Evening program - La Reine-garçon

Programming Partners

Québec Creation Partner

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CROWN WHEN YOU S A R TAN FO DT ED E N AL L. NO

BILODEAU & BOUCHARD —FEBRUARY 3-6-8 AND 11, 2024— @operademontreal We sincerely thank Vickie Zhao and Alex Ionescu for their support of this new work at the Opéra de Montréal.

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JULIEN BILODEAU ET MICHEL MARC BOUCHARD Opéra en deux actes Création : 2024 – Québec, Canada Livret : Michel Marc Bouchard Langue : en français avec surtitres français et anglais Christine, reine de Suède

JOYCE EL-KHOURY

Comte Karl Gustav

ÉTIENNE DUPUIS

Comte Johan Oxenstierna

ISAIAH BELL

Le Chancelier Axel Oxenstierna

DANIEL OKULITCH

Comtesse Ebba Sparre

PASCALE SPINNEY

René Descartes

ERIC LAPORTE

Marie-Éléonore de Brandebourg

ALINE KUTAN

L’assistant de Descartes

ALAIN COULOMBE

Chant Kulning (hors champs)

ANNE-MARIE BEAUDETTE

Chef d’orchestre

JEAN-MARIE ZEITOUNI

Assistant chef d’orchestre

HUBERT TANGUAY-LABROSSE

Mise en scène

ANGELA KONRAD

Scénographie

ANICK LA BISSONNIÈRE

Vidéo

ALEXANDRE DESJARDINS

Costumes

SÉBASTIEN DIONNE

Éclairage

ERIC CHAMPOUX

Bande sonore

Architectures from silence (aka MARTIN BÉDARD)

Chef de chœur

CLAUDE WEBSTER

Pianiste répétiteur

FRANCIS PERRON

Chœur de l’Opéra de Montréal La Reine-garçon est une coproduction entre l’Opéra de Montréal et le Canadian Opera Company.

Les 3, 6, 8 février 2024 à 19 h 30 et le dimanche 11 février 2024 à 14 h SALLE WILFRID-PELLETIER, PLACE DES ARTS Partenaires publics

L’Opéra de Montréal remercie chaleureusement pour leur appui le Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, le Ministère de la Culture et des Communications du Québec, le Conseil des Arts du Canada, Patrimoine canadien, le Conseil des arts de Montréal et la Ville de Montréal.

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Experience the magic of the Opera

BMO is excited to present magical moments of the Montreal Opera. Prepare to be enchanted by captivating stories and incredible vocal performances.

— A WORD FROM THE GENERAL DIRECTOR —

T

he public is definitely enthusiastic about new opera. Fortunately, premiering new operatic works is one of our company’s priorities, whether that means developing our own voice within the world of opera, distinct within our plentiful milieu, or expanding the art form to a scope that is as rich as it is diversified in its artists and audiences.

This evening, we have the privilege of meeting a new heroine who is anything but conventional and who forms part of a season filled with iconic characters who illuminate our humanity. Queen Christina of Sweden was a fervent champion of the Age of Enlightenment, advocating for the importance of arts and sciences, reason, religious freedom, and support for artists. And like so many great operatic characters, the story of her life is fraught with improbable and intriguing events, several of which foreshadowed the future for 17th-century women and monarchs.

We are delighted to collaborate with the Canadian Opera Company for this ambitious new creation, which will present La Reine-garçon in Toronto in a forthcoming season. It is vital for us to contribute to the profiles of Quebec artists beyond our borders, and this wonderful partnership is undoubtedly an important step forward in the world of Canadian opera.

Hundreds of people contributed to the production of this world premiere, beginning with composer Julien Bilodeau and librettist Michel Marc Bouchard. We wish to thank them all for their dedication to this extensive project.

On behalf of the entire team of the Opéra de Montréal, and of our friends and collaborators of the Canadian Opera Company, we thank you for your enthusiasm for the future of opera, and we wish you an enjoyable evening!

Patrick Corrigan

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— A WORD FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR —

T

HE PREMIERE I enjoy repeating to anyone willing to listen that I get to practise the world’s most beautiful profession.

This is especially true when I have the privilege of bringing together a librettist, a composer, a stage director, artists, and designers, all of them from here, for this new creation.

Performed as a play over a decade ago, Christine, la reine-garçon was hailed not just for its dramatic breadth, but also for the impressive musical quality of its text. We had before us a golden opportunity to bring together Michel Marc Bouchard and Julien Bilodeau to adapt the work to opera. This is their second collaboration, after La Beauté du monde of which we may enthusiastically claim the resounding success.

Thanks to them, and to director extraordinaire Angela Konrad, through the illuminating lens of opera we will get to know an extraordinary historical figure: Christina of Sweden. This tomboy queen celebrated knowledge and pushed back against taboos, while restoring and maintaining peace in her country. Over her male suitors, she favoured her ladyin-waiting.

Ultimately stifled

by Sweden’s moral rigidity and perturbed by thwarted love, she appointed her own successor before leaving her homeland to pursue a new life in Rome.

La Reine-garçon is a celebration of free will, a petition for the right to love, and a testament to the greatness of local theatre as an remarkable source for today’s operatic art.

Enjoy the show!

Michel Beaulac

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— THE COMPOSER AND THE LIBRETTIST —

Julien Bilodeau COMPOSER

C A N A DA

Quebec musician Julien Bilodeau has devoted himself to composing classical music and opera for the past 20 years.

He began his training in Quebec City and Montreal, before pursuing his studies in Paris and Frankfurt and eventually settling in Montreal. His notable achievements include being featured in the International Forum for Young Composers (2004), his debut with the Orchestre Métropolitain (Nézet-Séguin, 2006), a productive collaboration with the Orchestre de la Francophonie (Tremblay, 2004, 2008, 2012), a commissioned work for the inauguration of the Maison symphonique (OSM/Nagano, 2011), writing for two symphonic tales with Fred Pellerin, and two collaborations with the chamber orchestra I Musici (Zeitouni, 2017, 2019). His opera career began with Another Brick in the Wall (OdM, Waters, 2017), which enjoyed 10 sold-out performances, an unrivalled success for the Opéra de Montréal. He went on to compose La beauté de monde (OdM, Bouchard, 2022), an entirely Quebec creation for major opera stages that has garnered both public and critical praise.

Michel Marc Bouchard LIBRETTIST C A N A DA

Playwright, screenwriter, and professor Michel Marc Bouchard is the author of some twenty plays, including Les Feluettes (Lilies), Les Muses orphelines (The Orphan Muses), Tom à la ferme (Tom at the Farm), Christine, la reine-garçon (Christina, the Girl King), La Divine illusion, La Nuit où Laurier Gaudreault s’est reveillé (The Night Logan Woke Up), and Embrasse. His works have been translated into more than twenty languages and performed throughout the world, while several have also been adapted for film. He is the recipient of a National Arts Centre Award, Chalmers Award, and Dora Mavor Moore Award, as well as the Gascon-Thomas Award, Prix Laurent-McCutcheon, Violet Prize, Primo Arte Candoni (Italy), Prix SACD (Paris), and the Lambda Literary Award (New York). He is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a Knight of the Order of Quebec, a Companion of the Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec, and a member of the Académie des Lettres du Québec. In 2021, he was awarded the Prix Athanase-David, the highest literary distinction in Quebec, and in 2023, he received a Governor General’s Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award.

He obtained his own entry in the Larousse dictionary in 2015.

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— A WORD FROM THE COMPOSER —

W

ords elude music, and this may well be what makes it so valuable, even essential. What indeed would a language deprived of the unspeakable be, but a constrained and censored one? And what would music that could be captured entirely by words be, if not a crude formula replicated a thousand times? In opera, language and music are resolved on the same page in a feat of implacable chronometric temporality. And yet, in the reality of their perception, they remain autonomous, each following its own rules. They evolve at different speeds, along paths that sometimes run parallel and at other times oblique, or draw closer, move away, and intertwine in a ballet that itself establishes its own rhythm.

