Vancouver, BC — Early Music Vancouver (EMV), with Pacific Baroque Orchestra (PBO), and the Vancouver Chamber Choir (VCC) join forces under the baton of Alexander Weimann to present George Frideric Handel’s timeless oratorio Messiah in Richmond (December 12) and Vancouver (December 13).
These three organizations have brought together four acclaimed soloists — Myriam Leblanc, Cecilia Duarte, Jacob Perry, and Sumner Thompson — to breathe new life into Handel’s masterwork.
“Messiah encompasses the comfort of the familiar and the challenge of the yet unheard,” says conductor and PBO Artistic Director Alexander Weimann. “This piece depends on being realized and shared with community in order to release its full impact.”
Echoing that sentiment, EMV Artistic and Executive Director Suzie LeBlanc adds: “When the words ‘And we shall be changed’ resound in the bass and trumpet aria ‘The trumpet shall sound,’ we are invited to choose change for ourselves—from the smallest thought to the most life-changing decision. Like all of life’s most meaningful moments, Handel’s Messiah becomes even more powerful when it’s shared with community.”
Since its premiere in Dublin in 1741, Messiah has inspired audiences worldwide with its beauty and spirit of generosity. Fewer recall that its first performance was a charitable event, raising funds for debt relief and medical aid. This legacy of compassion and connection continues to echo today, making Messiah not only a seasonal tradition but also a celebration of community, humanity, and hope.
Details:
December 12, 2025, 7:00 PM
Fraserview Mennonite Brethren Church, Richmond
December 13, 2025, 7:00PM
The Orpheum, Vancouver
Tickets and information
About Early Music Vancouver (earlymusic.bc.ca)
Early Music Vancouver’s concerts offer a platform for cross-cultural dialogue and exploration of diverse perspectives and relationships with the past. Under the leadership of Artistic/Executive Director, and internationally acclaimed soprano, Suzie LeBlanc, C.M., EMV presents a variety of live performances and digital concerts featuring some of the most renowned artists in the early music genre drawn from all parts of the globe.