As part of La Virée Classique 2024, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM) presents

Verdi’s majestic Requiem

A work of theatrical proportions, Verdi’s grandiose Requiem features four acclaimed soloists and a vast chorus and orchestra under the direction of Rafael Payare. From the profound lyricism of the solo voices to the commanding presence of the chorus and orchestra and the evocative power of the famous Dies Irae this work will take you on an emotional journey like no other. Experience the power of music!

Artists
Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal
Rafael Payare, conductor
Joyce El-Khoury, soprano

Born in Lebanon and raised in Canada, Joyce El-Khoury has an acclaimed reputation for bringing newly discovered and rarely performed works to life, most recently with the world premieres of Donizetti’s L’Ange de Nisida at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and Franz Liszt’s Sardanapalo with the Weimar Staatskapelle, both recorded and released internationally. Ms. El-Khoury’s discography also includes two other rare Donizetti operas on the Opera Rara label (Les Martyrs and Belisario) conducted by Sir Mark Elder – all to critical acclaim. Her first solo disc, Écho, recorded with The Hallé and conducted by Carlo Rizzi was nominated for a Juno Award from the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in recognition of outstanding achievements in the music industry.

Ms. El-Khoury’s upcoming 2024/2025 season includes two exciting role debuts. First, Joyce debuts the title role in Verdi’s Aida at Opéra de Rouen, adding to her vast experience in the Verdian repertoire. She will also debut the title role in Cherubini’s Médée for her parisian operatic debut at the Opéra Comique. Further on the operatic stage Ms. El-Khoury returns to the role of Tosca, alongside Sir Bryn Terfel as Baron Scarpia, for a concert performance at the Shanghai International Arts Festival and will reprise Médée at Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier. Ms. El-Khoury will be seen and heard in concert in Oman, returns to Verdi’s Requiem with the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, will be a featured soloist in Giacomo Puccini Grand Gala at the Shanghai International Arts Festival and joins the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra for Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9. Future seasons include international operatic & concert engagements in Vienna and Dallas, among others

Rihab Chaieb, mezzo-soprano

Upcoming seasons will be marked by milestones for Tunisian-Canadian mezzo-soprano Rihab Chaieb, including a debut at Opernhaus Zürich as Charlotte (Werther), the title role in Carmen at Glyndebourne Festival and with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Claire (Melancholia) with the Royal Swedish Opera, Dorabella (Così fan tutte) at Seiji Ozawa Music Academy, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Philadelphia Orchestra and returns to the the Bayerische Staatsoper and to the Metropolitan Opera.

Among numerous concert stage appearances, Rihab Chaieb has performed with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra under Kent Nagano and Johannes Debus. She has recorded Bach’s Mass in B minor and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 (on Deutsche Grammophon’s DG Stage) with Orchestre Métropolitain under Nézet-Séguin. She also reprised Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Nézet-Séguin and The Philadelphia Orchestra at Carnegie Hall.

Rihab Chaieb appeared in numerous productions at the Metropolitan Opera as a former member of the Lindemann Young Artist Program. She later returned to the Met singing Zerlina in Don Giovanni under Cornelius Meister.

Oreste Cosimo, tenor

A precociously gifted pianist, Oreste Cosimo decided to devote himself to singing and became the winner of several prominent international voice competitions. He made his debut at 21 as Ismaele in Nabucco, subsequently singing principal roles before being selected by Riccardo Muti in 2016 for the Italian Opera Academy. He was a member of the Accademia del Teatro alla Scala, training with Renato Bruson, Gregory Kunde, Luciana D’Intino, and Vincenzo Scalera and appearing in La traviata, Nabucco and Hänsel und Gretel at La Scala, before moving to Vienna in 2018 to study with Ramón Vargas. Cosimo has held many leading roles in operas from Mozart through Verdi and Puccini for celebrated opera houses under famous conductors. Recent appearances include Rigoletto, La traviata, Lucia di Lammermoor, La bohème, Les contes d’Hoffman, and Lucrezia Borgia, and in the symphonic repertoire, Puccini’s Messa di gloria, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, Mozart’s Requiem, Verdi’s Messa da Requiem, Dvorak’s Stabat Mater and Rossini’s Stabat Mater. 

Adam Palka, bass

Bass Adam Palka has performed on prestigious opera stages around the world, including Teatro alla Scala, Staatsoper Berlin, Staatsoper Hamburg, Staatsoper Stuttgart, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Royal Opera House, Teatro Real in Madrid, Opéra national de Paris, Teatro Massimo di Palermo and Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf.

This season, Palka will perform Filippo II (Don Carlo), the title role in Boito’s Mefistofele and Oroveso (Norma) at the Staatsoper Stuttgart. He’ll also be singing Méphistophélès with the Canadian Opera Company. Other roles this season include Timur (Turandot) and Gremine (Eugene Onegin) at the Gran Teatredel Liceu; Méphistophélès (Faust, Gounod), Don Basilio (The Barber of Seville) and Vodnik (Rusalka) at the Wiener Staatsoper; Verdi’s Requiem with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra; Count Walter (Luisa Miller) at the Staatsoper Hamburg. He will also be returning to the Royal Opera House as Timur.

Palka has also sung Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. with the Stuttgart Philharmonic and Verdi’s Requiem with the Philharmonie de Paris and the Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse

OSM Chorus
Andrew Megill, chorusmaster

Maison symphonique
Friday, August 16, 2024 at 7:00pm
Sunday, August 18, 2024 at 3:00pm

To purchase your tickets, visit: www.placedesarts.com