This choreography of verbal and musical sense goes beyond the rules of prosody, harmony, or voice-leading: it is the idea that transcends them all, it is the vision that the composer composes.

Let us come back down to earth for a moment. Like a garden sown with dazzling variety, the text of La Reine-garçon abounds with elements that inspired the music.

To begin: the fierce and stifled tension that inhabits Christina, and, like the liberated expression of all her soul’s torments, the mysterious, almost animalistic cry of the kulning (ancestral Scandinavian women’s chant). Then, a great mirror cleaving nature and culture: Christina’s rage and Maria Eleonora’s madness amid the fury and chaos of storms; the delicate, furtive, luminous fluidity of the Northern Lights that multiply the timbres in the orchestra and reflect Karl’s dismay, or Christina’s yearning. While this Nordic Sweden is still immersed in the long nights of the Reformation, while it still resounds with the songs of Luther (Axel), a few sparks of Enlightenment have reached it: hence, we hear echoes of the Hapsburg court (Choir of Robes), of Louis XIII (Ballet of Deer), and even of the Venice that Descartes visited in 1624, a landmark year when the early stages of a new art form called “opera” became manifest!

Yet, that is mere surface, since the true subject of this epic is philosophical in nature.

From Aristotle to Locke, from Plato to Kant, reason is our tool for knowledge of the material world. But what of our consciousness and the passions with which it is invested? Whether we defer to God or to post-humanistic paradigms—if nothing else, there is still something called free will, required when reason and passion conflict: we must choose. And even if ethics lead us to develop codes of values, these too are based upon a choice. Where, then, does tyranny subsist? In the storm of passions, the coldness of reason, or in their perpetual mediation? The answer, perhaps, is in music, sovereign over the words it accompanies, merging with them and yet eluding their grasp.

Therefore, what of it? “Let the show begin!” the utility of art depends upon it.

Julien Bilodeau

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SYNO Act 1 Stockholm, mid-17th century.

Amid the storm, Count Karl Gustav, general of the Swedish armies and Queen Christine’s cousin, asks Christine to marry him. Christine refuses, claiming that she must devote herself fully to making her monarchy the most sophisticated there is.

Count Johan, the idle and vain son of Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna, is bored under this peaceful and orderly realm. His father suggests he win the heart of Christine and in this way accede to the throne.

Axel recalls Christine’s birth, described as that of a “Girl-King.”

Countess Ebba, the queen’s ladyin-waiting with whom Christine is secretly in love, represents a distraction. Christine is perturbed by such love. She confides in the philosopher René Descartes whom she brought over to Sweden to instruct her on the secret passions of the soul, especially love, of whose domination she yearns to free herself. Descartes introduces her to the concept of free will.

The dowager queen Marie Eleanore of Brandenburg, Christine’s mother and a villainous character, adds pressure to the marriage and reveals to her daughter a painful childhood memory. A furious and unsettled Christine chases Ebba away, claiming that Ebba’s presence disturbs her.

Johan, with his cohort of deer-men in tow, attempts in his turn to seduce Christine and is met with ridicule.

His pride wounded by the queen’s refusal; he calls to her attention the many problems that her persistence in remaining single will surely cause.

Christine and Ebba reconcile. Axel and Johan opt to remove Countess Ebba from the court.

Intermission

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OPSIS Act 2 Like Karl Gustav, the queen continues in her lovesickness.

Ebba’s absence from the court becomes unbearable for her.

In the anatomical theatre, Descartes demonstrates how the soul is located in a small gland in the brain where all passions entwine. Christine asks him if love can be excised from this gland.

Axel is scandalized by the profanity of this demonstration and tries to reason with the queen. But she is no longer happy in her own country and threatens to respond to the Holy See’s invitation to abjure her Lutheran faith, abdicate her crown, and assume the status of a Catholic virgin-queen, free to manage her personal life.

Alone, Christine asks the heavens if she should abandon her faith, her father, and her country—in short, everything she was brought up as— to become who she wants to be.

Ebba comes to Christine to ask her for her blessing on her marriage.

Instead, Christine invites her to join her and leave for Rome. Ebba tries to reason with her, pointing to the anomaly of this gesture. Christine drives her away forever. Crushed

and inconsolable, Christine finds comfort in the arms of Karl Gustav, who, once again, shows his love for her and reminds her of her duties as sovereign.

To everyone’s surprise, Christine announces her abdication to her cousin Karl Gustav, naming him as her heir. She leaves for Rome, where she plans to convert to Catholicism, hoping to escape the constraints of her status in Sweden and live according to her own free will.

A bitter Johan realizes the ridicule of his situation and blames it all on Axel, his father.

In the epilogue, Christine savours her newfound freedoms, except for love, under whose power she is still subjected.

NO NEED FOR A CROWN WHEN YOU STAND TALL. 11

— THE ARTISTS —

CHRISTINE, QUEEN OF SWEDEN

Joyce El-Khoury

SOPRANO C A N A DA

Born in Lebanon and raised in Canada, soprano Joyce El-Khoury has performed over 30 leading roles in major opera houses around the world. Ms. El-Khoury’s 2023/2024 season begins with Liszt’s Sardanapalo at LisztFest in Budapest. Joyce makes two Veridian role debuts this season, including Elisabetta in Verdi’s Don Carlo in a new production at Opéra de Monte-Carlo followed by Amelia in Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra at The Finnish National Opera & Ballet. Further on the opera stage this season, Joyce returns to Canada for performances of La Reine Garçon at Opéra de Montréal, as well as to Tokyo for performances of Tosca with The New National Theatre Tokyo. On the concert stage, she will join tenor Jonathan Tetelmann and baritone Artur Rucinski for an Italian Opera Gala with the RundfunkSinfonieorchester in Berlin, debuts the role of Zoraya in Camille Erlanger’s La Sorcière in concert with The Ascanio Association in Geneva and and will reunite with Serouj Kradijian for a recital in Toronto, inspired by Joyce’s Lebanese heritage. Future seasons include international operatic & concert engagements in Genève, Dallas, Rouen, Paris and Montpellier, among others.

Last OdM appearance: Madama Butterfly (2023) Joyce El-Khoury’s participation is made possible thanks to the generous support of Ossama el Naggar

COUNT KARL GUSTAV

Étienne Dupuis

BARITONE C A N A DA

Étienne Dupuis enjoys international acclaim, appearing regularly on the world’s most prestigious stages. This past season included appearances as Rodrigue (Don Carlos) at the Metropolitan Opera, the title role of Don Giovanni at the San Francisco Opera, Eugene Onegin in concert with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, a Gala concert at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, and four productions at the Wiener Staatsoper—Figaro (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Valentin (Faust), Marcello (La bohème), and Albert (Werther). Last OdM appearance: Il Trovatore (2022) Former member of the Atelier lyrique de l'Opéra de Montréal.l. Étienne Dupuis’s participation is made possible thanks to the generous support of Vickie Vouloumanos.

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— THE ARTISTS —

COUNT JOHAN OXENSTIERNA

Isaiah Bell

TENOR C A N A DA

Isaiah Bell appears internationally as a performer, his work characterized by a “beautiful tenor, command of style, and natural stage presence.” He is also active as a composer, director, and writer, combining these disciplines in his show, The Book of My Shames. In recent seasons, he translated, adapted, and performed La voix humaine at City Opera Vancouver and created the role of Antinous in Rufus Wainwright’s Hadrian at the Canadian Opera Company Last OdM appearance: La Beauté du monde (2022) Former member of the Atelier Lyrique de l'Opéra de Montréal.

