December 01, 2006 -

OTTAWA -- When the special tenth anniversary edition of the annual Black & White Opera Soiree comes to glorious life in Southam Hall of the National Arts Centre on February 17, 2007, some of the best operatic voices in Canada will perform selections from opera’s most gorgeous music. Headlining this spectacular evening -- themed Heroes and Heroines of the Stage – will be superb soprano Measha Brueggergosman and brilliant baritone Gaetan Laperriere. Legendary artist and humanitarian Harry Belafonte will be the host of this fabulous fundraiser. The evening features the versatile Opera Lyra Ottawa Chorus under the direction of Chorus Master Laurence Ewashko and the National Arts Centre Orchestra.

Concert-only tickets for the Black & White Opera Soiree ($75, $65, and $50) will be available on November 13, 2006 at the NAC box office and the Opera Lyra Ottawa box office in person, and via Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at (613) 755-1111.

The Black & White Opera Soiree is presented by Bell Canada, in association with Enbridge Gas Distribution and Casino du Lac-Leamy. Special thanks to the Trico Group, Biddle McGillvray Advertising, the Ottawa Citizen, Le Droit, CBC, Radio-Canada Television, and Couleur 97.1 FM.

The Black & White Opera Soiree is an annual winter benefit for the National Arts Centre Orchestra and Opera Lyra Ottawa, featuring some of the most glorious arias and duets of the opera repertoire. Accessible and entertaining, the evening is a tantalising mix of fine food, high fashion, and some of the most beautiful music ever written.

Noted by the San Francisco Chronicle as, “a singer of rare gifts and artistic intensity” and by the Washington Post for singing with “an all-encompassing warmth and joy, melding honed artistry with youthful enthusiasm,” Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman has emerged as one of the most magnificent artists and vibrant personalities of the day. She is critically acclaimed by the international press as much for her innate musicianship and radiant voice as for a powerfully charismatic stage presence far beyond her years.

Gaetan Laperriere has been described as “...a revolution...a great baritone voice and an actor of perfect naturalness” by La Presse of Montréal and journalists worldwide. Established as one of Canada’s greatest classical artists and a regular favourite at the Canadian Opera Company, the breadth of his lyric baritone repertoire reaches into the heroic Italian roles so suited to his instrument. The Boston Globe hailed him as an “... idealistic Rodrigo, Canadian baritone Gaetan Laperriere was outstanding for nobility of tone, line and characterization.”

The Black & White Opera Soiree proudly showcases Canadian talent, with proceeds divided equally between the National Arts Centre Orchestra and Opera Lyra Ottawa. Since its inception in 1998, the Soiree has contributed more than $1.8 million to help foster Canada’s next generation of talented musical artists through training, mentoring, and showcasing.

The Black & White Opera Soiree takes place on Saturday, February 17, 2007 at the National Arts Centre.

Soiree tickets are $275, which includes a cocktail reception, dinner, concert, and a post-concert party with the stars.
Concert-plus tickets are $175 for the concert and the post-concert party.

Soiree tickets and concert-plus tickets can be purchased through the NAC Foundation at 947-7000, ext.322 or at Opera Lyra Ottawa by contacting 233-9200, ext. 221.

Concert-only tickets are $75, $65, and $50.

Tickets are available at the NAC box office and the Opera Lyra Ottawa box office (in person) and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at (613) 755-1111; Ticketmaster may also be accessed through the NAC’s web-site at www.nac-cna.ca . For more information on the event please visit the websites of the NAC or Opera Lyra Ottawa www.operalyra.ca .

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Information:
Gerald Morris, National Arts Centre
(613) 947-7000, x249
gmorris@nac-cna.ca

Karl Balisch,
Opera Lyra Ottawa
(613) 233-9200, x229
marketing@operalyra.ca

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

MEASHA BRUEGGERGOSMAN
A dynamic repertoire coupled with a profound depth of artistry brings Measha Brueggergosman together with many of the finest international orchestras and most esteemed conductors of our day. During the 2005-06 season, symphonic debuts include performances of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Jahja Ling and the San Diego Symphony and with Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Mozart’s Requiem with Itzhak Perlman and the Seattle Symphony, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with Bramwell Tovey and the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg. Operatic debuts include performances as Madame Lidoine in Dialogues des Carmélites at the Vancouver Opera and as Juno in Joseph Martin Krauss’ Aeneas in Kartago, conducted by Lothar Zagrosek, at the Staatstheater Stuttgart in a new production by Peter Konwitschny.

