Joyce El-Khoury Sings Puccini at the Castleton Festival

Rising young Canadian soprano Joyce El-Khoury appeared in Toronto last week with Lorin Maazel and the Castleton Festival Orchestra at the BlackCreek Festival. She was one of the soloists in Mendelssohn's Incidental Music for a Midsummer Night's Dream. She has quickly become one of Maazel's favourite singers. This summer she is singing Mimi in the Castleton Festival's production of Puccini's La Boheme, and the reviews have been outstanding. In this video she sings "Senza mamma" from Puccini's Suor Angelica with Maazel in the pit, at last year's Castleton Festival.

The Castleton Festival was started in 2009 by Lorin Maazel and his wife Dietlinde at their farm in Virginia as a training opportunity for young singers and musicians. It has quickly grown into an important international festival. For more about the Castleton Festival visit their website at www.castletonfestival.org.

- Paul E. Robinson