Around the World…
Here’s just a sampling of some noteworthy – and sometimes offbeat – happenings across the globe over the next couple of months.
NORTH AMERICA Now in its fourth year, Luminato is an annual ten-day celebration where Toronto’s stages, streets, and public spaces are illuminated with arts and creativity. From June 11th through June 20th, Luminato is a multi-disciplinary festival of theatre, dance, classical and contemporary music, film, literature, visual arts, design and more. 3.5 million festival goers have experienced Luminato over the past three years.
The opening night hosts a free live outdoor concert, and then Light On Your Feet is a program of free nightly concerts celebrating empowered musical divas. The debut opera Prima Donna written by singer / songwriter Rufus Wainwright makes its North American premier on June 14th.
The closing weekend in Queen’s Park includes President’s Choice® 1000 Tastes of Toronto™, which features the food of Toronto’s top chefs, and Wish Come True festival, with bouncy castles and 12 metre high inflatable characters.
Launched in 2007, Luminato is a charitable, not-forprofit, cultural organization whose vision is to commission and present significant local, national and international programming that reflects the city of Toronto as a diverse and accessible city that engages domestic and international audiences.
www.luminato.com
EUROPE – Under idyllic Provençal skies, this scenic town, popular with some of the world’s greatest artists, thrills audiences with its ever-evolving opera repertoire. Aix’s opera festival, held annually in July, celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2008. Its focus has varied over the years according to the director; since 1998, under Stéphane Lissner, it has commissioned several new operas and featured world-class classical concerts too, most notably the Berlin Philharmonic playing Mahler’s 5th Symphony, and Pierre Boulez both conducting and playing the piano.
2010 Provence festival highlights include Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Rameau’s Pygmalion, Gluck’s Alceste, and Stravinsky’s The Nightingale. There is also a varied programme of concerts perfomed by the Académie Européene de Musique.
Among the various venues are the outdoor Théâtre de l’Archevêché, the restored courtyard of the former archbishop’s palace, and the more intimate Hôtel Maynier d’Oppède. In 2007 the opening of the Grand Théâtre de Provence made it possible for attendance to increase by more than a third, to more than 80,000 people. The Académie Européenne de Musique, a summer school associated with the festival, hosts masterclasses for young talent by renowned musicians.
The rest of this content is for registered users only.
Login now or Register Free Here for full access to all articles, reader offers, competitions, groups and forums.
