Opera Atelier’s founding Co-artistic Directors Marshall Pynkoski C.M. and Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg C.M. today announced the company’s radiant 2024/2025 season: A Miracle, A Metamorphosis, A Masterpiece Reborn.

The season kicks off in the historic Elgin Theatre with the company’s fully-staged production of Handel’s pastorale Acis and Galatea, October 24 - 27, 2024. Based on Ovid’s tale of the water nymph Galatea and her doomed love for the Arcadian shepherd Acis, it is one of Handel’s most popular creations. The story of Galatea and her love for Acis is full of all of the sensuality and humour we associate with 18th century storytelling at its very best. Sung in English and featuring some of Handel's most ravishing music for singing and dancing, Acis and Galatea is the perfect introduction to opera and ballet for the entire family.

Opera Atelier’s production will include two important company debuts: French tenor Antonin Rondepierre will sing the role of Acis and Blaise Rantoanina will sing the role of Damon. Co-Artistic Directors Pynkoski and Zingg have worked extensively with these artists in their Versailles productions.

“We are particularly proud to introduce these two exceptional young tenors to our Toronto audience in their North American debuts,” says Pynkoski. “I have had the pleasure of directing them in Grétry’s Caravane du Caire and Charpentier’s David and Jonathan, and I welcome this opportunity to deepen our relationship.”

Soprano Meghan Lindsay makes her role debut as Galatea, and is joined by bass baritone Douglas Williams as Polyphemus. Acis and Galatea will feature the entire corps of Artists of Atelier Ballet with new choreography by Opera Atelier Co-Founder and Choreographer Lajeunesse Zingg, all to the accompaniment of Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra under the baton of Opera Atelier Assistant Music Director Christopher Bagan with the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir and the Nathaniel Dett Chorale (Brainerd Blyden-Taylor, Founder and Artistic Director).

The season continues at Koerner Hall TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning with the North American premiere of Marc Antoine Charpentier’s David and Jonathan, April 9 to 13, 2025. The opera had its premiere on February 28, 1688 at Collège Louis-le-Grand, Paris and explores the explosive relationship between Saul, the King of Israel, his son Jonathan, and David, the young hero and slayer of Goliath.

The production will feature the Artists of Atelier Ballet and will be accompanied by Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra under the baton of Opera Atelier Music Director David Fallis with the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir and the Nathaniel Dett Chorale (Brainerd Blyden-Taylor, Founder and Artistic Director).

Pynkoski and Zingg staged and choreographed David and Jonathan in 2022 in a fully-staged production in the Royal Chapel in Versailles - a first in that superb space renowned as the pinnacle of French 17th century architecture. The production included the most important interpreters of French baroque opera in France along with Artists of Atelier Ballet as special guests.

Critics from North America, Europe, and the Middle East flew to Versailles for its premiere, which enjoyed unprecedented success and was later released as an award-winning CD and DVD.

Musical America Worldwide called the production: “Exemplary both in its simplicity and the confidence with which Pynkoski assimilated it with the sensuous Versailles architecture… The choral and choreographic elements of Pynkoski’s concept were projected with pinpoint precision - the latter inventively conceived by Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg and rendered superbly by a group of eight agile dancers.”

Following its premiere in France, Opera Atelier’s production of David and Jonathan toured to Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci, Germany in 2023, and will be remounted by Pynkoski and Zingg for Versailles in 2025.

“We are particularly thrilled to introduce French baroque specialist - bass baritone David Witczak in the incredibly demanding role of Saul. He will be joined by the French tenor from the Versailles production, Antonin Rondpierre as Joabel, along with Opera Atelier favourites Colin Ainsworth as David and Mireille Asselin as Jonathan.

Acis and Galatea will include set and costume design by Gerard Gauci. David and Jonathan features set design by Gerard Gauci with costumes by Michael Gianfrancesco, and both productions feature lighting by award-winning designer Kimberly Purtell.

2024/25 Season Subscriptions for A Miracle, A Metamorphosis, A Masterpiece Reborn will go on sale on May 7, 2024. Subscriptions can be purchased at www.operaatelier.com or by calling 416-703-3767 x 700.