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Covent Garden Presents House of Rufus: The Music of Rufus Wainwright at the Royal Opera House

Jun. 28, 2011

Rufus Wainwright’s opera Prima Donna receives a concert performance at the Royal Opera House on July 23, marking the grand finale of House of Rufus, an unprecedented weeklong focus on Wainwright and his concert and popular music, and the first residency by a solo artist at the Royal Opera House.

Soprano Janis Kelly reprises the title role of Prima Donna in London, having sung the world premiere in July of 2009 at the Manchester International Festival.  Stephen Oremus leads the Britten Sinfonia, and Rufus follows the opera performance with a performance of his own songs.

Stephen Oremus and the Britten Sinfonia also back Rufus for “Rufus does Judy!” on July 18 and 22, the singer’s tribute concert to Judy Garland in which he reenacts her legendary 1961 comeback concert at Carnegie Hall. The residency also promises to be a family affair, with appearances by Wainwright’s sister Martha and father Loudon Wainwright III.

Stateside this summer, Wainwright sees the debut performance of his orchestral work Five Shakespeare Sonnets in its newly revised version at the Ravinia Festival on August 14 with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra led by Jeffrey Kahane. More details here.

Next season, the New York City Opera presents the eagerly awaited New York premiere of Rufus Wainwright’s opera Prima Donna. Prima Donna was recently awarded a Dora Award in Toronto for most outstanding new opera.  The Dora Mavor Moore Awards celebrate excellence in a number of performing arts disciplines in Toronto and were announced on June 27 at Toronto's St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts. In addition to Prima Donna, Billy Elliot, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and the play Blasted by British author Sarah Kane shared top honors at the ceremony.

For more information on Rufus Wainwright, visit his website at www.rufuswainwright.com.

To find out more about the performance and the Royal Opera House go to www.roh.org.uk

Rufus Wainwright
Prima Donna (2009)
opera in two acts
libretto (Fr) by Rufus Wainwright and Bernadette Colomine
principal roles: Madame Régine Saint Laurent (dramatic soprano), Marie (coloratura soprano), André (tenor), and Philippe (baritone)
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ca. 2:45

Five Shakespeare Sonnets (2010)
for orchestra
I. When most I wink - Sonnet 43
II. A woman's face - Sonnet 20
III. For shame - Sonnet 10
IV. Th' expense of spirit - Sonnet 129
V. Farewell! Thou art too dear - Sonnet 87
3(3.pic).3(3.ca).3(3.bcl).3(1.cbsn)-3.2.3.1-timp.2perc-hp.pno(cel).hpsd-str

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