Isaiah Bell’s participation is made possible thanks to the generous support of Marcia McKenzie

CHANCELLOR AXEL OXENSTIERNA

Daniel Okulitch

BASS-BARITONE C A N A DA

Bass-baritone Daniel Okulitch has earned international acclaim for his portrayal of the principal Mozart roles of Don Giovanni, Count Almaviva, Figaro and Leporello, which he has performed in theatres such as LA Opera, Santa Fe Opera and Dallas Opera. He recently made house debuts at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow as Don Giovanni and Opernhaus Zürich as Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, and in the current season he returns to Don Giovanni for Italy’s Teatro Udine, conducted by Marco Feruglio. Last OdM appearance: Written on skin (2020) Daniel Okulitch’s participation is made possible thanks to the generous support of Alysia Yip-Hoi.

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— THE ARTISTS — COUNTESS EBBA SPARRE

Pascale Spinney

MEZZO -SOPR ANO C A N A DA

Canadian mezzo-soprano Pascale Spinney is a graduate from the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. Recent seasons have seen her as Dido in Dido and Aeneas and as Maddalena in Rigoletto at Central City Opera, as La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi with Tulsa Opera, as a soloist with LyricFest in their recital titled My Letter to the World. Her upcoming engagements include a concert with Vero Beach Opera and her role debut as Carmen with the Glacier Symphony Orchestra. Last OdM appearance: Carmen (2019) Former member of the Atelier Lyrique de l'Opéra de Montréal.

Pascale Spinney’s participation is made possible thanks to the generous support of Doron Altman.

RENÉ DESCARTES

Eric Laporte

TENOR C A N A DA

Eric Laporte is acclaimed on opera stages throughout the world for both his vocal and theatrical achievements. He has sung with the Komische Oper of Berlin in the roles of Hoffmann and of Jim Mahoney in Weill’s Mahagonny (Barrie Kosky). With the Oper Frankfurt, he performed in the title role in Stravinsky Oedipus Rex and as Ulysses in Fauré’s Pénélope conducted by Joana Mallwitz. His recent projects include the roles of Erik in The Flying Dutchman in Quebec City, Lohengrin in Nuremberg, Faust in Berlioz’s La Damnation and Max in Der Freischütz in Hanover. His repertoire comprises roles in French, Italian, and German, including Werther, Radamès, and Bacchus. He made his operatic debut with the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal. Last OdM appearance: The Mixtape (2021) Former member of the Atelier Lyrique de l'Opéra de Montréal.

Eric Laporte’s participation is made possible thanks to the generous support of François Carrier.

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— THE ARTISTS — MARIE-ÉLÉONORE DE BRANDEBOURG

Aline Kutan

SOPRANO CANADA-ARMENIA

Canadian soprano of Armenian origins, Aline Kutan has emerged as one of the most magnificent artists and vibrant personalities of the day. Since her debuts, She has been regularly invited to major European and American opera houses: she sang Semele from Salieri’s Europa Riconosciuta in Scala Milan, the Queen of the night in France (Opéra National de Paris-Bastille, Chorégies d’Orange, Opéra de Marseille, Capitole de Toulouse) England (Glyndebourne Festival) Spain (Valencia), Germany (Karlsruhe) as well as New York (New-York City Opera), Montréal, Toronto, Québec and Santiago-Chile and in Teator Colon Buenos-Ayres.

She was also acclaimed for her Lakmé in Avignon,Toulon, Karlsruhe, Montréal, Calgary and Detroit. Her repertoire also includes Zerbinetta (Capitole de Toulouse, San Carlo di Napoli, Montreal), Anne Trulove, Olympia (Grand Théâtre de Genève), Le Comte Ory, Constanze … as well as the contemporary repertoire (“Les Rois” from Philippe Fenelon in Opera de Bordeaux) which brought her great critical acclaim. In concert, Aline Kutan is regularly invited by major orchestras in Canada and Europe.

Last OdM appearance: Gala de l'Opéra de Montréal (2014) Aline Kutan’s participation is made possible thanks to the generous support of Daniel Turp.

DESCARTES' ASSISTANT

Alain Coulombe

BASS CANADA

An esteemed performer of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries vocal works, bass Alain Coulombe was Der Doktor (Wozzeck) at La Scala, The Priest (Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk) at the Canadian Opera Company, Arkel (Pelléas et Mélisande) at the Vancouver Opera, Monseigneur Taché (Louis Riel) at Festival d’opéra de Québec, The French General (Silent Night) at the Calgary Opera, George Benton (Dead Man Walking) at l’Opéra de Montréal and Merlin (Kopernikus) at Against the Grain Theater. Amongst several world premieres, highlights include Messe Solennelle pour une pleine lune d’été at Festival d’opéra de Québec, L.E.X. at Soundstreams, Mary’s Wedding at Pacific Opera Victoria, Waiting for Miss Monroe at De Nationale Opera, Amsterdam, as well as CO2 at La Scala. In 2023, he was a nominee for the prestigious Paul de Hueck and Norman Walford Career Achievement Award from the Ontario Arts Council. Last OdM appearance: Ainadamar (2023) Former member of the Atelier Lyrique de l'Opéra de Montréal.

Alain Coulombe’s participation is made possible thanks to the generous support of Robert Nadeau.

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— THE ARTISTS — CONDUCTOR

Jean-Marie Zeitouni

CANADA

In high demand as a conductor, both of symphonic and operatic repertoires, Jean-Marie Zeitouni regularly appears in Europe and throughout North America. Over the years, he has served as Artistic Director of the chamber orchestra I Musici de Montréal, Music Director of the Colorado Music Festival, the Columbus Symphony, and the Banff Centre’s opera program, and as Artistic Partner with the Edmonton Symphony. He has also served as an assistant conductor, choral conductor, and as Music Director of the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal, choral conductor with the Orchestre symphonique de Québec and Opéra de Québec, and enjoyed a 12-year collaboration, in various capacities, with Les Violons du Roy. He is the director, since 2022, of the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal’s symphony orchestra and of that institution’s orchestral conducting curriculum. Last OdM appearance: La Beauté du monde (2023) Jean-Marie Zeitouni’s participation is made possible thanks to the generous support of Marie-Claude Poupart et Francis Malka

STAGE DIRECTOR

Angela Konrad

GERMANY/CANADA

German-born Angela Konrad is a director and playwright. General and artistic director of USINE C, Montreal since 2022, she devotes her practice to contemporary theater and the performing arts. Her work is characterized by the re-actualization of classics, as well as adaptations and productions of dramatic and non-dramatic texts. Her artistic merits have been recognized and rewarded on numerous occasions by the Association québécoise des critiques de théâtres. She stands out for her precise direction of actors and actresses, her bold interpretation of works and her aesthetic rigor.

Her most recent productions and adaptations include Vernon Subutex by Virginie Despentes and Tableau final de l'amour

by Larry Tremblay at USINE C, the opera Yourcenar, une Île de passion, composed by Éric Champagne, on a libretto by H. Dorion and M.C. Blais, Fleuve by Sylvie Drapeau at TNM, and Macbeth after Shakespeare/Garneau at USINE C. She is the recipient of the Jean-Pierre Ronfard Bursary, which recognizes her daring contribution to the world of theater. As a doctor of theatre studies, she specializes in German theater, with a particular focus on the works of Heiner Müller. Last OdM appearance: Yourcenar, une île de passions (2022) Angela Konrad’s participation is made possible thanks to the generous support of Stella Gignac et Patrick Ouellet.

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— THE DESGINERS — SET DESIGNER

Anick La Bissonnière

CANADA

After completing studies in architecture in Montreal and Lausanne, Anick La Bissonnière went on to practise her profession with the Odile Decq firm in Paris, later collaborating in the design of some fifty performance spaces with Trizart in Montreal. Alongside her work as an architect, she quickly garnered extensive expertise in set designs for theatre, museums, and urban events. Most notably, since 1999 she has cultivated a close creative relationship with theatre director Brigitte Haentjens, with whom she has collaborated in some twenty productions, all of which werecritically and publicly acclaimed. While she has mainly designed for theatre, her work also includes variety shows, television, and dance, circus, and opera productions. Regarded as part of a global design elite at the Prague Quadrennial, she was a many-times finalist for the Siminovitch Prize, which she won in 2015. For the past several years, she has taught stage design at the École Supérieure de Théâtre of the Université du Québec à Montréal. Last OdM appearance: Samson et Dalila (2015)

VIDEO DESIGNER

Alexandre Desjardins

CANADA

Alexandre Desjardins is a filmmaker and multimedia designer.

