Festival International de Jazz de Montréal

Presents the Montreal Premiere of
Rufus Wainwright’s Prima Donna:
A Symphonic Visual Concert 
July 2, 3 at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier

Rufus Wainwright, piano and vocals

Film directed by Francesco Vezzoli, with pioneering American artist Cindy Sherman playing Maria Callas
 

As seen in Vanity Fair : “Rufus Wainwright Gives Opera a Facelift…The singer-songwriter enlisted Cindy Sherman and Francesco Vezzoli to create a visual spin on his 2009 opera, Prima Donna”
 

March 1, 2016 (New York, NY) — The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal (FIJM) presented by TD in collaboration with Rio Tinto, will welcome Rufus Wainwright to its 37^th Edition, as he presents the Montreal premiere of Prima Donna: A Symphonic Visual Concert on July 2nd and 3rd at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier in the Place des Arts (complete details below).  An artist accustomed to doing things on a grand scale, Wainwright brings his memorable work Prima Donna to new life in a symphonic visual evening residing at the crossroads of lyric opera, cinema and symphonic pop. 
                                                                                                                                                
Prima Donna relates the story of the world’s most acclaimed soprano, Régine Saint-Laurent, as inspired by soprano Maria Callas and explores the themes of doubt, old age and art. In part one, Prima Donna is presented as a concert adaptation of the opera, with an orchestra led by American conductor Jayce Ogren, featuring soprano Lyne Fortin, tenor Antonio Figueroa and American soprano Kathryn Guthrie. The performance is accompanied by the artists’ new film installation of the work, directed by Francesco Vezzoli, with pioneering American artist Cindy Sherman playing Maria Callas.

In part two, Wainwright will present symphonic arrangements of his greatest hits on piano accompanied by orchestra, performing favorites including “April Fools”, “Little Sister”, “Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk” and “Oh What a World”.
 
Wainwright is well known for his triumphs at the FIJM which included an astonishing opening concert on the Place des Festivals in 2012 as well as three sold-out solo concerts at Théâtre du Nouveau Mondes in 2009.  Eight years after composing Prima Donna - the most ambitious work of his career - the beloved Montréal artist (a confirmed, passionate opera devotee since his youth) will finally present the work in his home city of Montréal.  The concerts are a long-awaited rendezvous in the city where he grew up and evolved artistically, from his very first moments onstage to his storied international career of today.