Les Violons du Roy with Stephanie Blythe and Bernard Labadie

Superstar mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe joins the stellar ensemble Les Violons du Roy in a program of Gluck and Handel, whose operatic roles she has sung to great acclaim. Named after the string orchestra of the court of the French kings, the Canadian chamber ensemble Les Violons du Roy has distinguished itself with performances of vitality and interpretive brilliance, under the direction of notable conductor and early music specialist Bernard Labadie. The "powerful ensemble" plays with "remarkable tightness and focus" (New York Times), on conventional instruments using Baroque bows and period-specific performance techniques.