After studying cinema at the Université du Québec à Montréal, his live action short films L’arbre au cœur qui bat (2011) and Jamais je ne t'oublierai (2014) were selected and awarded by international film festivals. Native of the Outaouais region, he wrote and directed the multimedia aquatic show Agwàtà (2015), presented over three summers to 30,000 spectators.

He created projections and a signature film for the launch of the Canadian Photography Institute at the National Gallery of Canada. In 2017, the artist-run center DAÏMÔN invited him to create the architectural projection Disdacalie. For the studio 4elements, he created projections and interactive installations in emblematic sites, from the Parliament of Canada to the Louvre-Lens museum. With support from the Canada Media Fund, he directed the interactive experience Timber! Forgotten Legends. He collaborates with director Angela Konrad on the plays Vernon Subutex (2022), Tableau final de l'amour (2023) and the opera Yourcenar - une île de passions (2022).

Alexandre continues to explore the new possibilities of digital art to create immersive and interactive works. Last OdM appearance: Yourcenar, une île de passions (2022)

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— THE DESGINERS — COSTUME DESIGNER

Sébastien Dionne

CANADA

After graduating in stage design from the Conservatoire d’art dramatique de Québec in 2007, Sébastien Dionne rapidly excelled on the Quebec performing arts scene. Over the years, his many designs, mainly of costumes for theatre and the circus, but also for dance, opera, film, and major events, have earned him several nominations and distinctions. With an approach to costume design highly inspired by haute couture, Sébastien is primarily known for his large-scale productions that blend historical references and contemporary approaches, as well as for his artful grasp of the fluidity of movement. With over 70 designs to his credit for various Quebec companies, including prominent collaborations with theatre director Robert Lepage (Ex Machina) and the Cirque du Soleil, his work has earned him international recognition. After his initial experience designing for La Traviata, an Icelandic Opera production directed by Oriol Tomas, Sébastien returned to the world of opera for an adaptation of Christina, the Girl King by Michel Marc Bouchard. This first collaboration with director Angela Konrad and the Opéra de Montréal enabled him to deepen his creative approach to design in this striking work, building on his previous experience with the production of the original play at the Théâtre de la Bordée (2019). OdM debut.

LIGHTING DESIGNER

Éric Champoux

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CANADA

With his background in theatre, Montreal-based Éric Champoux was soon invited to work in the fields of circus arts and opera.

He has collaborated several times with the Opéra de Montréal, in Jake Heggie’s highly acclaimed Dead Man Walking and in Samson et Dalila, both directed by Alain Gauthier, and in Falstaff directed by David Gately, Aida directed by François Racine, Roméo et Juliette directed by Tom Diamond, the contemporary opera Written on Skin by George Benjamin and Martin Crimp, and more recently, Il Trovatore. He also regularly collaborates with The 7 Fingers collective, notably in the highly acclaimed Pub Royal (a musical with Les Cowboys Fringants).

He has designed the lighting for over a dozen Cirque du Soleil productions, including Amora in Valetta, Malta, Vizion in Saudi Arabia, and more recently, Festa in Andorra. In the summer, he will design a show in tribute to the comedy group RBO, to be presented in Trois-Rivières. Last OdM appearance: Il Trovatore (2022)

Complice de l’Opéra de Montréal

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— EDITORIAL —

Jean-Marie Zeitouni: in the service of creation

A

fter conducting La beauté du monde in November 2022, maestro Jean-Marie Zeitouni is poised to regale Opéra de Montréal spectators with yet another opus by the Bilodeau-Bouchard duo, La Reine-garçon. In this monumental work that grapples with emotion, duty, and philosophy, Christina, that queen of Sweden raised as a boy, finds herself torn between her fate and what drives her.

A major work with major responsibilities

As his impressive track record would indicate, Jean-Marie Zeitouni has regularly stood at the helm of opera classics, from La Bohème to Don Giovanni, not forgetting Lucia di Lammermoor. How is it different to conduct the premiere of a new work?

It is especially consuming, he feels, because bringing the dense and demanding score of La Reine-garçon to an audience’s ears comes with great responsibility. “When giving a premiere, I try to do everything possible so that the performers can play and sing with the same sense of security and the same peace of mind they would have when performing it for the second or third time.

So that it’s fully embodied and we can probe the depths of the work and convey its different layers. That requires a lot of preparatory work on my part.”

“The countless times I have found myself at the drawing board with scores by Massenet, Mozart, Rossini, wondering, ‘what did the composer mean to convey, exactly?’ It’s a privilege to be able to actually have these conversations. With Julien [Bilodeau], it was easy; we would call each other and talk. It’s a thousand times more rewarding. And a thousand times more consuming too.”

A responsibility to the artists, to be sure, but also to audiences. “I feel extremely privileged because I know that La Reinegarçon is an important work. It’s a bit like having good news that is earmarked for me to announce to everyone! And I take the responsibility of ensuring that an audience can appreciate its true value and wants to say, ‘I was there, that time.’

It’s a responsibility I embrace with joy and a great sense of duty.”

The privilege of collaborating

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— EDITORIAL —

A peerless music team While this production marks Jean-Marie Zeitouni’s second opera collaboration with composer Julien Bilodeau, make no mistake: the two artists have often worked side by side over the past several years. This will be their seventh premiere project together, orchestral music and opera combined.

“Julien is a master composer. We know each other well and a lot of his character is reflected in his music, his humour, for example. He has a strong and distinctive musical personality; I recognize his language and I understand his music. I have always felt that he needed largescale forms to express himself to his full potential, and opera gives him all the necessary space to develop his ideas.”

Jean-Marie became involved very early on in the creative process, taking on the role of an advisor to the composer.

“We have had many working sessions over the past few years. Julien consults me when he encounters a problem, a challenge, or if he has an inquiry. I reflect with him and help him to bridge the gap between his ideas and their concrete expression, drawing on my experience and knowledge of the orchestra, of various instruments, and of the voice. I am at his service.”

The finest music is opera Jean-Marie Zeitouni proclaims it loud and clear: opera is the medium that yields the most exquisite pieces of music ever written by composers who gave themselves over to the genre.

And although he shines as a conductor of symphonic works, he could never fathom giving up opera.

“Since, in my opinion, the human voice is the most beautiful instrument, and since I have a natural affinity for theatre, opera is a treat to conduct. The conductor’s role is even more crucial than in a symphony concert. There are so many ingredients to hold together, I feel I am truly valuable, helpful, when I am there. That said, at the end of the night, the soloists are the true stars, and that’s just fine with me!” he added, this conductor not being especially eager for the limelight.

Montreal: a haven of artistic creation Conductor Jean-Marie Zeitouni is not short on praise for the Opéra de Montréal, with which he shares a 21-year history. Before conducting some of its major productions, he worked variously as a choir director, assistant conductor, and Music Director of the Atelier lyrique.

“I cannot but commend their utter commitment to creativity. Here, there is a loyalty to and constancy in its artistic and humanistic approach that I can only admire. This shines through in the resources and energy made available to artists, and in the casts that include several former members of the Atelier lyrique, such as Étienne Dupuis, Alain Coulombe, and Éric Laporte.”

This coming February 3, 6, 8, and 11, JeanMarie Zeitouni invites us to experience an important piece of Quebec’s operatic history: a girl-king comes to life, thanks to an extraordinary creative team and outstanding performers.

