Arts and Culture

Opera Under the Stars ready to wow audiences

Opera Kelowna eager to return to sharing stories of human emotion

At the heart of opera is musical storytelling, and the power to respond to and reflect every human emotion.

Pair that with an accessible performance in a tranquil location, and an enchanting evening is in store.

That from Rosemary Thomson, the artistic director of Opera Kelowna, which is set to present Opera Under the Stars at the UBCO Campus Wednesday night.

“It brings a certain feeling of magic,” she told Kelowna10. “It’s more of an experience than coming to a theatre. … There is something very special about being outside and hearing this glorious music.”

First presented in 2014, the annual event was deferred due to the pandemic in 2020 and pared down to a streamed version in 2021. Thomson said the entire organization is “delighted and giddy with anticipation” for the show.

With Opera Kelowna’s mainstage performance taking place next week, the evening will showcase a top-notch cast, with singers from across Canada. They’ll be joined by students enrolled in the young artist training program, many of whom are at the end of their undergrad or master's training.

“They all join together on stage to present some beautiful ensembles and big chorus numbers to show people a little taste of opera,” she said. “It’s a real variety. It’s a smorgasbord of opera.”

The setting, she said, adds a level of accessibility to the performance. Not only is it a free show with pre-registration, but bringing together different generations, on picnic blankets and lawn chairs, creates a communal atmosphere. Thomson hopes this helps shatter the notion that opera is only for the elite.

“Historically, opera was the place people would go and hang out. It was like going to a club today,” she said. “We really think that opera can be everywhere and can be for everyone.”

The evening, she said, will be layered with ebbs and flows of varying energy. While there will be a sense of peacefulness and brevity, the serene atmosphere will be intercut with thrill. Thomson said she’s programmed the night with familiar compositions and new pieces from the repertoire.

“Even if you think you’ve never been to an opera, you’ve still heard opera. … It happens on television shows and certainly movie soundtracks,” she said. “People can expect to be transported a little bit.”

And for those nervous about attending, worried the world of opera won’t be for them, Thomson offered this advice:

“It really is an athletic pursuit, but it is married to artistry. [The singers] can evoke in all of us … deeply felt emotion and humour, and exhilaration. It’s a larger-than-life offering,” she said. “It’s just about putting yourself in this live experience. To hear these glorious voices telling these beautiful stories that have stood the test of time for hundreds of years because they are still about human emotion. And that’s what we are in the business of doing, is sharing human emotion.”

Kelowna is eager to give the night a try, as it is sold out, with 300 people on a waitlist. The concert begins at 8 p.m.

Published 2022-08-09 by Tyler Marr

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