New Haven Independent

Saturday night, the East Village Opera Company delivered timeless classics with a rock twist.

The 11-piece band — drums, guitars, bass, keyboard, two vocalists, and a string quartet — played rock adaptations of arias, duets, and instrumental numbers by composers from Mozart to Bizet to Rossini during a free concert as part of the Arts and Ideas festival.

“Most of these songs are somewhere between 100 and 300 years old,” keyboardist Peter Kiesewalter told the crowd, “but we imagine if these composers were alive they’d be using red keyboards and microphones and playing for fine folks at outdoor festivals just like this.”

“They’re dead, so it doesn’t matter what they think at this point,” he added after a pause. “Much respect to all of them.”