photo by Giselle Wedemire
Operatic notes and dramatic costumes will soon be a defining cultural feature of Calgary’s summers with the addition of a new music festival to the city’s seasonal repertoire.
Announced on March 27 by Calgary Opera at the East Village Experience Centre the outdoor summer opera festival Opera in the Village will be the first of its kind in Canada. In partnership with The Imperial Oil Foundation the Government of Alberta and Calgary Municipal Land Corporation the annual festival will help to bring Calgarians and their city together in appreciation of arts and culture.
“The arts are one of the things that enhance a community and helps people fall in love with their city” says Bob McPhee general director and CEO of Calgary Opera.
“Participation in cultural and recreational activities like Opera in the Village inspire citizens to feel a sense of pride and belonging in their community.”
The inaugural event runs from August 22 to 25 on the banks of the Bow River in a 900-seat tent. This year’s festival will feature six performances of Gilbert & Sullivan’s swashbuckling classic The Pirates of Penzance and the festival’s site will boast spontaneous opera performances outdoor film viewings sword-fighting demonstrations and a two-week kids’ opera camp.
Despite the hesitance of some opera naysayers Minister of Culture Heather Klimchuk says that the upcoming festival will be a benefit to the East Village — and by extension to the entire city — because of the potential it has to add to the city’s reputation as a culture capital while exposing Albertans to more culture.
“Opera does take some getting used to but you do get lost in it and its beauty. I think it’s good that we expose Albertans to a lot of different things” Klimchuk says.
Tickets for the festival go on sale April 22. For more information visit Calgary Opera’s site or call 403-262-7286.
