Opera Atelier Launches Fall Season With Visionary Film Premiere ANGEL

Opera Atelier has announced a thrilling film premiere of Angel - fully-staged and filmed at St. Lawrence Hall, in strict compliance with provincial health and safety regulations - streaming Thursday, October 28, 2021 at 7pm ET (available until Friday, November 12, 2021).

Angel marks the culmination of composer Edwin Huizinga's commission for the company in association with Associate Composer/Assistant Conductor, Christopher Bagan. The first iteration of the work took place in the Royal Chapel in Versailles in 2017 where Opera Atelier was invited to participate in the official Canada 150 celebrations in France.

The 70-minute film will include stage direction by Founding Co-Artistic Director Marshall Pynkoski C.M., the full corps of Artists of Atelier Ballet with choreography by Founding Co-Artistic Director Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg C.M., and additional solo contemporary choreography created and performed by Artist of Atelier Ballet Tyler Gledhill, and featuring the renowned Tafelmusik - Elisa Citterio, Music Director - under the baton of Opera Atelier Music Director David Fallis.

The production of Angel will include excerpts from John Milton's Paradise Lost, interwoven with Rainer Maria Rilke's mystic poetry in a new translation commissioned by Opera Atelier from American Playwright Grace Andreacchi. It also marks Opera Atelier's first collaboration with The Nathaniel Dett Chorale - Canada's premiere choral group specializing in Afrocentric music of all styles - under the direction of D. Brainerd Blyden-Taylor, and reunites with Canadian filmmaker Marcel Canzona.

"Opera Atelier's Angel explores timeless themes of heroes versus anti-heroes, loss of innocence, isolation and redemption. The story - although loosely chronological, is not meant to be linear," says Marshall Pynkoski, Founding Co-Artistic Director. "It is our hope that the music, text, dancing and staging of Angel will wash over you like a dream."

Alongside soprano Measha Brueggergosman, Angel will feature tenor Colin Ainsworth, soprano Mireille Asselin, baritone Jesse Blumberg, soprano Meghan Lindsay, baritone John Tibbetts (Opera Atelier debut), and bass-baritone Douglas Williams.

The production will showcase new sets and art direction from Opera Atelier Resident Set Designer Gerard Gauci, and costumes by Michael Gianfrancesco and Michael Legouffe.

In addition to Huizinga's original compositions for Angel, the film will include music by William Boyce and Matthew Locke, as well as "Summer 1" and "Winter 1" from Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi - The Four Seasons. Angel marks the first time Richter's recomposition will be played on period instruments.

"It is a privilege to work with the Artists of Atelier Ballet, who are to me, angelic beings who come together to realize a vision of beauty and power," says Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg, Opera Atelier Founding Co-Artistic Director. "For Angel, I have had the great pleasure of working with the music of Antonio Vivaldi as recomposed by Max Richter. This has inspired dances with strong baroque roots - somewhat reimagined, in keeping with Richter's contemporary reexamination of this iconic work."

In addition to the streamed presentation, Opera Atelier will be holding an in-person film screening to celebrate Angel's film premiere on Thursday, October 28, 2021 at 7pm ET at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. The evening will include a special musical performance, film screening, and a post-show Q&A session with Angel's Creative Team. Opera Atelier's in-person event will follow health and safety protocols as outlined by the Government of Ontario, as well as those set by the TIFF Bell Lightbox. For more information, please visit tiff/net/covid-19

Single tickets for the streamed presentation are $30 and on sale now. Tickets for the in-person screening are $99 and go on sale Friday, October 1. Capacity restrictions are in effect; please note that seating is limited. Tickets and information at OperaAtelier.com.