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—THE MUSICIANS — FIRST VIOLINS Olivier Thouin - Solo Jean-Sébastien Roy – 1st associate Timothy Steeves – 2nd associate Richard Zheng – 1st assistant Marie Lacasse – 2nd assistant Sydney Adedamola Katherine Palyga Abby Walsh Ariane Lajoie Laura D'Angelo

OBOES Josée Marchand – 1st Oboe Andréanne Chartier Labrècque – 2nd Oboe Jean-Luc Côté – 3rd Oboe/English horn

SECONDS VIOLINS Alexander Read - Solo Marie-André Chevrette – Associate solo Joshua Peters – 1st assistant Ann Chow – 2nd assistant Alison Mah-Poy Eliane Charest Beauchamp Daniel Yakymyshyn Jean-Marc Leclerc Katherine Manker Van Armenian

BASSOONS Mathieu Harel – 1st Bassoon Martin Mangrum – 2nd Bassoon Michael Sundell - Double Bassoon

VIOLAS Victo Fournelle-Blain - Solo Charles Pilon - Associate Jean Fortin - 1st assistant Joseph Burke - 2nd assistant Sofia Gentile Scott Chancey Véronique Potvin Catherine Arsenault

TRUMPETS Samuel Dusinberre – 1st Trumpet/Picc Francis Pigeon – 2nd Trumpet Riccardo Diano – 3rd Trumpet

CELLOS Tavi Ungerleider - Solo Sylvain Murray - Associate Sophie van der Sloot – 1st assistant Peter Parthun Geneviève Guimond Julien Siino DOUBLE BASSES Eric Chappell – Solo Edouard Wingell - Associate Peter Rosenfeld - Assistant Scott Feltham FLUTES Albert Brouwer – 1st Flute Florence Laurain – 2nd Flute Christopher James – 3rd Flute/picc

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CLARINETS Alain Desgagné – 1st Clarinet Brent Besner – 2nd Clarinet/Cl.bass Mélanie Bourassa – 3rd Clarinet/ Cl.cntrbass

FRENCH HORNS Florence Rousseau – 1st Horn Xavie Fortin – 2nd Horn Guillaume Roy – 3rd Horn Nadia Côté – 4th Horn

TROMBONES Charles Benaroya – 1st Trombone Bruno Joyal - Trombone/Bass trombone Pierre Beaudry - Bass trombone TUBA Austin Howle - Cimbasso HARP-PIANO-OTHER Michelle Gott - Harp solo PERCUSSIONS Hugues Tremblay – Timpani/1st percussion Corey Rae – 2nd percussion Nicolas Lapointe – 3rd percussion MUSIC LIBRARIAN Michel Léonard MUSICIAN PERSONNEL MANAGER Françoise Henri

— CHOIR AND SUPERNUMERARIE —

Opéra de Montréal Chorus CHORUS MASTER

Claude Webster

C A N A DA

Claude Webster has worked in the field of opera as a rehearsal pianist and vocal coach for some thirty years. His work is widely recognized in North America and Europe. Internationally sought after as a specialist in the French repertoire, he has participated in many programs including those in Tel Aviv, Berlin, Ravinia and New York. He was the head coach at the Atelier lyrique de l'Opéra de Montréal from 1997 to 2017 and has been the Opéra de Montréal’s chorus master since 2007. Last OdM appearance: The Marriage of Figaro (2023) Former member of the Atelier Lyrique de l'Opéra de Montréal.

SOPRANOS Valérie Bélanger Odéi Bilodeau Nadya Blanchette Pascale-Brigitte Boilard Sophie De Cruz Marie-Claire Drolet Meghan Fleet Véronique Gauthier Audrey Larose-Zicat MEZZOS Mireille Bériault Jeanne Bovet Maude Côté-Gendron Chantal Denis Marie-Christine Duplessis Zanga Elizabeth Ekholm Julie Goupil Béatrice Stoklas Michelle Sutton

TENORS Mathieu Abel Pascal Blanchet Nils Brown Bernard Cayouette Phil Dutton Julien Girard Nathan LeLièvre Thomas Macleay Gustave Richard Jaime Sandoval

BASS Jordan Delage Michel Duval Claude Grenier Philippe Morin Luc Saucier

BARITONES Jonathan Bédard Claudel Callender Alexandre Duguay Clermont Tremblay

Supernumerarie Jérémie Gariépy

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Grâce à l’appui généreux et durable des Initiatives Vanda Treiser, les artistes de l’Atelier lyrique bénéficient des meilleures ressources pour réaliser leur potentiel artistique.

Thanks to the generous and lasting support of the Vanda Treiser Initiatives, the artists of the Atelier lyrique benefit from the best resources to realize their artistic potential.

POUR SON SOUTIEN À LA PROCHAINE GÉNÉRATION D’ÉTOILES À L’OPÉRA, MERCI

AUX INITIATIVES VANDA TREISER!

FOR ITS SUPPORT OF THE NEXT GENERATION OF OPERA STARS,

MANY THANKS TO THE VANDA TREISER INITIATIVES!

Vanda Treiser et Jennifer Szeto, directrice de l’Atelier lyrique.

Vanda Treiser and Jennifer Szeto, Director of the Atelier lyrique.

La Fondation Azrieli est fière de soutenir l’Opéra de Montréal dans la découverte, l’élévation et l’amplification de nouvelles voix à travers l’Atelier lyrique.

The Azrieli Foundation is proud to support Opéra de Montréal in discovering, elevating and amplifying new voices through the Atelier lyrique.

Photo: Tam Photography

azrielifoundation.org

— EDITORIAL —

La Reinegarçon: fate at the dawn of modernity

T

hey are working together for the first time, and yet their symbiosis is immediately evident. Throughout our conversation, they relayed, facilitated, and completed each other’s statements and reflections. We would happily be a fly on the wall to hear their many exchanges about art! They offered us a glimpse of these exchanges around their work on the upcoming Opéra de Montréal production.

Here are the playwright and librettist Michel Marc Bouchard and theatre director Angela Konrad, who joined forces for La Reine-garçon.

An intuitive artistic match Their mutual artistic admiration is plain to see. “One of the first plays I saw when I came to Montreal was Michel Marc’s Tom à la ferme. He shaped my arrival here,” recalled the Germanborn director. “We have never worked together, but it sure feels like we have!” the author added. “There truly is an intuitive symbiosis between us.”

It was incidentally Michel Marc who suggested Angela join the creative team for the adaptation to opera of

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his play Christine, la reine-garçon. “She is perfect for the piece. Not only do I really like her work, but I feel there is a special affinity between her and the character of Christina. It’s wonderful when a project becomes an extension of the individual.”

From one medium to another For these two firmly established artists in the theatre milieu, this was by no means a first foray into opera. La Reine-garçon is Michel Marc’s third libretto, after Les Feluettes in 2016 (another adaptation of one of his plays) and La Beauté du monde in 2022. Meanwhile, Angela’s portrayal of the historical figure of Christina, Queen of Sweden, is pursuant to her operatic staging of the famous author Marguerite Yourcenar in 2022.

What made them both want to return to the opera after an initial opera production? “I find that opera affords us something much greater than ourselves,” the playwright explained.

“The moment it starts, I completely forget that it was I who wrote it. The

— EDITORIAL — composer’s and director’s share in the final text is enormous, so there is this whole element of the unknown that captivates and delights me.”

“The emotional power conveyed through the music and through the performers’ artistry brings something of the order of excess and extravagance that outstrips the dramatic effect of live theatre,” added Angela. “The music in opera conveys a superhuman and supernatural dimension.”

Juggling time and structure For this director accustomed to building the architecture of her plays based on her work with actors, one of the major differences in opera concerns time management.

