Les Violons du Roy to perform Handel’s Theodora The Montrealer April 11, 2013 4233 Quebec City: Les Violons du Roy finishes the season with a bang on May 23, 24, and 25 s Bernard Labadie conducts the Quebec premiere of one of Handel’s greatest oratorios—Theodora. La Chapelle de Québec and Les Violons du Roy share the stage with an outstanding cast of soloists uniting five of the brightest stars in the Baroque firmament today. Les Violons du Roy and La Chapelle de Québec, renowned for their interpretation of the Messiah, have in Handel’s Theodora another Handel oratorio on which to work their musical magic. Two fine vocalists will be brought together for this performance: soprano Karina Gauvin and contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux. Also in this renowned group are tenor Allan Clayton, currently in the running for this year’s International Opera Awards in the Young Singer category, and bass-baritone Andrew Foster-Williams, whose remarkable career includes a widely noted appearance in Les Violons du Roy’s 2009 performance of Handel’s Messiah. Theodora was premiered in London in 1750, eight years after the Messiah, and recounts the legend of 4th century Christian martyrs Theodora and Didymus. Handel was particularly proud of this magnificent work and considered it to be among his most accomplished oratorios. Theodora by Handel Bernard Labadie, conductor Karina Gauvin, soprano (Theodora) Iestyn Davies, countertenor (Didymus) Marie-Nicole Lemieux, contralto (Irene) Allan Clayton, tenor (Septimius) Andrew Foster-Williams, bass-baritone (Valens) With La Chapelle de Québec The May 23 and 24 concerts will take place at 8 p.m. at Quebec City’s Palais Montcalm and the May 25 performance is at 7:30 pm at Maison symphonique de Montréal. For tickets, please call the Place des Arts Box Office: 514-842-2112 or 1-866-842-2112 or online: www.laplacedesarts.com For information about the 2013 – 2014 expanded concert season for Les Violons du Roy in Montreal, please visit: www.violonsduroy.com The 2013-2014 Season at Maison Symphonique and Salle Bourgie Bernard Labadie, the Founder and Conductor of Les Violons du Roy and the vocal chorus La Chapelle de Quebec are celebrating their 30th Anniversary with the 2013-2014 Season. The orchestra travels the world, and is especially popular in New York City where they perform at Carnegie Hall. This year’s Montreal season includes 4 concerts at Place des Arts’ Maison Symphonique. This includes two special pre-Christmas performances on December 20 and 21 with composer Michel Legrand and Metropolitan Opera star Natalie Dessay. They will perform Legrand’s many unforgettable hit songs as part of an international tour. Legrand first performed with Les Violons du Roy last September and the concert was a huge success. Tickets are now on sale, and Grand Rendez-vous subscribers have until April 22 to purchase preferred seating to this extra concert.
