Leamington’s Abridged Opera is taking advantage of its location to present an open-air concert Sunday afternoon, Aug. 22.

The concert features three University of Windsor alumni: mezzo-soprano Erin Armstrong (BMus 2007), soprano Brianna DeSantis (BHK 2014), and soprano Alyssa Epp (BMus 2012, B.Ed 2013), accompanied by clarinetist Trevor Pittman of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra and School of Creative Arts, and Toronto-based pianist Bill Shookhoff.

Rounding out the cast are three youth singers — Hayley Romanyk as Bastienna, Julia Martin as Bastien, and Sage Stapleton as Colas “the witch”.

The performance will take place in the backyard of the Abridged Opera farm, located at 209 Mersea Road 6, Leamington. Bring a chair or blanket and come out for a casual afternoon of opera and classical favourites to connect with after so long apart.

Abridged Opera is an independent opera company which condenses classic works without compromising their integrity to provide the essentials of operas, simply and accessibly for all audiences.

Armstrong, the company’s founder and executive director, says it is ready to return to work bringing this grand artform to the Windsor-Essex County community.

“We are so excited to reconnect with our audience after a year apart,” she says. “The reason we make music is because it brings us together and it has never been more important that it is right now.”

Tickets to the Open Air Concert at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 22, are $25, available at https://www.abridgedopera.com/ or by calling 226-346-8372. Reservations are limited.