Friday 17 May 2013

Opera’s Triple Threat - A birthday party for Verdi, Wagner & Britten Featuring Cheryl Barker & Stuart Skelton, Sydney Philharmonia Festival Chorus & Orchestra, conducted by Brett Weymark




Saturday 8 June - 2pm and Sunday June 9 -5pm - Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House

Sydney Philharmonia is celebrating three big anniversaries in 2013 (bicentenary of the births of Verdi and Wagner and centenary of the birth of Britten).

In theatre, a triple threat is someone who can sing, dance and act. In opera, we like to think it's a triple treat of music, drama and passion. Our three birthday boys - Verdi, Wagner and Britten - had that in spades. 2013 marks the bicentenaries of Verdi and Wagner, and the centenary of Britten, and we're delighted to be presenting this program of highlights from some of their greatest creations in one concert program devoted to some of their greatest works with a choir of 300+ voices and orchestra conducted by Brett Weymark.

The program includes highlights from: Verdi Otello  (Incl. the love duet Già nella notte densa and the Willow Song), Britten Peter Grimes (Incl. Now the Great Bear & Pleiades and the Embroidery aria) Richard Wagner Tannhauser, Lohengrin and Die Meistersinger.

Stuart Skelton will be performing excerpts from Verdi's Otello for the first time in his career. This will be his only Sydney appearances in 2013 immediately after performing Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex with the London Symphony under Sir John Eliot Gardiner and before he performs in the Paris Opera Ring cycle, Seattle Ring, Melbourne Ring and a return performance with the Berlin Philharmonic under Sir Simon Rattle.

Cheryl Barker returns to Australia after performing Madama Butterfly for Welsh National Opera and before her Tosca for Opera Australia and Desdemona in Verdi's Otello for Opera Queensland.

Opera's Triple Threat
Sydney Philharmonia Festival Chorus and Orchestra

Tickets - $45-$90 (plus applicable booking fees) or  www.sydneyphilharmonia.com.au
www.sydneyoperahouse.com or 02 9250 7777