Last night’s late, late concert at the Conservatory was basically a preview of Bicycle Opera Project’s 2015 season. It’s a bit hard to say what the final show will be like as we got mainly excerpts last night and it just feels really different to be in a formal concert hall compared with the usual venues for BOP. 
Following on the indie opera theme, Bicycle Opera Project have announced details of their 2015 season. Things kick off with a preview concert at 10pm at Mazzoleni Hall on May 21st as part of the 21C festival. It will feature works from this summer’s tour program Shadow Box and the singers will be Alexander Dobson and Graham Thomson along with regulars Stephanie Tritchiew and Larissa Koniuk. Featured works will include The Blind Woman by James Rolfe and David Yee; The Yellow Wallpaper by Cecilia Livingston and Nicolas Billon; (What rhymes with) Azimuth? by Ivan Barbotin and Liza Balkan; “The Dreaming Duet” from The Bells of Baddeck (world premiere) by Dean Burry and Lorna MacDonald; and, what else?, Bianchi: A five-minute bicycle opera by Tobin Stokes. They will also be premiering a new commission; Ride of the Bicycle Bells by Christopher Thornborrow. This mashes together the operatic overture with a special bike-y twist – it’s scored for 11 bicycle bells and one bike horn!
The Bicycle Opera Project has announced dates and rep for their 2014 Ontario tour which will take seven contemporary Canadian operas to 14 towns and cities across Ontario. The singers are soprano Larissa Koniuk (founder of the Bicycle Opera Project), mezzo Stephanie Tritchew (newest member of Calgary Opera’s young artist program), tenor Christopher Enns and baritone Geoffrey Sirett. They will be joined by instrumentalists: Wesley Shen (music director/piano), Chelsea Shanoff (saxophone) and Tristan Durie (flute). Liza Balkan will direct.
operaramblings 