FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Canadian Soprano, Janet Catherine Dea Sings Strauss’ Vier Letzte Lieder

Toronto, ON – March 1, 2010--Canadian soprano Janet Catherine Dea sings Strauss’ Vier Letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs) with Munich-based pianist, Tomoko Okada. Also on the programme: arias by Handel and Mozart, Canto a Sevilla by Turina and folksongs from the British Isles. 3:00 Sunday, April 11th Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Avenue, Toronto Tickets: $20 (advance) $25 (at the door--if available). Tickets may be purchased on-line at www.muzent.com or by calling (416) 429-4502.

Janet Catherine Dea and Tomoko Okada take us on a tour through the rich and varied musical landscape of Western Europe. We start in the German lands with opera arias by Handel and Mozart; warm ourselves in sunny Spain with Turina’s sensuous and colourful Canto a Sevilla; cross the channel for a sampling of beloved folksongs from the British Isles and then finally come full circle to Richard Strauss and his majestic and uplifting Vier Letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs). This marks the 60th anniversary of its premiere performance.

Praised for her sparkling stage presence and beautiful voice, Janet Catherine Dea enjoys a varied career nationally and internationally as a soloist with opera companies, orchestras and in recital. Recent highlights include Britten’s Les illuminations de Rimbaud with Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra and guest appearances with Toronto Philharmonia, and the Canadian Sinfonietta. Miss Dea’s European debut was as Mimi, (La Bohème) (Germany) where she was re-engaged to perform Violetta (La Traviata). Other opera engagements include the title roles in Thaïs, Lucrezia Borgia, Louise, Lucia in (Lucia di Lammermoor) and Donna Anna (Don Giovanni). She has appeared with Manitoba Opera, Opera Ontario, Edmonton Opera, The Canadian Opera Company, and Edmonton Symphony. Last season, as one half of the harp-voice duo ArpaVox, Janet Catherine Dea released the recording Sleeps the Noon in the Deep Blue Sky a collection of folksongs from the British Isles.

Originally from Japan, Tomoko Okada studied at the Hochschule Für Musik, University of Vienna, and for many years was on the musical staff at the Frankfurt Opera and the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich. Currently she is a freelance vocal coach and accompanist traveling frequently to Hamburg, Berlin, London (UK), Toronto and New York working with established international vocal artists and nurturing the next generation of aspiring opera singers.

You may order by tickets by sending a cheque for $20 per ticket to Muzent Productions at the address below, including your return address and your phone number or email.

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For more information, or interview requests, please contact:

Janet Catherine Dea
(416) 429-4502
mail@janetcatherinedea.com

Muzent Productions
12 O’Connor Drive
Toronto, ON M5K 2K2
info@muzent.com