Opera & Arias Returns to Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival

Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival presents its annual Opera & Arias concerts, bringing the most gorgeous melodies to life - from La Traviata, Rigoletto, Carmen and more. Enjoy the 30th season of Bard on the Beach by attending a live performance of these best-loved opera selections which are sure to seduce, delight and inspire.

The rising stars of the UBC Opera Ensemble and members of the Vancouver Opera Orchestra bring Opera & Arias: Verdi and More! to Vanier Park on two Mondays in late August and early September. UBC's Nancy Hermiston, who was recently inducted into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame, directs this in-concert staging. Mestro Leslie Dala leads the musicians and all performances are hosted by Christopher Gaze, the Artistic Director of Bard on the Beach. As a special highlight, internationally acclaimed soprano and UBC Opera alumni Simone Osborne will be a featured performer in all four concerts.

"I'm so pleased to bring some of the most beautiful music from the best-loved operas to our audience" says Gaze. "I remember Simone when she was a teenager in one of our Young Shakespearean workshops - she has now become one of Canada's finest Opera singers and loved and respected far and wide. We look forward to having her back on the Bard stage with the tremendous talent of the UBC Opera Ensemble and the Vancouver Opera Orchestra. This is a concert you won't want to miss!"

The UBC Opera Ensemble was created in 1995 by Professor Hermiston and draws from advanced students in the UBC School of Music. "We welcome Simone Osborne back to her UBC alma mater with much love, admiration and deepest gratitude for joining us once again on the stage" says Professor Hermiston. This year's program, Verdi and More! will feature both familiar and debut soloists, with a cast including: Simone Osborne, Andrea Wyllie, Ian McCloy, Dae Hyun Justin Cho, Thomas Lamont, Iorwerth Lewis, Alyssa Samson, Carleigh Ross, Philip Wing, Liam Robertson, Benson Temple, Rafael Laurindo, Sodam Lee, Sydney Frelick, Magdalena How, Luka Kawabata, Hyum Seung Son, Turgut Akmete, Ian Cleary, Irem Ince, Yenny Lee, Kurt Ward-Theiss, Taryn Plater, Hope Nelson, Tessa Waddell, Amanda Na, Julia Johnstone, Nia Lewis, Maya Goell, Christopher Nakatani, Sarah Sum, Juliana Cook, Leila Kirves, Sarah Anderson-Caulfield, Marina Agasian, Abigail Ayala, Alanah Ellsworth, and Justin Chen.

Matinee performances (2pm) and evening performances (7:30pm) are on Monday, August 26 and Monday,

September 2. The concerts are on Bard's BMO Mainstage, backed by a spectacular vista of mountains, sea and sky.

Ticket prices include all applicable fees & taxes and begin at $26; youth price available. Early booking is recommended for best seat selection, as many performances sell out in advance. Full pricing information and site and event details are on the Bard website at bardonthebeach.org. To book tickets, call the Bard Box Office at 604-739-0559 or (toll free) 1-877-739-0559 or order online through the Bard website.