The Festival d'opéra de Québec closed its 15th edition with a free open-air concert titled “Sors tes grands airs!” at Place Jean-Béliveau in front of the Centre Vidéotron. Despite intense evening rain, over 1,000 lyric art enthusiasts enjoyed performances by the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, Les Violons du Roy, and the Opéra de Québec chorus.
The Bottom Line
- The Event: The 15th edition of the Festival d’opéra de Québec wrapped up with a major open-air public concert featuring over 125 artists.
- The Weather Factor: Heavy pre-show rain and a brief mid-concert downpour threatened the outdoor staging at Place Jean-Béliveau, but the performances proceeded successfully for roughly 1,000 attendees.
- The Repertoire: The 90-minute program delivered famous operatic excerpts by Gounod, Bizet, Rossini, Puccini, and Verdi, concluding with a grand ensemble finale.
Weather Drama Fails to Dampen 15th Anniversary Finale
Around 5:30 PM, heavy rain and dark skies blanketed Place Jean-Béliveau in front of the Centre Vidéotron, making the prospects of an open-air concert look grim. Fortunately, the weather cleared just in time, returning only briefly for a twenty-minute window mid-performance without disrupting the schedule.
The event brought together more than 125 artists on stage, uniting the instrumental forces of the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, Les Violons du Roy, and the Opéra de Québec chorus.
A Condensed Program of Operatic Masterpieces
The roughly 1,000 opera lovers who braved the changing elements were treated to a fast-paced, condensed program curated to showcase powerhouse vocalists. The evening opened with Gounod’s Prelude and Prologue from Roméo et Juliette, featuring the Opéra de Québec chorus, followed immediately by soprano Florie Valiquette delivering a commanding rendition of the aria “Ah, je veux vivre.”
As the night progressed, the musical direction shifted through works by Massenet and Saint-Saëns before landing squarely on a dedicated Georges Bizet segment. Artistic and musical director Jean-Marie Zeitouni noted to the audience that Bizet’s Carmen remains a global staple, performed somewhere on the planet every single day. Mezzo-soprano Julie Boulianne delivered a sharp execution of “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle,” while Maestro Zeitouni visibly mouthed the lyrics from the podium to cue his musicians through the dense orchestral textures.
Theatrical Flair and Star-Studded Vocal Turns
The concert leaned into the inherent theatricality of opera during the staging of “Votre toast… Toréador” from Carmen. Performers Julie Boulianne, Carole-Anne Roussel, and contralto Sylvie Brunet-Grupposo traded playful embraces on stage, matched by the expressive baritone delivery of Phillip Addis. Baritone Hugo Laporte similarly energized the crowd during “Largo al factotum” from Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, effortlessly hitting the rapid-fire phrasing while gesturing directly to sections of the open-air audience.
Soprano Carole-Anne Roussel performed “Ebben? Ne andro lontana” from Alfredo Catalani’s La Wally—an aria immortalized for modern audiences by Jean-Jacques Beineix’s cult-classic film Diva. Tenor Frédéric Antoun delivered a polished “O sole mio,” setting the stage for tenor Andrew Hall to draw a visceral response from the crowd with Puccini’s soaring “Nessun dorma.”
| Performance Element | Details & Contributing Ensembles |
|---|---|
| Scale | Over 125 artists on stage, featuring the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, Les Violons du Roy, and the Opéra de Québec chorus. |
| Key Vocalists | Florie Valiquette, Julie Boulianne, Carole-Anne Roussel, Sylvie Brunet-Grupposo, Phillip Addis, Hugo Laporte, Frédéric Antoun, and Andrew Hall. |
| Repertoire Highlights | Excerpts from Roméo et Juliette, Carmen, The Barber of Seville, La Wally, and a grand finale featuring La Traviata. |
Looking Forward to the 16th Edition
The 90-minute evening rushed toward its climax with all featured vocalists returning to the stage for a rousing, celebratory finale. The ensemble delivered “Libiamo ne’ lieti calici” from Verdi’s La Traviata followed by the high-energy “Galop infernal” from Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld.
