Test Spin: The East Village Opera Company

Picture opera arias mixed with rock and roll regalia. You may be thinking it seems like an unusual or even bad idea - well its not. The East Village Opera Company is an 11-person group made up of a five-piece band, two vocalists and a string quartet that will just blow you away. This ensemble was co-founded in 2001 and brings familiar classic opera hits into the 21st century. Audiences of all ages will be drawn to the modern musical sounds in their debut album.

Recorded under Canal Records, the group revives timeless tunes from musicians like Mozart and Handel, adding an influence of rock, jazz, pop and the blues. As they refashion traditional Italian opera with keyboards, drums, guitars, synthesizers and a string section, many people agree that they embody what opera would sound like if its composers were still alive today. EVOC is currently playing all over NYC, so you better catch a show before they become too popular.

Archived article by Megan Altman
Sun Staff Writer