Roll out the Red Carpet for Hollywood in the Hills – A night of Opera in the Movies

Locals and opera lovers already now about one of the Hudson Valley’s much-anticipated music events – Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice. As the closing event of its 2022 festival, and in collaboration with the Woodstock Film Festival, the Phoenicia Festival of the Voice Foundation announces an innovative Sunday night concert focused on Opera in the Movies.

This is the perfect ending to this incredible, family-friendly music weekend! Inspired by the foundation’s mission to make opera accessible and relevant to all, the concert will feature performances from world-class soloists, backed by a full chorus and orchestra and interspersed with projected film vignettes on two jumbotrons.

“We want to advocate for this art form, and to debunk its reputation as elitist,” says Festival director Maria Todaro. “We want to show people: ‘Look, you already love opera. It has been in your life all the time.'”

The concert will illustrate how opera has contributed drama and depth to films, connecting people emotionally to some of their favorite movies. Films include “Philadelphia”, “The Shawshank Redemption”, “Moonstruck” and “Fatal Attraction”.

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Hollywood in the Hills
Sunday, August 7th
8:30 pm – 11:30 pm
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Soloists include up-and-coming Chinese-Korean lyric soprano Yulan Piao, who debuted at the Boston Lyric Opera in 2022; Tongan tenor Ta’u Pupu’a, who gave up a career as an NFL football player for the opera; Mexican-born American soprano Kristin Sampson, praised by the New York Times for her “sizable and expressive voice;” and baritone Matthew Gamble, noted for his flexible technique and his collaborative work with, among others, the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. Conducting will be David Wroe, Music Director at the New Jersey Festival Orchestra.

The concert will take place under the stars in the beautiful mountain hamlet of Phoenicia. Audience members can choose chair seating or blanket seating and are welcome to bring a picnic. Food will also be available from Gab’s Veg Table, a food truck featuring local products, or at restaurants in town.

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Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice

The Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice is an annual festival of vocal music held in Phoenicia, New York during the first week of August. The Festival includes a variety of vocal music performances including opera, gospel music, world music, and musical theatre. Now in its 13th year, the Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice mounts world-class productions outdoors in the beautiful Catskills.

Since its creation, the festival has welcomed superstars such as Lucas Meachem, John Osborn, Barry Banks, Morris Robinson, Kevin Glavin, Lauren Flanigan, Jacques DeJohnette, Carey Harrison, Ginger Costa-Jackson, Emily Pulley, Lee Roy Reams, Anthony Laciura, Susan Powell, Richard White, Jerry Steichen, Richard Bernstein and Ricky Ian Gordon. Over the years it has served thousands of appreciative music lovers, becoming a renowned cultural destination and creating a vibrant model of interaction between art and communities.

Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice Foundation

The Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice Foundation promotes the human voice as an instrument of peace, healing and artistic expression, by presenting a diverse range of world-class vocal performances in Phoenicia NY, the Catskills and surrounding areas. Working across a range of musical genres, the Festival seeks to expand the audience for the vocal arts and to discover and develop new vocal talent from around the corner and around the world. The Festival also aims, through mentoring, apprenticeships, and youth programs, to be an asset to the community, as well as an economic engine for the region.

For more information, visit: Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice