Press Release – 2018/08/09

Opera & Arias: Bold and Beautiful

NEWS RELEASE – August 9, 2018, VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA

IN FULL: Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival presents its annual Opera & Arias concerts, bringing the most gorgeous melodies to life — from La Traviata, La Bohème, Die Fledermaus and more. Enjoy the 29th season of Bard on the Beach by attending a live performance of these best-loved opera selections which are sure to seduce, delight and inspire.

The rising stars of the UBC Opera Ensemble and members of the Vancouver Opera Orchestra bring Opera & Arias: Bold and Beautiful to Vanier Park on two Mondays in late August and early September. UBC’s Nancy Hermiston, who was recently inducted into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame, directs this in-concert staging. Conductor Leslie Dala leads the musicians and all performances are hosted by Christopher Gaze, the Artistic Director of Bard on the Beach.

“I’m so pleased to bring some of the most beautiful music from the best-loved operas to our audience,” said Gaze. “We look forward to showcasing the tremendous talent of the UBC Opera Ensemble and The Vancouver Opera Orchestra, and are delighted to continue this summer tradition. This is a concert you won’t want to miss!”

The UBC Opera Ensemble was created in 1995 by Professor Hermiston, and draws from advanced students in the UBC School of Music. Our program, Bold and Beautiful will feature both familiar and debut soloists, with a cast including: Yenny Lee, Simran Claire, Elizabeth Harris, Magdalena How, Madison Craig Rachel Spund, Leila Kirves, Cassie Karvonen, Irem Ince, Turgut Akmete, Scott Rumble, Ian McCloy, Justin Cho, Luka Kawabata, Sunghoon Oh, Hyun Seung Son, Brent MacKenzie and many others. Many of these UBC singers have just returned from a short tour in the Czech Republic, where they performed their production of Italian Girl in Algiers to great acclaim.

Matinee performances (2pm) and evening performances (7:30pm) are on Monday, August 27 and Monday, September 3. The concerts are on Bard’s BMO Mainstage, backed by a spectacular vista of mountains, sea and sky.

Ticket prices include all applicable fees & taxes and begin at $24; youth price available. Value pricing for the evening performance on September 3. Early booking is recommended for best seat selection, as many performances sell out in advance. Full pricing information and site and event details are on the Bard website at bardonthebeach.org. To book tickets, call the Bard Box Office at 604.739.0559 or (toll free) 1.877.739.0559 or order online through the Bard website.

About Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival

Bard on the Beach is one of Canada’s largest not-for-profit, professional Shakespeare festivals. Established in 1990, the annual summer festival’s mission is to perform, explore and celebrate the genius of William Shakespeare, surrounded by the natural beauty of Vancouver, British Columbia. Bard also offers year-round education and training programs for youth, adults and theatre professionals in its administrative home at the BMO Theatre Centre in Olympic Village as well as in schools and community facilities throughout the Lower Mainland of British Columbia.

Bard on the Beach gratefully acknowledges the corporate sponsors who support the Festival and its programs. 2018 sponsors include season sponsor Goldcorp; production sponsors RE/MAX, Lawson Lundell, Lonetree Cider and BlueShore Financial; media sponsors the Vancouver Sun and Global BC, Music Series Sponsor the Visual College of Art & Design of Vancouver (VCAD), as well as other valued sponsors and supporters. Bard also thanks the City of Vancouver Cultural Services Department, the Vancouver Parks Board, the Province of British Columbia, the B.C. Arts Council, and the Canada Council for the Arts for their continuing support.

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For more information and for interviews, contact Cynnamon Schreinert.
Tel: 604-802-2733; email: [email protected]

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