces, signing a Framework Agreement for collaboration on several initiatives to bring the magic of Gioachino Rossini's operas to Toronto.

During a video call on July 24, 2021, Daniele Vimini, President of the Rossini Opera Festival and Vice Mayor of the City of Pesaro, and Aspes SpA President, Luca Pieri signed in Pesaro Italy, while Mark Wilson, Toronto City Opera Board President, signed in Toronto Canada.

In March 2022 Toronto City Opera will host the Rossini Opera Festival in Toronto, adding to its international audition network of New York, Moscow, Seoul and Pesaro, for the selection of singers for the annual "Alberto Zedda" Rossiniana Academy in Pesaro.

In August 2022 Toronto City Opera will present a simultaneous festival of Rossini in Toronto in collaboration with the Rossini Opera Festival with productions from both companies - digital and in person.

Over the coming year, Toronto City Opera and Rossini Opera Festival will explore opportunities for future co-productions.

Although most well-known for his comic operas such as Il barbiere di Siviglia (the Barber of Seville and L'italiana in Algeri (The Italian Girl in Algiers) as well as the overture to Guillaume Tell (William Tell), Rossini composed 39 operas as well as many songs, chamber music, piano pieces, and sacred music. This new collaboration by Toronto City Opera with the world-renowned Rossini Opera Festival will provide Toronto audiences the rare opportunity to personally experience and explore the full range of Rossini's work.

Toronto City Opera will hold a gala in fall 2021 to launch aspects of the partnership, including "La Cucina di Gioachino Rossini - Rossini Gourmet", an initiative of Aspes SpA to promote Italian cuisine.

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Toronto City Opera General Director, Richard Paradiso:

"It has been a pleasure working with the municipality of Pesaro, the Rossini Opera Festival and Aspes SpA - the positive and productive nature of the working relationships bodes well for the innovative and exciting initiatives contained within this Framework Agreement.

This is an important day in the history of Toronto City Opera, and an achievement for opera and the arts in Toronto, Ontario and Canada. I am pleased that after two very difficult seasons because of the global phenomenon, this result has risen from my journeys."

Toronto City Opera Board President, Mark Wilson:

"Toronto City Opera and the Rossini Opera Festival share a common vision of the continuing power of the classical opera repertoire to inspire artists and move audiences of diverse cultures. Both companies strive to engage contemporary communities through the timeless appeal of these works by presenting fresh, original, live productions that stay true to the music as written.

We are thrilled to bring the magic of Rossini to Toronto audiences through this collaboration."

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