For over 20 years, the French/American baroque heritage preservation society Les Arts Florissants has hosted Le Jardin des Voix, a vocal academy intensive culminating in an international tour, intended to cultivate the next generation of baroque singers. For the 2023 edition, nearly 170 candidates from around the world were auditioned by co-musical directors William Christie and Paul Agnew, to take part in the performance of Henry Purcell’s exhilarating opera, The Fairy Queen. Eight soloists, selected from all over the world, perform alongside contemporary dancers from the Compagnie Käfig and musicians from the Les Arts Florissants orchestra. This original—and U.S. premiere—production of Purcell’s musical fable, conducted by Agnew, marks Les Arts Florissants’ first collaboration with choreographer and director Mourad Merzouki (making his operatic directorial debut) and his Compagnie Käfig dance corps, joined here by two young American dancers from The Juilliard School. Renowned for his fusion of classical influence and contemporary innovation, Merzouki’s production at Lincoln Center promises a unique, visually spectacular and emotionally powerful staging. Freely inspired by Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Fairy Queen invites us to plunge into an enchanting and playful universe.
Henry Purcell’s opera, “The Fairy Queen,” performed by Les Arts Florissants (Julien Gazeau)