“In theatre, liveness creates the machine, while in opera, liveness gets integrated into the machine. I only meet the soloists very late in the process, so there is all this pre-conceptualization work to do beforehand. I need to quickly make decisions so I can put together an initial layout. And there are often surprises: it’s fine to work in tandem with the score, but liveness generates dynamics that you just can’t detect on paper. So you just let yourself become saturated by what goes on in the rehearsal room and have little time to work it all out. That’s both the danger and the beauty of it.”

Between reason and passion: the cradle of modernity In this historical narrative, Queen Christina, who is torn between her reason and her heart, who is rapt with passion for her first lady-in-waiting, attempts to illuminate the stirrings

of her mind. How is it that this story set in the 17th century resonates so powerfully today?

For Michel Marc, “There is something in Christina’s Enlightenment-era desires that is highly contemporary. She speaks about things that every nation should uphold: curiosity, knowledge, art, education.” “Descartes is also in the picture,” chimed in Angela. “Christina asks all the questions of Descartes’s investigations, she embodies them, she lives and breathes them. Am I the subject of my actions, of my desire? Of my life, of my fate? This is the advent of a universal “I” who embodies the problems of action and intention. It’s all there. It’s the cradle of modernity.”

What is love? And how can we eradicate it? “The torment Christina experiences with her feelings of love are not about the political constraints or social customs of the time. It is because love is something that eludes her in her quest of free will,” the author explained.

Turning her back on a stifled society, our heroine opted for the wealth of the mind. “And that is very, very powerful,” asserted the director. “Those are universal values that surpass any current issues. They arise in all parts of the world and in all eras.”

Christina’s fate will resound at the Place des Arts’ Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier this coming February 3, 6, 8, and 11.

“Featuring a stellar cast,” beamed our librettist who brought Christina to life in theatre, in film, and now in opera.

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THANK YO U! Thanks to your generosity, the Opéra de Montréal raised $275,000 to support our mission and the young artists of the Atelier lyrique during the seventh edition of the Talent Gala. This year’s event was marked by our big return to Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier.

We’d like to extend our warmest thanks to everyone involved in this exceptional evening. Your presence transformed this event into a highlight in our wonderful community. Thanks to our generous sponsors, partners and volunteers, as well as to Vanda Treiser Initiatives for their long-standing support of the Atelier lyrique.

See you at the 2024 Talent Gala!

O U R SP O NS O RS NATIONAL AUDITIONS PARTNERS

Mrs. Vanda Treiser in memory of Benjamin Treiser Colleen & Mirko Wicha Power Corporation Stingray GOLD – $25,000

The Azrieli Foundation Castleton Mortgages LCI Education SILVER – $15,000 Blakes Banque Nationale – Gestion Privée 1859 Davies Desjardins Gowling WLG Fasken Lallemand Lavery Horizon Capital Holdings McCarthy Tétrault Vocalex Inc. Musique 3 Femmes Monique Roy & Claude Chevalier

SAVE THE DATE

Wednesday, November 20, 2024 SALLE WILFRID-PELLE TIER

— DONORS —

DIRECTOR CIRCLE ($10,000 AND MORE) $1,000,000 AND MORE Vanda Treiser Initiatives*

$250,000 AND MORE Me René Branchaud* Elizabeth Wirth Fondation Azrieli* Fondation RBC*

$100,000 AND MORE

We wish to warmly thank all our donors, who generously and passionately contribute to the Opéra de Montréal.

Your support is essential to the fulfilment of our mission and to the vitality of opera in Montreal.

Hydro-Québec Dr François Loubert Mrs. Vanda Treiser and in loving memory of Mr. Benjamin Treiser*

$50,000 AND MORE Succession Lise Beauchamp Fondation J.A. DeSève Fondation Sandra & Alain Bouchard Fondation Tony & Betty Infilise, in memory of Anne-Marie Fortin Claude Leblanc* Pascal Lépine Thérèse & Peter Primiani* Carolyn & Richard J. Renaud Succession Anne-Marie Trahan Colleen & Mirko Wicha Vickie Zhao & Alex Ionescu

$25,000 AND MORE Famille Andrea Alacchi* Naomi & Eric Bissell Antoine Chagnon* Isabelle Murray & Dominic Chalifoux* M Gustel Fischer Fondation LRDG, in loving memory of Ted & Jolan Frohlich Fondation Jacqueline Desmarais Fondation familiale Ruth & David Steinberg Lady Mireille & Sir Dennis B. Gillings Monique Roy & Claude Chevalier Le Square Phillips Hôtel & Suites Marie-Christine Tremblay & Jacques Marchand Hugo Valencia, in loving memory of Guy Joron Vogelesang Dancik Family* Joan Vogelesang & Fred Heese* Sue & Soren Wehner* Dre Nathalie Zan*

$15,000 AND MORE Pledges made from January 1 st , 2023 to December 31 st , 2023. *Multi-year pledges

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Sigrid & Gilles Chatel John Farrell & François Leclair Carlos Idarraga Dr. Joyce Fung, In loving memory of Theodore Fung

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Anonymous (2) Louis Arseneault Jill Bodkin R. Boisvert & A. Imamedjian Dre Françoise P. Chagnon Micheline & Pierre L. Comtois* Fondation familiale Irving Ludmer Émile Ghattas & Mona Latif-Ghattas† Jean-Pierre Le Clerc & Mario Ménard À la mémoire de Monique Lussier Dre. Jacqueline McClaran & Dr. Jonathan Meakins Ronald Ouellette Vincent Picard-Dufresne Daniel Turp Marie-Josée Verreault Martin Watier

$5,000 AND MORE Anonymous (2) Antje Bettin Dre Andrée Boucher & Dr Louis-George Ste-Marie Isabelle Westwick & François Carrier Jean Duclos Bruno-Étienne Duguay Fondation Felicia & Arnold Aaron Fondation Pierre Desmarais Belvédère Fondation Sibylla Hesse Joanie Lapalme & Alexandre McCormack Sylvie Samson & Guillaume Marion Sylvie Marois Eunice Mayers Marcia McKenzie Patrick Menda Robert Nadeau Christine Paulino & Jean-Pierre Primiani

$1,200 AND MORE Anonymous (5) Louise Ahdoot Munirah Amra Nicholas Androsoff Micheline & Raymond Bachand Daniel A. Beaulieu Lorraine Bell Bunny Berke & Larry Lusko Carole & Myer Bick Hyman Bloom Danielle Blouin Pierre-Yves Boivin Louis Bouchard Me Luc Bourbonnais Michelle & Guy Bouthillier Pierre R. Brosseau Susan C. Brown Jean Charbonneau Toxicologue Inc. Dr J.P. Chiasson, MD F.A.S.A.M. Dr Richard Cloutier Pierrette Couture & Henriot M. Sabourin Drs. James C. & Caroline W. Dawson Richard de Blois Isabelle Demers

Alain Desmeules & Brook DeSantis Mme Jill de Villafranca & Dr. David Kostiuk James Dorff & Laurent Thibault Michel Drapeau Jean-Sébastien Dupont David Essiambre Claire Fournelle Antoine Gervais Mouna & Elias Ghannoum Frédéric Godbout Mona Golfman Morris & Rosalind Goodman Family Foundation Julius H. Grey Marina Gusti Adele Hébert Carmen Hernandez & Stéphane L'Espérance Shuki Ho Michel Hogue & Richard Raymond Peter Hunt Dr. Calvin Kalman Judith Kavanagh Nathalie Labrecque Denise Lambert Bill & Nan Lassner Raymonde Lavoie Christiane LeBlanc Hubert Lemelin Thomas G. G. Leslie, MMM, CD Dr André Levasseur Éric Martel & Josiane Lamy Tina Liu Fondation Martineau Drapeau Caroline Montminy Mariella Pandolfi Louise Paré Margot Provencher Famille Pierre Provencher Ginette Quintal Louis Racine Drs. Alexandra & Mark Reich Évangéline Richard Lesley & Mark Robinson John Di Gironimo & Catherine Rowe Madeleine Roy Bernard St-Pierre Marcotte & Francine Ouellette Howard Stotland Karim Talaat Robert Thibaudeau Famille Vossos Diana C. Wall Dre Marie Youssef

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— DONORS —

$600 AND MORE Anonymous (3) Philippe Alcouffe Jody Banister Elise Brochu Claude A. Eddo Patrick Egger Lucy Fellowes Léopold Ferron Philippe Girard Leo & Shirley Goldfarb Foundation Linda Houle

Your friendship and your warm-hearted involvement contribute directly to promoting our mission.

