Let’s call it Rockpra. The deliriously refreshing combination of rock and opera, melding a five-piece rock band and a string quartet, to produce a sound that is powerful and unexpected. “If Mozart had an electric guitar you better believe he would have used it, and this is what it would sound like,” says Ben Richgruber from the Eau Claire Regional Arts Center. The East Village Opera Company commands your presence on Monday, Nov. 10 at the ECRAC. This New York City company performs full-length pieces of classical legends like Puccini, Bach, and Mozart, and infuses it with everything from R&B to 70’s pop. While the band itself consists of nine musicians (including vocalists), East Village Opera used 65 musicians and 10 different studios globally to produce their album, creating an even richer sound for the record. Richgruber says this all started in 2004 when co-founders Peter Kiesewalter and Tyley Ross had to perform a classical piece. Finding it hard to stray from their own style and instincts, they added modern instruments. And the rest is history.  Signed with Decca/Universal, East Village Opera not only won an Emmy for their PBS special “EVOC LIVE,” but also performed for the Sundance Film Festival and the world-premiere of the Da Vinci Code in Hong Kong. And this November, they bring Rockpra to the Chippewa Valley.

    East Village Opera Company • Monday, Nov. 10 • The Eau Claire Regional Arts Center • 7:30pm • Box $34, Adults $24, Youth & Student $18 • 715.832.ARTS