Orchestra London and the Canadian Operatic Arts Academy (COAA) have just announced a partnership that will result in the continuation of an annual, fully staged annual professional opera production in London.  Together the organizations will present Georg Friedrich Händel’s Giulio Cesare June 3, 5 &6, 2010 at London’s Grand Theatre.

Orchestra London previously presented five fully staged professional operas from 2005-2009, including Mozart’s The Magic Flute and Puccini’s Madama Butterfly in tandem with Pacific Opera Victoria.  “The previous productions were extremely successful both artistically and with the public, with rave reviews and sold-out houses,” says Orchestra London Executive Director Joe Swan. “This emerging collaboration with COAA allows us to maintain the artistic quality Londoners have come to expect with a sustainable business model.”

The COAA is a three-week intensive opera training program based at the University of Western Ontario‘s Don Wright Faculty of Music, which recruits faculty and students from all over the world.  The Giulio Cesare artistic team will be lead by Director Timothy Nelson, COAA’s Artistic Director and founder of American Opera Theater; and Conductor Timothy Vernon, Orchestra London’s Music Director.  Starring in the lead role of Cesare is counter tenor Drew Minter, who appeared in Peter Sellars’s film version of Giulio Cesare. Italian-Canadian soprano Lucia Cesaroni, who appeared in Orchestra London’s 2009 production of The Magic Flute, stars as Cleopatra.

“We are delighted to work with Orchestra London to continue professional opera in London,” says Sophie Louise Roland, General & Artistic Director for COAA. “This is a great opportunity for COAA to contribute artistically to the project and for our young artists to receive mentoring from the professionals,” she adds.

For more information about the project, please visit here.