Marjory Jolicoeur Phyllis B. Lambert, QC, CQ, OAL, FRAIC Jocelyne Langevin Jung Lee Robert J. Leroux Hugo Lévesque

With every performance, it is always a great pleasure to be able to share our love of opera with you!

George E. Lovick Sophie Massicotte Serge B. Melançon Eric & Jane Molson Famille Morisset Noppen Jean-Pierre Paradis Sung Hui (Sonnie) Park Caroline Decaluwe & Alexandre Prunier Katherine & James Robb Fondation St-Germain Kavanagh Armand & Jeannine Tessier Tamara Zakon Mark Zoccolillo

$120 AND MORE Anonymous (25) Patricia Abbott Gwenaëlle Andrieux Jocelyne Antille Paul & Marielle Barré Alain Baumann André Beauchamp Diane Lampron & Marc Beaudoin Robert Belanger À la mémoire de Jean-Guy Benoit Paul Benoit Colette Pilon & Howard Bergman Pledges made from January 1 st , 2023 to December 31 st , 2023.

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Michel Bertrand

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P.K. Pal

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Desiree Park

À la mémoire de Normand Blais

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Marie-Soleil Pichette

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Lise Pierre Pierre

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Andrée Leduc & Lloyd Johansson

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André Canakis

Thomas Kelly

G. Castanheira

Berthe Kossak

Moy Fong Chen Anthi Balafoutis & Peter Chiotis

Nastassia Kodeh & Eric Kougioumoutzakis

Elena Chirokova

Jean-Marie Lacoste

Maryse Chynchuck

Louise Lafontaine

Linda Cochrane

Dixi Lambert

Sylvain Collette

Gilles Lanctôt

Miriam Cooper

Claude Laneuville

Melanie Coutu

Denis Lapierre

Teodor Gabriel Crainic

Andrée Laroche

Jean-Charles Le Brun & Normand-G. Robert

Berney Creighton

Julie Laurence

Michel Rochon

Richard Crête

Marie-Claude Le Clair

Richard Rodgers

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Michael Davis

Fern G. Lerner

Helene Rousseau

Suzanne Venne & Jan De Smet

Mary Litwin

Yolanda Sabetta

Normand Denault

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Jean-Pierre Deschamps

Leslie Lubin

Bahjat Salem, à la nourriture de l'âme

Micheline Desgagné

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Mahalia Verna & David Schulze

Luc Doray

René Marineau

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V. Sirois

Jacques Dussault

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Carol & Ronald Slater

Edward M. Eisenberg

Andrée F. Mattii

Suzanne Spinelli

Denis Faucher

Jean-François Mélançon

Janice Fetsch

Catherine Metzger-Silver

À la mémoire d'Henri St-Georges

Bernd & Margaret Filzer

MJ Fiscalité inc.

Raymonde St-Pierre

Fabienne Fortin

Mary C. Moffat

François Tessier

Thérèse Gagnon Giasson

Jocelyne Morin

Jacques Gagnon

Maria Morse

À la mémoire d'Anne-Marie Trahan

Lise Gagnon

Evelyn & Morrie Neiss

Louise Gagnon

Lourdes Olguin Zuniga

John Galaty

Alain Orvoine

Denyse Gautrin

Georges Ouellet

Laurent Gignat

Jean Ouellette

Amy Grainger

Antonella Pagano

Francesco Biondi Morra Di Belforte

Eileen & Herb Borsuk Mathieu Bouchard Nicole Brodeur

Jennifer Paquet

Real Plourde Serge Poisson-de-Haro John Bossange & Lynne Poteau Catherine Potvin En l’honneur de Jean-Pierre Primiani Kate Puxley Zeina Rababy Jean-Pierre Racette Carmen Reid Marc-André Roberge

Suzanne Vadboncoeur Louise Veilleux Voyage Régence Abraham Wexler Patrick Winser Gerald Zion

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Empowering the next generation of artists to help build vibrant communities.

The Atelier lyrique of the Opéra de Montréal ensures that the artists develop to their full potential, while fostering their autonomy, leadership, and self-achievement. In partnership with RBC Emerging Artists, we support organizations that provide the best opportunity to advance an artist’s career.

Visit rbc.com/emergingartists

® / ™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. VPS111716

90780 (08/2023)

Programming Partners

EART H O TW

S ARE BET TER TH

AN

BURGAN & SCHMITT —APRIL 7 TO 13 THÉÂTRE MAISONNEUVE —

ON E

Public Partners

Programming Partners

Québec Creation Partner

Civic Impact and Education Partners

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Atelier Lyrique Partners Major Partners

Presenting Partners PASCAL LÉPINE

National Audition Partner MRS. VANDA TREISER and in memory of M. BENJAMIN TREISER

Media Partners

Service Partners DoubleTree by Hilton Montréal

GLO

Le Mille Neuf

GRDN

Malinki

Sélect Vins AdVini

Hôtel ZERO1

Marie-Claude Paquette, designer graphique

TACT

LaCité

Place des Arts

ViniPassion

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LA GAZETTE DE MONTRÉAL EST FIÈRE DE PARRAINER MONTREAL GAZETTE IS A PROUD SPONSOR OF

OPÉRA DE MONTRÉAL Chez Postmedia, nous tirons parti de la force de nos plus de 130 images de marque pour soutenir des causes importantes et des entreprises locales dans les communautés que nous servons.

At Postmedia we leverage the strength of our more than 130 brands to support important causes and local businesses in the communities we serve.

Pour en savoir plus, consultez le site postmedia.com/supports.

Learn more at postmedia.com/supports

Concert Team PRODUCTION

Permanent Team Patrick Corrigan, General Director Michel Beaulac, Artistic Director Catherine Levac, Artistic Administrator Louis Bouchard, Strategic Operations Director PRODUCTION Pierre Massoud, Production Director / Marie Hélène Larivière, Production Coordinator / Patrick Belzile, Technical Director / Drew Lyall, Technical Director Assistant / Laurence Pronier, Stage Director / Thomas Lussier, project manager stage direction / Dominique Guindon, Sonya Bayer, Heads of Wardrobe / Sandra Chirico, Wardrobe Supervisor ATELIER LYRIQUE DE L’OPÉRA DE MONTRÉAL Jennifer Szeto, Director of the Atelier Lyrique / Marie Maous, Program Coordinator / Geneviève Lessard, Production Manager / Holly Kroeker, Administrative and Artistic Associate

Administration MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Stephanie Laichi, Director, Marketing and Communications / Marie-Pier Perron, Marketing Manager (on maternity leave) / Daniella Johnson, Communications Manager / Darnyse Memnon, Client Services Manager / Alexandre Therrien, Marketing and Communications Coordinator / Estelle Mouden, Client Services and Marketing coordinator / Filémon Brault-Archambeault, Coordinator, Client Services / Maïka Bélanger, Assistant-coordinators / Florie Duchesneau, Antoine Hatem, Client Services Agents DEVELOPMENT Jean-Pierre Primiani, Director of development / Antoine Gervais, Manager, Donor Relations and Partnerships / Amy Grainger, Coordinator, Annual Campaign / Marion Malon, Coordinator, Philanthropic Events / Geneviève Levasseur, Associate, Philanthropic Events / Géraldine Leong Sang, intern, annual campaign CIVIL IMPACT AND EDUCATION Pierre Vachon, Director, Civic Impact and Education / Charlotte Gagnon, Manager, Social Impact and Education / Béatrice Beaudin-Caille, Coordinator FINANCES Marie-Claude Lagacé, Accounting Agent

