May 29 Friday
**NOTE: The opera has 2-3 shows a week rather than one every day, but there wasn't a good way to enter that here. The show dates are May 29-30, June 4-6, and June 11-13, all at 7:30 PM.
A new opera about queer love and the first American woman in space.
Sally Ride follows the real-life story of the first American woman and the first LGBTQ+ person to go to space. Narrated by her life partner, Tam O'Shaughnessy, who consulted on the creation of this work, the opera illuminates parts of Ride's life that remained hidden until her death while celebrating her immense contributions to the field of physics, to the US space program, and to science education.
This world-premier explores the thrills, disappointments, humor, and secrets of Ride's life, taking the audience on a journey of personal exploration and triumph.
Written by composer Dana Kaufman and librettist Aiden K. Feltkamp. Directed by Eliza K. Woodyard.
May 30 Saturday
May 31 Sunday
Jun 01 Monday
Jun 02 Tuesday
Jun 03 Wednesday
Jun 04 Thursday
Jun 05 Friday
Jun 06 Saturday
Franz Joseph Haydn's secular oratorio, first performed in 1801, paints musical pictures of the joys and sorrows of human endeavours, and of nature itself, in the colours of our planet's natural cycles. (Listen for the sounds of croaking frogs and an approaching thunderstorm!).
The work, amongst Haydn's last, took him 3 years to complete; a task that he said nearly broke his back. But this master orchestrator outdid even himself—his instrumentation of the piece from beginning to end is breathtakingly beautiful, and its harmonies are more daring than anything except "Chaos" in his better-known work, The Creation.
Peter Butterfield conducts the 70 member choir, orchestra, and soloists Jennifer Turner, Isaiah Bell, and Stephen Hegedus, who sing the roles of archetypal country folk.Doors will open at 6:30 for a 6:50 pm talk by renowned musician/lecturer Robert Holliston. Festival seating.This concert is presented alongside an art installation, FOR THE SEASONS, of sculpture, drawings and more, which will be open to the public during the week before the performance. Details at vpchoir.ca/upcoming