Orchestre Métropolitain presents

From the Abyss to the Stars

Two major international opera stars will join Yannick Nézet-Séguin in a sublime search for light. Soprano Janai Brugger delivers a consistently stunning performance of Gloria, the French composer Poulenc’s masterpiece. Mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill will explore profound human suffering to find glimmers of hope in her performance of Psalm 130, “Out of the Depths.” Listen closely to the parallels between these two choral works and discover how Poulenc was inspired by Lili Boulanger’s musical writings.

The first successful American female composer drew on her Irish roots to compose the Gaelic Symphony. She paints a masterful portrait of the resilient migrants who, despite all their challenges, manage to keep the flame of their culture alive through folklore.

Artists
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor
Janai Brugger, soprano

American soprano, Janai Brugger, the 2012 winner of Operalia and of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, made her television debut last season when she sang a specially-written requiem composed by Laura Karpman for an episode of HBO’s renowned ‘Lovecraft Country.’ She returned to Mahler’sFourth Symphony with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and The Philadelphia Orchestra, and revived a favourite role, Pamina Die Zauberflote for performances at Palm Beach Opera’s first Outdoor Opera Festival. More recently she appeared as Michaela Carmen at Cincinnati Opera and returned to Dutch National Opera for their acclaimed Missa in tempore Belli (Haydn) conducted by Lorenzo Viotti and directed by Barbora Horáková.

In a recent season, the artist appeared at the Metropolitan Opera in the role of Clara in their celebrated new production of Porgy and Bess in which she’d previously appeared at Dutch National Opera. At Lyric Opera of Chicago she sang the role of Ilia Idomeneo and at Cincinnati Opera she appeared as Susanna Le nozze di Figaro. In her artistic home at Los Angeles Opera, she sang the role of Servilia La Clemenza di Tito, a role she previously sang at Dutch National Opera.  Miss Brugger travelled to the Royal Opera House Covent Garden for revival performances of Pamina Die Zauberflöte and sang the role of Liù Turandot at Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Karen Cargill, mezzo-soprano

Scottish mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill’s concerts in 2023/24 include returns to The Metropolitan Opera for Verdi’s Requiem, to the Philadelphia Orchestra for Alma Mahler songs, and to the Rotterdam Philharmonic for a concert tour of Die Walküre (Fricka), all conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin; to the Boston Symphony for Bartók’s Duke Bluebeard’s Castle (Judith) with Karina Canellakis, the Chicago Symphony for Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with Esa-Pekka Salonen, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin for Tristan und Isolde (Act 2) and the Wiener Symphoniker for Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde, both conducted by Robin Ticciati; and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra for Berlioz’ La mort de Cléopȃtre with Maxim Emelyanychev.

On the operatic stage, following her critically acclaimed performance as Mère Marie in Barrie Kosky’s new production of Poulenc’s Les Dialogues des Carmelites in 2023, she returns to the Glyndebourne Festival for Tristan und Isolde (Brangäne) conducted by Robin Ticciati.

She is Patron of the National Girls’ Choir of Scotland and in 2018 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She sang in the National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication for King Charles III following his Coronation in 2023.

Chœur Métropolitain
François A. Ouimet and Pierre Tourville, chorusmasters

Program
Amy BEACH, Gaelic Symphony
Lili BOULANGER, Psalm 130 “Out of the Depths”
POULENC, Gloria

Maison symphonique
Saturday, February 3, 2024 at 2:00pm
To purchase your tickets visit: www.placedesarts.com