Pierre Massoud, Production Director / Marie Hélène Larivière, Production Coordinator / Patrick Belzile, Technical Director / Drew Lyall, Technical Director Assistant / Olivier Ouellet-Hébert, Assistant Video Technical Director STAGE MANAGEMENT Laurence Pronier, stage manager / Thomas Lussier, stage project manager / Bethzaïda Thomas, directing assistant and master control / Clémence Lavigne, Léa Touzé, control assistants SUPERTITLES Linda Gaboriau, libretto translator / Myriam Provost-Riel, projectionist / Christine Archambault, Mélanie Caillierez, Shelley Gaffe, Danny Kay, Elaine Normandeau, copy editors COSTUMES Dominique Guindon, Sonya Bayer, Heads of Wardrobe / Sandra Chirico, Wardrobe Supervisor / Cassandre Josépovic, Wardrobe Technician / Richard Provost, Hat Maker and Sewer / Fauve Du Tilly-Lefebvre, Pattern Maker and Seamstress / Daniel Beaudet, Anne-Sophie Boucher, Marie-Claire Doyon, Anna-May E. Hutchison, Mélanie Richard, Christine Tremblay, Mireille Tremblay, Seamstress-Sewer / Geneviève Fortin, Head Dresser / Korlaie Bergeron, intern Joël Boudreault, Head Dressers / PDA Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier PROPS Madeleine St-Jacques, Philippe Pointard, Head Props HAIR Pierre Lafontaine, hair department / Manon Alexandre, Karine Deest, Marie-Ève Ménard, Kimberley Murphy, Nathalie Perreault, Hair stylist MAKE-UP Julie Casault, makeup department / Valérie Béliveau, Marianne Bobet, Camiel McLean, Stéphanie Villemaire, Lyzane LaSalle, Lesnix Luis Fernandez Jjmenez, Makeup Artists RUNNER Catherine Germain

Technical Staff Daniel Masse, head stagehand / Julie Latulippe, Martin Jannard, assistant head stagehands / Pierre Veniot, head of sound / André Corbeil, prop master / David Leblanc, chef accessoiriste / Nicolas Bernier, assistant prop master / Charles Denis, head rigger / Eric Piché, assistant head rigger / Saturnin Goyer, head of lighting / Martin Dussault, assistant head of lighting / Claude Pothier, head of video / Christelle Bellini, assistant head of video Stage technical services are provided by: IATSE section locale 56

THANKS TO OUR COLLABORATORS : Les Productions Yves Nicol Inc / Set construction / Project manager: Pierre Dufour TransQuébec / Audiovisual / project manager: Pierre Laporte ShowTex / Production of set elements and projection surfaces / project manager: Christophe Geoffrion Omnison / Sound & lighting / project manager : Jean-Pierre Pelletier PurFX: Jacquelin Duchesne

Technical Staff Annick La Bissonnière, scénographie / Alexandre Desjardins, conception vidéo / Sébastien Dionne, conception des costumes / Eric Champoux, conception de l’éclairage / Architectures from silence (aka Martin Bédard), conception de la bande sonore / Alexandre Lévesque, Alexandre Lemoine, assistants à la conception vidéo

Board of directors CHAIRMAN Me René Branchaud Lavery FORMER CHAIRMAN M. Bernard Stotland CA, CPA, FCA, FCPA Richter S.E.N.C.R.L. /LLP VICE-PRESIDENT Ms. Elizabeth Wirth Wirth-Brand Inc., Wirth Rail Mr Pascal Lépine, MBA, Adm. A. Atypic TREASURER Ms. Sylvie Marois Banque Nationale, Gestion Privée SECRETARY Ms. Alysia Yip Hoi Founding President Maison Alysia MEMBERS Mr Louis Arseneault Université McGill Mr François Carrier Valeurs mobilières Desjardins Me. Bruno-Étienne Duguay NOVACAP Mr Frédéric Godbout, CFA Mouvement Desjardins Me. Joanie Lapalme Fasken Dr François Loubert Clinique médicale Angus Mr Guillaume Marion Diagram Ventures Mme. Louise Roy, O.C., O.Q. CIRANO Ms. Emmelle Segal Administratrice de sociétés Ms. Vanda Treiser Administratrice de sociétés Daniel Turp Professor Emeritus, Université de Montréal Joan Vogelesang President, Joan Vogelesang (JV) Consultants Vickie Zhao Philanthropist

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Le restaurant bivouac présente son menu aux premières loges

Découvrez une expérience gastronomique au coeur du Quartier des spectacles.

Un souper pré-spectacle servi en 45 minutes entre 17h et 18h30.

1255 rue Jeanne-Mance, Montréal QC

Montréal

etatdechoc.com

— CALENDAR — FEBRUARY 9 NOVEMBRE 25,2023 2024 AT 12 P.M. Salle d’art Café Wilfrid-Pelletier vocal

FEBRUARY 9 NOVEMBRE 27,2023 2024 Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier Piano Nobile of the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier

Récital – Café d’art vocal

SEASON LAUNCH

SOCIÉTÉ D’ART VOCAL DE MONTRÉAL

We will unveil the new 24–25 visual identity and Artistic Director Michel Beaulac will give a presentation of each work, followed by a performance with artists of the Atelier lyrique. Wine and nibbles will be served in a relaxed atmosphere following the presentation. Event reserved exclusively for season subscribers. Invitations are to be sent out shortly.

Artists of the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal Matthew Li (bass, 3rd year) and Christopher Gaudreault (piano, 3rd year) give a recital of art songs and works for solo piano by Glinka, Rimsky-Korsakov, Medtner, Tchaikovsky, and Rachmaninoff

MARCH 10, 2 P.M. Auditorium of the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal

MAY 23, 2024 AT 6 P.M. Rialto Theatre

La voix des cordes –

End-of-season concert

SOCIÉTÉ D’ART VOCAL DE MONTRÉAL IN COLLABORATION WITH THE ATELIER LYRIQUE DE L’OPÉRA DE MONTRÉAL

Donor appreciation event reserved for members of our philanthropic community!

(Concert is open to monthly donors of $50 or more)

Concert with the Ensemble Obiora

Experience the close connection between the operatic voice and string instruments.

Contralto Sydney Frodsham and countertenor Ian Sabourin, joined by the Ensemble Obiora conducted by Christopher Gaudreault, will perform works by Walker, Haydn, Schubert, Elgar, Price, and others for your enjoyment.

APRIL 9 NOVEMBRE 7, 9, 11 AND 2023 13, 2024 Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier Théâtre Maisonneuve

Enigma

(Gran Finale)

BURGAN & SCHMITT

Do you really know the person you love? In this opera inspired by ÉricEmmanuel Schmitt's play, Variations énigmatiques, and with music composed by Patrick Burgan, this psychological intrigue takes us to the heart of a bizarre love triangle where tensions are palpable. Two Quebec tenors, Antoine Bélanger and Jean-Michel Richer, are accompanied by the I Musici Montreal orchestra, in an intimate staging. This is the Opéra de Montréal's first co-production with a European company.

4,NOVEMBRE 9 7, 9, 12 AND 14, 2023 2024 Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier

La Traviata

VERDI

How far would you go, in the name of love? La Traviata, one of Verdi's – and of the entire repertoire's – most popular operas, introduces us to a kind of love both unbridled and doomed. Set in Paris in the 1920s, the incredible story of the courtesan Violetta is reimagined through a jazz-age entertainer who has taken the city by storm. Proving that we are never bound to a single path, nor to a single journey.

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Programming Partners

ILL NEVER BREAK YOU W RH VE O L EA F L RT SE .

VERDI

—MAY 4 TO 14 SALLE WILFRID-PELLETIER —