Cape Town Opera’s “Porgy and Bess” created an extraordinary cultural confluence in its Chinese premiere at the Poly Theatre. Closing the 27th Beijing Music Festival on 12 October 2024, this production brings together 39 singers and 75 musicians as Gershwin’s South Carolina masterpiece, reimagined through South African artistry, finds new resonance on the Beijing stage.

It arrives at a moment when cultural dialogue between China and Africa is more vital than ever. Festival director Zou Shuang envisions this centerpiece performance as more than just an artistic showcase- it becomes a living bridge where Chinese audiences discover the rhythms and spiritual depths of South African artistry while honoring the work’s timeless power. Director Noa Naamat’s staging softens the opera’s raw portrayal of race, drugs and social struggles, opting instead for a visual poetry of minimalist sets and vibrant costumes. Dynamic lighting shapes this gentler vision, crafting intimate moments that let the performance’s emotional depth shine through.

Under Kazem Abdullah’s direction, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra doesn’t merely accompany but actively shapes the drama. Their reading of Gershwin’s score reveals both its classical refinement and vernacular vitality. The orchestra paints a sonic landscape that feels at once authentic and revelatory: from the opening notes, their nuanced interplay brings the world of port loaders, fishermen, street vendors, and beggars to vivid life. The strings excel in atmospheric passages and maintain clarity through rhythmically complex passages, with especially moving performance in the spirituals. Though occasional clarity issues emerge in softer passages, woodwinds demonstrate exceptional agility during “Clara, Clara.” The brass section’s jazz inflections prove especially effective in the hurricane’s approaching fury and Crown’s menacing scenes.

Illuminating Vocal Performances

The vocal performances illuminate both individual journeys and communal bonds. Otto Maidi’s Porgy moves fluidly between heroic strength and touching vulnerability, his resonant bass-baritone wielding consonants like weapons in moments of determination while revealing delicate sensitivity in passages of tenderness. “I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’” becomes both a personal declaration and a universal statement of resilience.

Nonhlanhla Yende brings vocal ambition to Bess, particularly in “Porgy I’s Your Woman Now,” where her powerful high notes declare both strength and yearning for freedom. Yet, in tracing her path between independence and dependence, her dramatic transitions often lack definition, leaving pivotal moments without their full emotional impact.

From this central relationship, the drama expands through a rich supporting cast. Siphamandla Moyake’s Clara opens with a hauntingly layered “Summertime.” Her voice floats beautifully between bluesy inflections and operatic lines, capturing both struggle and hope of Catfish Row.

Pumza Mxinwa’s Serena delivers a heart-wrenching “My Man’s Gone Now.” Her grief touches something universal in all of us. The night’s biggest surprise comes from Mandisinde Mbuyazwe’s Crown and Siphamandla Moyake’s Sporting Life.

Mandisinde’s Crown radiates dangerous charisma with his rough-edged sound, and his command of descending bass lines is particularly impressive. As Sporting Life, Siphamandla brings perfect wit to “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” his jazz-infused phrasing making every note both question and entertain. He skillfully undercuts the community’s religious certainties while keeping Gershwin’s delicious sense of humor intact. Together, these characterizations vividly reveal the ever-present temptations and dangers facing the community.

Embodying the bittersweet rhythms of life in Catfish Row, the chorus becomes the beating heart of this production. Their voices navigate complex passages with precision while never losing their essential humanity. Whether in the Six Simultaneous Prayers during the hurricane scene or celebrating the tender union of Bess and Porgy, the ensemble transcends mere technical excellence to achieve genuine authenticity, infusing each phrase with a spirit that is uniquely their own—powerful enough to make the world grow small.

Inspiring & Community-Building Production

Each production of “Porgy and Bess” carries its own distinct aesthetic and cultural identity. In an era where cultural discourse often seems trapped between extremes, this Chinese premiere reveals something profound about music’s community-building power. The singing here creates a Catfish Row that transcends its specific setting, where spirituals and blues, gospel fervor and operatic refinement coalesce into something universal.

What emerges is a performance both precisely crafted and deeply spontaneous, where formal excellence meets raw emotional truths. Through the alchemy of these voices, whether raised in spiritual ecstasy or touched with blues tinged sorrow, the stage transforms into a living community. Here, black operatic voices soar with jazz-like freedom, creating a neighborhood that exists simultaneously in South Carolina, Johannesburg, and Beijing, yet speaks to us all.

