(Credit: Yves Renaud)

The appearance of opera in the cinemas is not a fad and it is not going away.

The Opéra de Montréal has announced that on Feb. 23, 2020, it will be transmitting Bizet’s “Carmen” to 26 big screens around the Québec area.

The recording that will be presented hails from a May 2019 performance by Opéra de Montréal. It was directed by filmmaker Charles Binamé and featured an all-Canadian cast including mezzo-soprano Krista De Silva, tenor Antoine Beelanger, soprano France Bellemare, baritone Christopher Dunham, and maestro Alain Trudel.

Per a press release, “Opera is the art form that least often gets the opportunity to make its way through Quebec, usually due to technical or budgetary reasons. Yet, opera is very much in demand throughout the province, where Metropolitan Opera broadcasts, among others, enjoy great success, despite the fact that the works presented rarely feature local artists.”