Measha Brueggergosman is deeply committed to the art of recital, where her programmes are likely to include less frequently heard songs by Bolcom, Chausson, and Turina alongside more familiar works by Mahler, Ravel, and Strauss. Ms Brueggergosman’s busy schedule included solo recitals at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall, the University of Chicago, Louisville’s Hattie Bishop Speed Endowed Series, at the World Expo 2005 in Aichi, Japan under the auspices of the Government of Canada, and in Fredericton, New Brunswick among others.

During the 2004-05 season, she debuted with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin in Strauss’ Vier Letzte Lieder and with the Bonn Philharmonic in Britten’s War Requiem; she also returned to perform with the National Arts Centre Orchestra with Patrick Summers and with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra with Jiri Behlolavek. A North American recital tour brought her to the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Spivey Hall in Atlanta, University Musical Society, and to concert series in Toronto, Montreal, and Winnipeg. European recital appearances included a joint recital with pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet at the Verbier Festival, and debuts at the Bergen Festival and the Tuscan Sun Festival. Other highlights of the season included performances at the Canada Day celebrations from Parliament Hill in Ottawa, appearances on the Juno Awards ceremony broadcast live throughout Canada, a highly acclaimed Christmas program from Ottawa’s Christ Church Cathedral, and a series of recitals – from opera to jazz favourites -- at the Stratford Summer Music Festival.

Highlights of the recent past have included the roles of Liù in Turandot and Sister Rose in Dead Man Walking with Cincinnati Opera, Janá?ek’s Glagolitic Mass with the Stuttgart Philharmonic and Sebastian Weigle, as well as appearances with the San Francisco Symphony conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, performances of the Verdi Requiem with Sir Andrew Davis and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, William Bolcom’s Songs of Innocence and of Experience with Leonard Slatkin and the orchestra and chorus of the University of Michigan (released commercially by the Naxos label), Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 with Hans Graf and the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood, Krzysztof Penderecki’s Credo with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra conducted by the composer, and a solo recital at the Edinburgh International Festival. Ms Brueggergosman participated in the gala re-openings of Roy Thomson Hall and of the University of Michigan’s Hill Auditorium and was an integral part of a Golden Jubilee Gala for Queen Elizabeth II. She also has been honoured to sing for the Prince of Wales, President Tarja Halonen of Finland, Prime Minister Paul Martin and Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson of Canada, and for Nelson Mandela.

So Much to Tell, Ms Brueggergosman’s first solo commercial recording on the CBC Records label, with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra and conductor Roy Goodman, features music by Barber, Copland and Gershwin. Extase, her voluptuous second recording for CBC Records (released in autumn 2005) presented a program of Berlioz’s Les nuits d'été and Massenet opera arias with Yoav Talmi and the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec.

Measha Brueggergosman was awarded the Grand Prize at the 2002 Jeunesses Musicales Montreal International Competition and has been a prizewinner at The Dutch International Vocal Competition's Hertogenbosch, at Wigmore Hall in London, the George London Foundation in New York, The Queen Sonja International Music Competition in Oslo, and the ARD Music Competition in Munich. She also is a recipient of the prestigious Canada Council and Chalmers Performing Arts Grants. She studied at the University of Toronto with Mary Morrison and pursued postgraduate studies in Germany with Edith Wiens. She also has worked with such distinguished musicians as Christoph Eschenbach, Brigitte Fassbaender, Margo Garrett, Håkan Hagegård, Jessye Norman, Rudolf Piernay, and Thomas Quasthoff.

Measha Brueggergosman has been the subject of a full-length feature documentary, Spirit in her Voice, aired by the CBC-TV network and has starred in a short film entitled Go Diva!, which was produced by the BRAVO network. An original streaming video of Measha, launching the Emerging Artist Showcase Series, was recently released on ArtsPass Live! (www.artspass.com) and comprehensive performance and career information can be found at www.measha.com.

