VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert’s current season comes to its finale with streamed performances of Francesco Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur from June 18 to July 2. “Building on the online success of our The Human Voice double bill we are delighted to present this remarkable work in a digital format to our patrons and all friends of the lyric arts,” commented OIC’s General Director Guillermo Silva-Marin, “and we have an amazing cast of leading and emerging artists who will bring a fresh approach to this rarely performed masterpiece.”

Adriana Lecouvreur, the opera, springs from late Italian verismo. The love triangle, the disparity of social status and the ruthlessness of ambition are strong dramatic elements from start to finish. The complexities of the three leading characters, Adriana, Maurizio and Princess de Bouillon, keep Cilea’s masterwork anchored in realism regardless of the fanciful or poetic device of the poisoned violets. Adriana, a renowned actress, her rakish paramour and a married princess careen toward their destiny, confronting the meaning of art, the value of love and the finality of life. The work premiered in Milan in 1902 at Teatro Lirico and starred Enrico Caruso, Giuseppe de Luca, and Angelica Pandolfini in the title role. 

Leading our forces in VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert’s Adriana Lecouvreur is Music Director and Pianist Narmina Afandiyeva with a special welcome to soprano Natalya Gennadi in the title role of the renowned actress of the Comedie Francaise.  Featured in OIC’s Prince Igor, Ms. Gennadi has been heard with Tapestry in the premiere of Oksana G and also as Mimi in La boheme for Brott Opera.   Tenor Tonatiuh Abrego appears as the duplicitous Maurizio, whose wolfish ways bring tragedy to the heroine.   Mezzo-soprano Julie Nesrallah remembered as Nepthys in OIC’s world premiere of Isis and Osiris, Gods of Egypt, will be heard as Princess de Bouillon, also caught in this vortex of love and betrayal. Evan Korbut, a winner of the Stuart Hamilton Memorial Award, returns to the OIC stage as Michonnet, stage manager extraordinaire and much in love with Adriana. Rounding out the cast are Stuart Graham as Prince de Bouillon, Holly Chaplin - also a Stuart Hamilton Memorial Award winner, Stephanie O’Leary, Edward Larocque, Taylor Gibbs, and Joshua Clemenger. 

Opera in Concert is supported by the Patrons Circle, the Jackman Foundation, Nancy's Very Own Foundation, Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Toronto Arts Council.  This performance will be online from June 18th to July 2nd, 2021.

Tickets are currently available through our website www.operainconcert.com.