Opera under the stars for Ottawa festival park opening

The Canadian Opera Company will help open the LeBreton Flats festival park in Ottawa with two free evenings of opera under the stars.

It will be the first time in 29 years the Toronto-based COC has performed in Ottawa.

The National Capital Commission announced the free operas on Tuesday as part of a program to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Ottawa as the nation's capital. Queen Victoria chose the city as thecapital in 1857.

The free operas, conducted by the COC's Richard Bradshaw, will be held June 29 and 30, 2007, expanding Canada Day celebrations.

The rundown LeBreton Flats area, opposite thenew Canadian War Museum, has been redeveloped over the last 15 years into an area that is intended as a cultural destination. It features views of the Ottawa River and Parliament Hill.

The two nights of opera will feature Canadian singing stars, emerging talent from the COC chorus, the COC orchestra and the Opera Lyra Ottawa Chorus.