On August 22, Joyce DiDonato makes her debut at the Berlioz Festival, joining François-Xavier Roth and his orchestra Les Siècles for a program of French music, including Rameau, Ravel, and Berlioz. Berlioz’s works have been a constant in Ms. DiDonato’s repertoire over the last 20 years. In this concert, she performs the composer’s famous La mort de Cléopâtre.

Also featured on the program are Rameau’s Daphnis and Eglé and Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloé. Joyce’s previous performances of La mort de Cléopâtre were praised by critics and audiences, including her performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was heralded by New York Classical Review, saying, “[DiDonato] exploded with drama from the very first notes. That is always inherent in the sheer sound of her voice, the scope and power of which are exciting on their own. But her commitment to telling the story of the song was complete and intensely felt.”

Photo: Simon Pauly