VO Announces Golden Anniversary Concert Program

Celebration includes performances by Brett Polegato,Tracy Dahl and Sally Dibblee, as well as video presentations from Ben Heppner and Richard Margison

Vancouver, BC ~ Vancouver Opera announced today the program for the Scotiabank Group Golden Anniversary Concert, to take place at the Orpheum Theatre on Friday, November 6, 2009. Conducted and hosted by VO Music Director Jonathan Darlington, and directed by Michael Cavanagh, the Scotiabank Group Golden Anniversary Concert celebrates VO’Äôs milestone season with a sublime evening of magnificent performances.

Highlights of the evening’Äôs program include:

’Ä¢ Overture from Bernstein’Äôs Candide
’Ä¢ ’ÄúTu che di gel sei sinta’Äù, Liˆ¼’Äôs aria from Puccini’Äôs Turandot, sung by Sally Dibblee
’Ä¢ A special sneak preview of Lillian Alling, a new opera by John Estacio and John Murrell. Commissioned by VO, this brand-new Canadian opera will round out the Golden Anniversary celebrations when it premieres in October 2010.
’Ä¢ ’ÄúLˆÝ ci darem la mano’Äú and ’ÄùDalla sua pace’Äù from Mozart’Äôs Don Giovanni, sung by Brett Polegato and Kathleen Brett, and Benjamin Butterfield
’Ä¢ The touching duet ’ÄúMir ist die Ehre widerfahren’Ķ.’Äù from Richard Strauss’Äôs Der Rosenkavalier, sung by Kimberly Barber and Tracy Dahl
’Ä¢ ’ÄúIl lacerato spirito’Äù from Verdi’Äôs Simon Boccanegro, sung by bass Alain Coulombe with the Vancouver Opera Chorus
’Ä¢ ’ÄúPierrot's Tanzlied’Äù from Korngold's Die tote Stadt, sung by Brett Polegato
’Ä¢ ’ÄúTon coeur n'a pas compris le mien... ’Äú from Bizet’Äôs The Pearl Fishers, sung by Kathleen Brett and Benjamin Butterfield
’Ä¢ ’ÄúVa Tosca’Äù from Puccini’Äôs Tosca, sung by Yalun Zhang with the Vancouver Opera Chorus

The evening will also include a special ensemble performance of Act 2 of Johann Strauss’Äôs beloved and highly entertaining Die Fledermaus, with some celebrity guests making surprise appearances.

Tickets

The Scotiabank Group Golden Anniversary Concert & Gala celebration takes place on Friday, November 6, 2009.

The Concert begins at 7:00pm at the Orpheum Theatre; the Gala dinner follows, at the historic Commodore Ballroom.

Tickets to the Golden Anniversary Concert are $19 - $75 and are available at www.vancouveropera.ca or through the VO Ticket Centre at 604-683-0222.

Gala Package tickets include both the Concert and Gala portions of the evening as well as a private pre-Concert Reception and valet parking. The Gala Package is $650 (includes $300 tax receipt) and is available exclusively through the VO Ticket Centre at 604-683-0222.

Artists and program are subject to change.