The following just in from arguably Toronto’s most exciting opera company; Against the Grain Theatre.  So a party, György Kurtág’s Kafka Fragments and Leoš Janáček’s The Diary of One Who Disappeared (with the brilliant Jacquie Woodley) and Figaro’s Wedding; a Toronto centred reworking of the Mozart classic with an orchestra for the first time.  Following on from successes like their Tranzac based La Bohème and a brillian The Turn of the Screw, this looks very exciting.

Full details, links for tickets etc, below the fold.

December: A Very AtG Holiday Party

On Dec. 15, 2012, we’re hosting an AtG-style carol sing-along at SIX20SEVEN, an art gallery at 627 Queen St. W. The event doubles as a fundraiser, and features past and present AtG artists as soloists, group choruses, a bring-your-own-music-and-belt-it component, and possibly even a Hora if the mood strikes. Backed up by the Mississauga Festival Chamber Choir under the direction of David Ambrose, this is decidedly an adults-only event – we’re really excited about the spiked egg nog sponsored by Jim Beam Global. The celebration begins at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets are $25. Buy them here:
http://againstthegraintheatre.ticketleap.com/a-very-atg-christmas-party

March: György Kurtág’s Kafka Fragments and Leoš Janáček’s The Diary of One Who Disappeared

The 2013 line-up begins with a double bill of two of our favourite works on March 1 & 2, 2013 at the Extension Room, a yoga and dance studio at 30 Eastern Ave. First on the program is a performance of György Kurtág’s Kafka Fragments, a song cycle based on excerpts from Franz Kafka’s letters and diaries, featuring soprano Jacqueline Woodley, (who you might know from the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio), and violinist Kerry DuWors. Rounding out the double bill is The Diary of One Who Disappeared, a song cycle by Leoš Janáček that tells the story of a farmer’s son who leaves home for the love of a gypsy woman. We’re proud to present mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal and sopranos Leslie Bouza, Eugenia Dermentzis and Sarah Halmerson. Staged by Ivany with musical direction and accompaniment by Mokrzewski, the presentation will be designed by Stratford Festival regular Michael Gianfrancesco.

Buy tickets here:
http://againstthegraintheatre.ticketleap.com/kafka-janacek-kurtag/

May-June: Figaro’s Wedding

If you’re like us, you love Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, but you’ve never seen it quite like this. We’ll be presenting Figaro’s Wedding on May 29, 30, 31 and June 2, 2013. It will involve a contemporary re-imagining of the setting, a new English translation by Ivany, and a cast including soprano Miriam Khalil as Susanna (remember her phenomenal performance in The Turn of the Screw?), bass-baritone Stephen Hegedus as Figaro, soprano Lisa DiMaria as the Countess and baritone Alexander Dobson as the Count. And, a first for us, we have a chamber orchestra this time: the Music in the Barns ensemble. All performances begin at 8 p.m. and take place on the sixth floor of The Burroughes, 639 Queen St. W.

Buy tickets here:
http://againstthegraintheatre.ticketleap.com/figaros-wedding/