The Halifax Summer Opera Festival starts rehearsals next week, and among the artists performing with us this season will be members of one of the world’s most exciting period instrument groups, the Canadian Aradia Ensemble, who will accompany our production of Handel’s Giulio Cesare. This will be the first fully-staged Baroque opera performed in Halifax with professional orchestra on period instruments.
Their leader, Kevin Mallon conducted HSOF’s first orchestra last year for our Le nozze di Figaro and we are honoured to have him back this year.
Aradia Ensemble is a not-for-profit music group that specializes in the performance of Baroque music and also performs classical chamber, orchestral and vocal repertoire on period instruments. Aradia endeavours to advance an appreciation and greater public understanding of these repertoires through an annual concert series, tours and recordings.
Aradia is committed to developing and presenting fresh approaches to baroque music by engaging young musicians and embracing creative partnerships that highlight the baroque style through juxtapositions and complementarities with a range of art forms.
Aradia has a long history of involvement with education and outreach activities. The ensemble is the mentor group for The Kingsway Conservatory Strings, and has also worked with opera workshops COSI in Sulmona, Italy and Opera on the Avalon in St John’s, Newfoundland.
Aradia will be joined for our performances of Giulio Cesare by Halifax area musicians on period instruments. You can find more information about Giulio Cesare here, and do check out Aradia’s web site for more information about this extraordinary group!
