NEWS RELEASE
ELORA FESTIVAL
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The Elora Festival’s artistic director Mark Vuorinen announced the 41st season program today, offering patrons a broad range of musical experiences with world-class Canadian and international guest artists.
The Festival takes place over three weekends from Friday, July 10, to Sunday, July 26, at the iconic Gambrel Barn, St. John’s Elora and the Elora Centre for the Arts.
Guest artists include soprano Leslie Fagan, mezzo soprano Krisztina Szabó, tenor Lawrence Wiliford, baritone Brett Polegato, soprano Measha Brueggergosman, Canadian Brass, The Gesualdo Six, Confluence Concerts, the Penderecki String Quartet, singer-songwriter Royal Wood, Canadian jazz singer and pianist Laila Biali, COC Competition Winner soprano Midori Marsh, Scrap Arts Music, Autorickshaw, the New Zealand String Quartet, pianist Alexander Tselyakov, clarinetist James Campbell and actor Benedict Campbell.
Artistic Director Mark Vuorinen says: “I am excited to launch the next season of the Elora Festival. At its heart are experiences that will move our audiences with beauty. We celebrate Beethoven along with the world in this year’s festival. We bring the world to Elora with performances by The Gesualdo Six, the Canadian Brass, and Measha Brueggergosman. We experience a world of sound with Autorickshaw and the high energy Scrap Arts Music ensemble. And at the centre of the Festival is our beloved choir-in-residence, The Elora Singers.”
The Elora Singers, one of Canada’s preeminent and versatile professional chamber choirs, will present several a cappella concerts and Evensong services at St. John’s Elora during the festival, in addition to collaborating with many of the festival’s guest artists, including Canadian Brass, Royal Wood and Measha Brueggergosman. The choir will once again present its ever-popular “Singers Unplugged 4.0” concert, and will offer the audience the opportunity to sing popular choral arrangements along with them at the “Sing-In” concert.
New to the festival this year is the inaugural Elora Singers Vocal Academy, which will take place from July 13 – 16. This program will be an opportunity for selected participants to work with The Elora Singers, and be coached by conductor Mark Vuorinen and celebrated vocal artists, tenor Lawrence Wiliford and baritone Brett Polegato, on a broad range of vocal repertoire and all aspects of ensemble singing, art song and oratorio. Academy participants will perform in a concert on Thursday, July 16 with The Elora Singers, both as soloists and as members of the ensemble. There will also be opportunities for our patrons to attend sessions for free. Check our website closer to the festival for details. For more information about the Vocal Academy and application instructions, contact [email protected].
This season also signals a change in leadership for the Elora Festival and The Elora Singers. The board of directors is pleased to welcome Laura Adlers to both organizations as interim executive director. With over 25 years’ experience in the cultural sector in Canada, Ms. Adlers has worked primarily with performing artists and arts organizations in Canada and abroad. She is well-known in the cultural community for her leadership skills and, in particular, for her work with Canadian and international choirs. Her broad range of expertise includes program development, marketing and public relations, project management, fundraising, and stakeholder and community engagement.
Tickets for the Elora Festival are on sale now! They may be purchased online at www.elorafestival.ca , by calling the Festival box office at (519) 846-0331 or in person at the Festival office: The Elora Centre for the Arts, 75 Melville Street.
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