CSC's Matthew Jocelyn To Direct An Opera in France, Belgium and Germany In 2010

Matthew Jocelyn, The Canadian Stage Company's new Artistic & General Director and an internationally acclaimed director of theatre and opera, will be directing the opera Julie in France this month in addition to a variety of operas in France, Belgium and Germany in 2010.

Jocelyn will direct Julie by Belgian composer Philippe Boesmans, based on Strindberg's classic play Miss Julie, at Théâtre d'Orleans in France on November 12 and 13, 2009. The production, starring mezzo-soprano Carolina Santos, baritone Alexander Knop and soprano Agnieszka Slawinski, will embark on a multi-city tour of Belgium and France, including a stopover in Paris at Théâtre de l'Athènèe-Louis Jouvet, January 8 to 13, 2010.

In March 2010, Jocelyn will direct an evening of three one-act operas including Erwartung by Arnold Schönberg, Das Gehege by Wolfgang Rihm and the world premiere of Le Bal by Oscar Strasnoy, based on the novel by Irène Némirovsky, at the Hamburg Staatsoper, one of Germany's national opera houses. Jocelyn also wrote the libretto for Le Bal, the first commission of a new opera at the Hamburg Staatsoper in over a decade. The triple bill runs March 7 to 26, 2010.

During the first half of 2010, Lucia di Lammermoor, Donizetti's tragic opera directed by Jocelyn, returns to Oper Frankfurt. Jocelyn originally directed the production for Oper Frankfurt in October 2008. The production was remounted in May 2009 and returns January 28 to February 28 and again May 1 to 16, 2010 as the most-often performed production of the Company's 2010 season.

Originally from Toronto and later based in France, Matthew Jocelyn was appointed Artistic & General Director of The Canadian Stage Company in February 2009. Jocelyn is an internationally acclaimed producer and director of theatre and opera as well as an arts administrator and educator. He was the Artistic and General Director of the Atelier du Rhin in Alsace, France for 10 years. He was responsible for establishing the organization as a major centre for theatre, opera and contemporary dance - the only multi-disciplinary artistic centre of its kind in France. In addition to his administrative and financial roles, he directed a number of productions at the Atelier du Rhin. He was named Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters), by France's Ministry of Culture in July 2008, one of the country's most prestigious arts honours. His professional credits also include: founding Théâtre de l'Autre Rive and Théâtre Des-Hérités in Paris; directing at the Centre de formation lyrique of the Paris National Opera over three seasons; directing theatre and opera, including original work and translations, throughout much of western Europe; guest director at Canada's Stratford Shakespeare Festival where he received critical acclaim for his production of Pierre Corneille's The Liar (Le menteur) in 2006. He has taught intermittently at the University of Toronto, the American University of Paris, the Université de Toulouse-le Mirail and the Conservatoire National Supérieure d'Art Dramatique in Paris.

Nationally and internationally acclaimed, The Canadian Stage Company is Canada's leading not-for-profit contemporary theatre company. Founded in 1987 with the merger of CentreStage and Toronto Free Theatre, the Company is dedicated to producing international contemporary theatre and to developing and producing landmark Canadian works which have been awarded some of the country's most prestigious literary and performing arts honours, including the Governor General's, Chalmers and Dora Mavor Moore Awards. The Company presents the richest variety of Canadian and international plays and musicals - from edgy and provocative work at the Berkeley Street Theatre to Popular Productions at the Bluma Appel Theatre and a summer of Shakespeare at the TD Dream in High Park. Canadian Stage has a long-standing commitment to education and enhancement programs for the public, nurturing theatre professionals, and developing new Canadian plays, while producing thought-provoking theatre and quality entertainment in Toronto, one of North America's largest theatre centres. For more information, refer to canstage.com.

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