February 02, 2004 -

Ottawa, Canada -- The sensational opera star Denyce Graves will headline this year’s annual Black & White Opera Soirée on Saturday, February 21, 2004 at 20:00 in the National Arts Centre’s Southam Hall. The programme will include excerpts from the two operas for which the mezzo-soprano is most famous: Bizet’s Carmen and Saint-Saëns’s Samson et Dalilah. The American superstar is joined by Canadian bass-baritone James Westman. Distinguished Canadian actor Albert Millaire hosts the Soirée. The concert features the National Arts Centre Orchestra conducted by James Judd, as well as the Opera Lyra Ottawa Chorus prepared by Laurence Ewashko.

The seventh annual fundraiser in honour of the National Arts Centre Orchestra and Opera Lyra Ottawa is presented by Bell Canada in association with Enbridge Gas Distribution and Scotiabank. Special thanks go to Ernst & Young, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt, Nortel Networks Limited, Audi /Mark Motors of Ottawa Ltd., Petro-Canada, Telus, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, The Ottawa Citizen, Le Droit, CBC/Radio-Canada, B!ddle McGillvray Advertising, and The Lowe-Martin Group. Denyce Graves’ visit is supported by the United States Government CultureConnect Program.

Denyce Graves will perform the famous “Habanera” from Carmen, and the Opera Lyra Ottawa Chorus will present excerpts from the final Act. From Samson et Dalila Graves and James Westman will sing “Il faut pour assouvir ma haine” and an entire scene from Act II including “Mon cœur s’ouvre à ta voix”, with the Chorus adding “L’aube qui blanchit” and the NAC Orchestra performing the “Danse bacchanale”. Denyce Graves will also sing De Falla’s “Alli Esta! Riendo” from La Vida Breve.

The NAC Orchestra and Opera Lyra Ottawa Chorus will perform selections from Rossini’s William Tell: “Quel jour serein”, the Chorus and Dance from Act I, and the Ballet (Pas de six). The chorus will also add “Che interminabile” from Donizetti’s Don Pasquale.

Recognized worldwide as one of today's most exciting vocal stars, Denyce Graves continues to gather unparalleled popular and critical acclaim in performances on four continents. Her career has taken her to the world's great opera houses and concert halls. Denyce Graves has become particularly well-known to operatic audiences for her portrayals of the title roles in Carmen and Samson et Dalila. These signature roles have brought her to the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna Staatsoper, Royal Opera - Covent Garden, San Francisco Opera, Opéra National de Paris, Lyric Opera of Chicago, The Washington Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper, Arena di Verona, Deutsche Oper Berlin, and the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. She made her National Arts Centre Orchestra debut at Festival Canada in 1998.

Originally from Stratford, Ontario, James Westman was baritone in residence with the San Francisco Opera Adler's Fellowship program until March 2000.  His performances at the San Francisco Opera include: Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, Marcello in La Bohème, Germont in La Traviata, Renato in Un Ballo in Maschera, Sid in Albert Herring and the First Philosopher in Louise. Recently, James Westman sang his first Posa in Verdi’s Don Carlo in Graz, Austria, and returned to the Canadian Opera Company as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly and to Opera Theatre of St Louis as Athanael in Massenet’s rarely heard Thaïs.  He also made his debut with the Manitoba Opera as Guglielmo in Così fan tutte.

Renowned Canadian actor Albert Millaire will host. This eminent performer has played some of the most important roles and produced some of the finest plays to be presented on the stages of Canada, the United-States and Europe. Albert Millaire also studied opera staging in London’s Covent Garden and has since produced works such as Manon by Massenet, Die Entführung aus dem Serail by Mozart and Les Pêcheurs de perles by Bizet. On television, Albert Millaire has been seen in Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Rainbow Country, Road to Avonlea along with numerous productions by La Télévision de Radio-Canada.

James Judd made his debut with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in 1995, and returned twice in 2002 to conduct concerts featuring Pinchas Zukerman as soloist. The British-born conductor is Music Director of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. In addition to embarking on a sizable series of recordings with the orchestra for the NAXOS label – including the complete orchestral works of Leonard Bernstein – he has brought the orchestra international acclaim. He has conducted in the great concert halls of Europe, including the Salzburg Mozarteum and Vienna’s Musikverein; and has made guest appearances with such prestigious ensembles as the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony, Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig, Prague Symphony and the Mozarteum Orchestra of Salzburg.

The 12-member fundraising committee is chaired by Guy J. Pratte of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. The proceeds from this joint fundraiser will help maintain and further develop the artistic excellence of the National Arts Centre Orchestra and Opera Lyra Ottawa.

Soirée tickets for $275 and $375 include a gourmet pre-concert dinner, prime seating for the concert itself, and a post-concert reception with the stars. Corporate tables are also available. Tickets to the concert and reception only can be purchased for $175. For information about these tickets please call the NAC Foundation Office at (613) 947-7000, ext. 322.

Tickets to the concert alone are $45.00, $60.00 and $75.00. These tickets are on sale at the NAC or Opera Lyra Ottawa Box Offices or through Ticketmaster at (613) 755-1111 (with applicable surcharges).  Ticketmaster may also be accessed through the NAC’s web-site at www.nac-cna.ca and Opera Lyra Ottawa’s website at www.operalyra.ca.

Information:
Jane Morris, National Arts Centre
(613) 947-7000, ext. 335
jmorris@nac-cna.ca

Laïla-Gabrielle Côté, Opera Lyra Ottawa
(613) 233-9200, ext 229
www.operalyra.ca