GAETAN LAPERRIERE
Gaetan Laperriere is described as "...a revolution...a great baritone voice and an actor of perfect naturalness" by La Presse of Montréal and journalists worldwide. Established as one of Canada's greatest classical artists and a regular favourite at the Canadian Opera Company, the breadth of his lyric baritone repertoire reaches into the heroic Italian roles so suited to his instrument. He recently added the title role of Rigoletto and Scarpia in Tosca with acclaimed performances around the world. The Boston Globe hailed him as an "... idealistic Rodrigo, Canadian baritone Gaetan Laperriere was outstanding for nobility of tone, line and characterization." Additionally, in the U.S. he performs leading roles with the San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Washington Opera, Minnesota Opera, Dallas Opera, Baltimore Opera, Santa Fe Opera, and Boston Lyric Opera.

Recent engagements include the title role in Falstaff and as Capulet in Romeo et Juliette with Opera Lyra Ottawa, Emilio in Filumena with Edmonton Opera and in Banff, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with Anchorage Opera, Germont in La Traviata with Opera Carolina, a return to Boston Lyric Opera as Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, Renato in Un ballo in maschera with Opera Quebecas well as a performance at their Opera Gala, the title role in Rigoletto with Manitoba Opera, Scarpia in Tosca with Michigan Opera Theatre, Emilio in Filumena at the National Arts Centre, and a gala concert with the Lyric International Festival of Vina del Mar in Chile.

Upcoming engagements include Scarpia in Tosca with Teatro Solis of Montevideo and Opera Ontario, Athanael in Thais with Palm Beach Opera, Faure's Requiem with the National Arts Centre, and Amonasro in Aida with Opera Carolina.

Mr. Laperriere's early training took place in the studio of the Canadian Opera Company, and he performed many of the leading lyric baritone roles with the COC. He has performed Valentin in Faust, Marcello in La bohème (telecast by CBC-TV), Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, the Count in Le nozze di Figaro, Rimbaud in Le Comte Ory, Germont in La traviata, Ford in Falstaff, Lescaut in Manon Lescaut, and Germont in La traviata.

With many noted performances in the United States, the baritone has appeared in leading roles with Florida Grand Opera as Germont in La traviata, the Count in Le nozze di Figaro, and the title role in Hamlet, San Francisco Opera as both Germont and as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, Washington Opera as Sharpless, Marcello in La bohème, and Athanael in Thaïs, Minnesota Opera as Germont in the Jonathan Miller production of La traviata, Houston Grand Opera as Sharpless and Marcello, Dallas Opera as Mercutio in Roméo et Juliette, Baltimore Opera as Zurga in Les Pêcheurs de Perles, New Orleans and Santa Fe Opera and Boston Lyric Opera as Albert in Werther, and New Orleans and Santa Fe Opera as Marcello in La bohème. He made his New York debut in Nicholas Muni's controversial staging of La traviata at the New York City Opera. The baritone made his Carnegie Hall debut as Valdeburgo in a concert performance of Bellini's La straniera with the Opera Orchestra of New York. He made his Arizona Opera debut as Zurga in the Brian Deedrick production of Les Pêcheurs de Perles in performances conducted by Cal Stewart Kellogg.

Mr. Laperriere is equally popular in France. He appeared at the at the Opéra de Paris Bastille in Les Dialogues des Carmélites and as Renato in Un ballo in maschera, a role he also performed at the Hong Kong Arts Festival. At Opéra-Théâtre de Metz in addition to the roles mentioned previously, he has also performed Germont in La traviata and Escamillo in Carmen (his Opéra de Nice debut role as well). His Opéra de Marseille debut was in the role of Ottone in L'Incoronazione di Poppea and in Tours he performed Karnac in Le Roi D'Ys at the Grand Théâtre de Tours. Additionally in Europe, the baritone performed Krusina in The Bartered Bride at the Grand Théâtre de Genève and Marcello in a new Pierre Audi production of La bohème at the Netherlands Opera. At the Spoleto Festival (Italy), Mr. Laperriere performed Le Directeur in Les Mamelles de Tirésias. He made his debut at Teatro Comunale di Bologna as Golaud in Pelléas et Mélisande, a role he performed for the first time at Opéra-Théâtre de Metz. He returned to Italy for Billy Budd at Teatro La Fenice.