Singer

VOICEBOX Opera In Concert proudly presents its 2023/2024 season, featuring a captivating lineup of performances that promise to enchant opera enthusiasts and newcomers alike. Among the highlights of this season is the much-anticipated performance of "La battaglia di legnano" (The Battle at Legnano) by the legendary composer Giuseppe Verdi. This Italian opera, presented with English Surtitles, is scheduled for Sunday, April 7, 2024, at 2:30 pm, taking place at the prestigious St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, located at 27 Front Street East, Toronto.

"La battaglia di legnano" is not just an opera; it's a historical journey set against the backdrop of the Lombard League's triumph over Frederick Barbarossa in 1176 CE. This opera, which was Verdi's 14th and a passionate response to the Italian unification movement, tells a riveting tale of love, jealousy, and patriotism. With a running time of approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes, including an intermission, audiences are guaranteed an immersive experience that beautifully combines Verdi's luscious vocal writing with a compelling narrative.

The performance will feature a talented cast, including Julia MacVicar as Lida, Scott Rumble as Arrigo, Evan Korbut as Rolando, and Sebastien Belcourt as Marcovaldo, among others. The music direction and piano accompaniment will be provided by Helen Becqué, with Robert Cooper directing the chorus. This event is a testament to VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert's commitment to bringing high-quality opera productions to Toronto, offering both a celebration of classical music and a tribute to historical events through the medium of opera.

La battaglia di legnano

St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts

In this historical, mystic opera, 21st century Joséphine-Marie, through a grandmother’s story, is transported to 1870s Montana where she encounters an ancestor, the sharpshooter Josette, a runaway travelling with Riel and the last buffalo brigades. Josette falls in love with the young, passionate, Louis Riel, in disguise, on the run from assassins.

The pair confront jealousy, destiny, deprivation, and torment wrought by four shape-shifting Black Geese of Fate, but are comforted by ghost choruses of ancestors, the bison brigades, and the women of their peoples, as they try to salvage a nation and save themselves from total destruction in the burning heart of the continent of the 1870s.

EPSG:4326

Li Keur, Riel’s Heart of the North

Centennial Concert Hall

When Ava, a young white woman, is thrown from her car in a crash and badly injured, she sees another body, a young native girl, lying on the ground. Their eyes meet…their worlds connect. This USA premiere production of Missing, by distinguished First Nations playwright Marie Clements & Juno-award winning composer Brian Current, gives voice, in English and the Native language, Gitxsan, to the stories of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. A poetic expression of loss, hope and the spirit finding home.

Evan Korbut

Baritone

Events

Past events

Apr 7, 2024

La battaglia di legnano · Voicebox: Opera in Concert

18 - 24 Nov, 2023

Li Keur, Riel’s Heart of the North · Manitoba Opera

Future and recently performed repertoire

Angus Wilde / Native Student in Missing by Current

Anchorage Opera

Louis Riel/ Robideau in Li Keur, Riel’s Heart of the North by Weisensel

Manitoba Opera

Rolando in La battaglia di Legnano by Verdi

Voicebox: Opera in Concert

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