Opera Gala with Richard Margison

Friday July 23, 2010
8:00 PM
Gambrel Barn
Ticket price: $56

Richard Margison, tenor
Yannick-Muriel Noah, soprano
Julie Nesrallah, mezzo-soprano
Doug MacNaughton, baritone

Elora Festival Singers
Toronto Mendelssohn Singers
Elora Festival Orchestra
Noel Edison, conductor

Barber of Seville Overture: Gioachino Rossini
Dunque io son (Barber of Seville) : Rossini
Anvil Chorus (Il Trovatore): Giuseppe Verdi
Perche chiusos? (Act 1 duet) (Tosca): Giacomo Puccini
Mon Coeur s’ouvre a ta voix (Samson et Dalila): Camille Saint-Saens
Soldiers’ Chorus (Faust): Charles Gounod
Ritorna vincitor (Aida): Verdi
Au fond du temple saint (Pearl Fishers): Georges Bizet

Intermission

Chorus of the Hebrew slaves (Nabucco): Verdi
O Souverain (Le Cid): Jules Massenet
Ebben, n’andro lontana (La Wally): Alfredo Catalani
Humming Chorus (Madama Butterfly): Puccini
Der Vogelfanger bin ich (The Magic Flute): Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Soave sia il vento (Cosi fan tutte): Mozart
Vesti la giubba (I Pagliacci): Ruggero Leoncavallo
Habanera (Carmen): Bizet
Polovtsian Dances (Prince Igor): Alexander Borodin

Come see why the stars shine brighter in Elora. Join us for a glorious evening of opera highlights full of warmth, passion and sheer vocal brilliance.

Hailed for his ringing top notes and spine-tingling power, Canadian tenor Richard Margison is one of the most critically acclaimed singers on the international stage today. He performs regularly in many of the world's leading opera houses including the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the San Francisco Opera, the Théâtre Royale de la Monnaie in Brussels, Covent Garden, the Sydney Opera and the Grand Teatro del Liceu in Barcelona.

Fresh from her resounding success as Madama Butterfly with the Canadian Opera Company, Yannick-Muriel Noah will sing her first Aida in Klagenfurt in 2010, where she made a stellar Austrian debut as La Wally. In recent years, Ms. Noah won several Top Prizes and Audience Prizes in prestigious international singing competitions such as the Hans Gabor Belvedere, the Marmande, the Palm Beach Opera, the Concours Musical International de Montreal, the George London Awards, and the Lotte Lenya. A native of Madagascar, Ms. Noah holds a Bachelor of Architectural Studies from Carleton University.

Julie Nesrallah is an extremely versatile singer and actress, at ease in all styles, who has achievements and standards of musical excellence established across the continent and abroad. She has been the recipient of many distinguished awards and prizes, and is frequently featured on CBC Radio and National Public Radio. Julie is currently the host of Tempo, CBC Radio 2’s national classical music program.

Doug MacNaughton grew up in Brandon, Manitoba and first sang with Edmonton Opera in 1982. His flair for physical comedy has made him much in demand for roles such as Papageno (DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE). His musical sensitivity and acting ability have made him successful in a variety of genres – oratorio, chamber music, musical theatre, and contemporary music. His most recent performances include the role of Cervantes/Don Quixote in MAN OF LA MANCHA for the Stirling Festival Theatre, Maximillian in CANDIDE for Manitoba Opera and Ben Hubbard in the Pacific Opera Victoria production of REGINA. He lives in Toronto where he also teaches voice and guitar.