The post Cape Town Opera 2024 Review: Porgy and Bess appeared first on OperaWire.

Audiences will hear from music critic Ken Smith as he discusses the festival’s impact through 25 years. Also on hand will be author and filmmaker Jamie Bernstein, artist Du Yun, and composer Zhou Long. Artistic Director Shuang Zou will also join the discussion online while Artist of the Year Zhou Tian will showcase his String Quartet No. 2 with the Jasper Quartet.

Audiences can tune into the webcast via the organization’s official Facebook and YouTube channels.

Bernstein is the creator of the documentary film “Crescendo: The Power of Music.” Du Yun is the composer of “Angel’s Bone,” while Tian created the “Concerto for Orchestra” which earned a 2018 Grammy Award. Finally, Long is the composer of “Madame White Snake,” which was co-commissioned by the Beijing Music Festival and Opera Boston.

The post Asia Society of NY to Celebrate Beijing Music Festival’s 25th Anniversary appeared first on OperaWire.

For the purposes of this article, we will focus on vocal and operatic performances.

The season opens with a concert featuring Conductor Long Yu and performances of Ye Xiaogang’s “The Song of the Earth” and Mahler’s “Das Lied von der Erde.” The showcase will star soprano Guo Sen, mezzo Zhu Huiling, tenor Xiahou Jinxu, and baritone Yuan Chenye.

Performance Date: Sept. 9, 2021

Zhang Jiemin will lead the Chinese premiere of “The Rakes Progress” with the SHCM Chorus and Jinx Xiahou, Zhou Zhengzhong, Jingjing Li, Han Yinpei, Zhang Wenwei, Bo Wang, Liu Ying, Chen Jiogran, and Chen Li headlining the cast. Shuang Zou directs.

Performance Date: Oct. 10, 2021

Zhang Jiemin leads a performance of Hao Weiya’s sci-fi opera “Seven Days.” The work stars Li Jingjing, Dong Fang, and Zhou Zhengzhong.

Performance Dates: Nov. 4 & 5, 2021

Soprano Wu Bixia will headline the New Year’s Concert. Zhang Guoyong conducts.

Performance Date: Dec. 31, 2021

The company will give a Spring Festival concert led by conductor Chen Lin. Singers are set to be announced but the concert will feature excerpts from Peking and western operas.

Performance Date: Jan. 22, 2022

Hongni Wu will perform in Mahler’s third symphoy. Charles Dutoit conducts.

Performance Date: April 22, 2022

Long Yu conducts a concert performance of Zhou Long’s “Madame White Snake.” Zhang Zhang, Yu

Guanqun, Xu Xiaoyi, Chen Dashuai, and Gong Dongjian headline the cast.

Performance Date: May 15, 2022

Conductor Long Yu leads a closing night performance of “Carmina Burana” starring Ying Huang, Zheng Yao, and  Liao Changyong. The concert will also feature violinist Leonida Kavakos.

Performance Date: July 3, 2022

The post Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Unveils 2021-22 Season appeared first on OperaWire.

For this article, we will focus exclusively on vocal performances. A full listing of the performances can be found on their website.

Conductor Gao Song and director Shuang Zou will lead soprano Li Jingjing and the Shanghai Camerata for Handel’s “Nine German Arias, HWV 202-210,” and Wim Henderickx’s “Sweet Silence,” “Into the Darkness, “Into the Light and Joy,” and “Enchanting Emptiness.

Performance Date: July 12, 2021.

Soprano Hongni Wu and tenor Wang Feng will perform Schoenberg’s arrangement of Mahler’s “Das Lied von der Erde,” joined by ceramic bass-horn player Zhang Meng and percussionist Rong Chenchu. Tan Dun conducts the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.

Performance Date: July 14, 2021.

The festival’s finale will see Long Yu conduct a concert featuring vocalist Zhou Shen, pianist Haochen Zhang, and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, performing Faure’s “IV. Pie Jesu” from “Requiem in D minor,” and Brahms’ “Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major.

Performance Date: July 24, 2021.

