Bizet: Life and Times
A 7 part podcast produced by Vancouver Opera in celebration of our production of ‘The Pearl Fishers’
A 7 part podcast produced by Vancouver Opera in celebration of our production of ‘The Pearl Fishers’
Vancouver Opera is bringing back The Pearl Fishers to the stage for the first time in 30 years. As part of our work in exploring and explicating the opera, we have commissioned some thinkers, creators, artists and composers to explore their responses to the opera. More information on our production is here.
You can also download the podcast on all major platforms including Apple Podcasts and Spotify
You probably know that French composer Georges Bizet wrote Carmen, but did you know that he was also a musical prodigy who started composing at the age of nine? Or that composers such as Liszt, Rossini, and Gounod immediately recognized his musical brilliance? Dig into the life of Bizet and meet his musical family.
Beautifully brought to life by actor Felix LeBlanc as the voice of Bizet, this seven part audio series reveals the hidden story behind one of opera’s greatest composers.
ACT ONE
ACT TWO
ACT THREE
ACT FOUR
ACT FIVE
ACT SIX
ACT SEVEN
CREDITS
Written and edited by Kris Epps
Additional editing by Ashley Daniel Foot
Music Supervisor and Clearances: Kris Epps and Ashley Daniel Foot
Sound design by Kris Epps
Associate Producer: Vincent Huynh
Voice cast:
Bizet: Felix LeBlanc
Narrator: Jane Potter
Additional Voices: Ashley Daniel Foot, Travis Baugh Allen, Vincent Huynh
PRODUCTION BIOGRAPHIES
KRIS EPPS — writer, producer, editor, music supervisor, additional music
Over the past ten years, as an award-winning classical pianist Kris Epps has devoted more and more time to accompanying vocalist and instrumentalist, conducting choirs and instrumental ensembles, as well as directing musical theatre productions. As the artistic director of Cantiamo Choral Ensemble in Montreal and the former assistant conductor of the McGill Choral Society, he has performed dozens of well-received concerts.
Kris holds a degree from the Faculty of Music at McGill University. He has studied with Dorothy Morton, Iwan Edwards, Lauretta Altman among others, and at the Golandsky Institute Symposium at Princeton University.
FELIX LEBLANC — Voice of Bizet
Felix LeBlanc is an award-winning actor, singer, dancer, and multi-instrumentalist.
He is a graduate of the Canadian College of Performing Arts, has trained in Clown at the Manitoulin Conservatory for Creation and Performance, stage managed operas and musicals, holds a certification in stage combat from Fight Directors Canada, DJ’d his own radio show, composes and arranges original music, and plays an ever increasing list of instruments.
Making a name for himself as a versatile performer who is always ready for a challenge, Felix has worked all across Western Canada and the territories at Canada’s top theatres, most notably the Arts Club Theatre, Chemainus Theatre, Persephone Theatre (Buddy in Elf: The Musical), The Globe Theatre, Rosebud Theatre (Canadian Premiere of Bright Star), and Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Hall. He has also toured to over 150 Elementary Schools across the prairies as a TYA performer and puppeteer.
Armed with a passion for storytelling and exploring human nature, a seemingly inexhaustible amount of energy, and a love of making noise, Felix’s diverse experiences in all areas of the arts makes him a wonderful asset as an actor and collaborator. A life-long learner, he is excited to be back on the coast to continue his transition to film and television.
JANE POTTER — Narrator
Jane Potter holds an MA in Critical and Creative writing from the University of Gloucestershire, and loves telling stories in all forms: She lives in Victoria, and when she isn’t busy reading and writing, she can be found running a small business, baking in the kitchen, or weeding the garden.