The 13the Quebec Opera Festival will take place from July 24 to August 4. Culture lovers of all ages will then be able to awaken to lyrical art with numerous offerings including Parisian life, uThe joyful work of Jacques Offenbach.
Always with the objective of introducing operatic art to as many people as possible, the general and artistic director of the Quebec Opera Festival, Jean-François Lapointe, has concocted a program which “must allow all audiences to recognize themselves : families, young people, retirees, neophytes and connoisseurs.
“By never neglecting quality, our events open up possibilities for a wide audience to enjoy a true first total opera experience. They provide access to lyrical art, offering everyone – regardless of their background, regardless of their references – the pleasure of discovery, wonder and emotion,” adds Mr. Lapointe.
At the Quebec Opera Festival, we find offerings that are sometimes more popular, sometimes more niche, but always accessible and of high quality. This 13e edition will once again embrace the French-speaking specificity specific to Quebec.
Parisian life
Jean-Romain Vesperini – director, Parisian life | Photo credit: Marco Bello / Marie-Ève Munger – Baroness Grondermarck, Parisian life | Photo credit: Opera Festival
Parisian life by Jacques Offenbach will be the highlight of the Festival. This famous 19th century opera buffa will be presented at the Grand Théâtre de Québec on August 2, 3 and 4 at the Salle Louis-Fréchette, in a production by Jean-Romain Vesperini. This will transpose the action into the chic and trendy Paris of the 1980s.
We will find a solid cast from here and elsewhere under the musical direction of Thomas Le Duc-Moreau: Julie Boulianne, Christophe Gay, Rodolphe Briand, Jean-Luc Ballestra, Marie-Ève Munger, Dominique Côté, Magali Simard-Galdès , Geoffroy Salvas and Sophie Naubert, in particular.
Jean-Romain Vesperini is no stranger to the Quebec Opera Festival. In 2022, the Frenchman proposed a Faust by Gounod acclaimed by critics.
Grand concert of the Festival
Frédéric Antoun – tenor, Grand concert | Photo credit: Helen Tansey / Nicolas Ellis – conductor, Grand concert | Photo credit: Opera Festival
You should also not miss the Grand concert of the Festival – From Gluck to BerliozLe July 27, at the Raoul-Jobin room of the Palais Montcalm. It will honor composers who established the foundations of the French style with well-known tunes and others to discover.
We will be able to hear the French soprano Isabelle Cals and the Quebec tenor Frédéric Antoun accompanied by Les Violons du Roy, under the baton of Nicolas Ellis.
Epitaph for Carmen and her murderer
Marie-Ginette Guay – The Mother / Rose Naggar-Tremblay – Carmen / Jean-Sébastien Ouellette – director, Epitaph for Carmen and her assassin | Photo credit: Opera Festival
Actress Marie-Ginette Guay will star in Epitaph for Carmen and her murderer July 30, 1er and August 3 at the Périscope Theater. Inspired by the opera Carmen de Georges Bizet, Quebec writer France Ducasse offers a sequel to the famous opera.
In the form of a long, intimate monologue, Ms. Guay will give voice to the mother of Don José, Carmen’s jealous lover. The contralto Rose Naggar-Tremblay will perform the famous tunes of Carmen. This lyrical fantasy will be directed by Jean-Sébastien Ouellette.
Also on the program
Emmanuel Hasler, Mathilde Duval-Laplante and Michel Desbiens | Photo credit: Catherine Charron-Drolet
This year, on July 26 and 28, at the La Bordée theater, the Festival’s co-production with Jeunesses Musicales Canada will offer a double program rich in emotion: Poulenc’s The Human Voice preceded by I sing at night and other melodies.
Elisabeth St-Gelais, Innu soprano, will embody this powerful and sad voice. Olivier Bergeron, baritone, will present in the first part a selection of French melodies whose lightness will counterbalance the tragedy of the second part.
The ugly Duckling, a lyrical adaptation of Andersen’s famous tale, will delight festival-goers of all ages.
This creation by Jean-François Mailloux and Jean-Philippe Lavoie in a style combining French romanticism and jazz will be able to count on a charming cast and a small chamber orchestra to perform it. A major premiere on display at the Salle Henri-Gagnon at Laval University, on July 29 and 31, as well as August 2.
Outdoor activities will also delight passers-by and music lovers during the Festival: the Opera Brigade, the Operetta Brigade as well as the Opera Circuit and its five stations.
To find out the complete program of the Quebec Opera Festival: operadequebec.com/festival-opera
