The East Village Opera Company
The East Village Opera Company (EVOC) evokes the emotions of grand opera, giving tunes a modern sound through stimulating arrangements. EVOC plays traditional opera arias on modern instruments, using advanced technologies. What sound like rock renditions of the most familiar arias open up into a range of music genres, giving anyone who has an ear for music a great listen. Canadian Peter Kiesewalter, co-founder of the company, says that classical opera composers, if they were around today, would be creating melodies for guitar, bass, drums, computer and electronic instruments. The string quartet is noted for strong, loud rock backbeat. EVOC’s performances reveal crystal clear lyrics and intense emotions. The clarity of the members’ voices is made possible by sensitive microphones and, according to multi-instrumentalist and arranger Kiesewalter, “we carve out space for the voices.”
The vocalists featured on their first album, Tyley Ross and AnnMarie Milazzo, are exceptional (check out Ross’s “Nessun Dorma” and duets, including “Au fond du Temple Saint" from Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers at http://www.eastvillageoperacompany.com). Ross, the other co-founder of EVOC, demurs at any suggestion he has an operatic voice. What is undeniable is his rare combination of powerful and intimate delivery. Set for release in March 2008, EVOC’s second album features award-winning opera singer, soprano Nicole Cabell.
While composing for a movie together (“one that went straight to DVD,” Kiesewalter chuckles), he and Ross were challenged to provide “something like opera for the movie score.” This sparked a renewed interest in opera. Their 11-piece ensemble made its New York stage debut in the spring of 2004. To their surprise, they garnered a following. Kiesewalter says they expected opera lovers would shun them, but fans loved inspired innovations. They treat arias as pop music, which they were when composed, says Kiesewalter. The careful listener will find text and music phrases that are new or taken from other sources. Echoes of groups such as Queen and The Who meander through tunes usually sung by divas. Ross and Kiesewalter treat the arias with an occasional wink at the over-the-top tendencies, but also with appreciation based on their classical training.
As Canadians, Kiesewalter and Ross enjoy coming home to perform. However, their records are not sold in Calgary but available on their website and through iTunes. For their performance at the Jubilee Auditorium on January 25, the group will perform arrangements from their first album with a sprinkling of songs from their second.