Among the China-based organizations are East Coast Quartet, Guangzhou Symphony Youth Orchestra, GSO Feiyue String Quartet, Magnolia Quartet, Strikeast Percussion Ensemble, Neoclassical Chamber Orchestra, Shanghai Camerata, Shanghai Chinese Orchestra, and Suzhou Chinese Orchestra.

14 of the concerts will be live-stream globally through Bilibili, Kankan News, and The Paper platforms.

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Her work with the music festival led her to become the Artistic Director of the festival. She has only continued to push the boundaries for audiences.

This year alone audiences saw a world premiere, which she directed, traditional concert programs, a Chinese opera, the first music-theatre piece at the festival, and a series of contemporary operas, all major steps for the Beijing Music Festival.

Shuang spoke to OperaWire about her choices in repertoire, the challenges directing a festival, and the world premiere of “Orfeo.”

OperaWire: What was the process for choosing the repertoire for this year’s festival?

Zou Shuang: This year is a combination of opera, concerts and music theatre. It is the first time that the festival presents Music Theatre on the big stage and we have continued to explore a wider spectrum of the opera repertoire.

This year, we are presenting George Benjamin’s “Written on Skin” and also celebrating Leonard Bernstein’s centennial with a film version of “West Side Story.” The first two operas and music theatre pieces we did were “Farewell my Concubine” and “The Orphan of Zhao,” which were China-themed.

And then in order to promote the young spirit of up and comers, we commissioned “Orfeo.” It’s a newly commisioned work that came from Fay Kueen Wang and it was set up outside the main venue. It’s part of the new wave sidebar of the Beijing Music Festival.

OW: It is the first time that Music Theatre is part of the festival. Tell me about how you chose this work and do you think it belongs alongside opera?

ZS: I think our orientation was to expand our audience to a younger audience and a more popular audience. This means we want to give the message that a classical music festival is cool and welcoming. It is an entrance for people to come to the main stage of the festival expecting something different.

But we also wanted it to relate to high quality of music even if it is rock music. That is the spirit we want to promote to the young audience. And we also hope that we can gradually attract them to see other types of works from the festival.

OW: What is your take on how Opera and Music-theatre should interact?

ZS: New music should always be encouraged. That means anything from concert pieces, formal experiences all the way to popular music that says something about art today. That is what a festival should celebrate.

It’s different from a concert hall or a classical music venue. I think it’s to encourage younger audiences that there is no language barrier or cultural barrier. You can express through music.

Classical musicians are aware of popular music like rock and rock music can also change the world. I think all the serious musicians are not rejecting but embracing these types of music.

OW: Tell me about the diversity of the programming and is there a connection to the city, which is so diverse and expansive?

ZS: Absolutely! Beijing is such a large city and you have so many people in term of population, occupation, and background. If you go to pubs around you can find a South American celebrating Cuban music and then there are other types of cultures being celebrated. And in a way, there is a sense of celebration in this city all year round.

And what we are doing is trying to get people to come to this festival and show that there is something for them. This year is a stepping stone for a new direction and we are daring to bring something completely new. We may lose some of our fans because of what they are used to, but it is time to force them to embrace this change and get more new people to come. We have enough people in this city to show up.

OW:  You have programmed traditional music like the Beethoven Piano Concertos, Ravel, and Stravinsky. Was that to retain your traditional audience?

ZS: Of course. They are proud of being part of our festival. People love to show their knowledge of Classical music in Beijing. In this specific time, they compare the records they have heard and the latest names in the industry. It is fantastic to see this and they love to carry the identity of being experts during the festival. We should always bombard each other with different backgrounds and see what happens.

But I think in the next years we will be more repertoire-driven and be more systematic about what repertoire we choose for a famous orchestra from the west. We will have discussions with them prior to coming and present the music in a more educational way. Chinese audiences love the romantic period so the latter focus could be more contemporary things.

OW: You directed “Orfeo,” a world premiere. What was it like to bring this work to the festival and what were the challenges of both directing and being an artistic director?

ZS: The challenges were switching between both jobs. But it was fun. The cast never saw a switch because I was doing this work before I was promoted as the artistic director.

There will be a real challenge later on but luckily we got through this one well and it was also because I was very well prepared with the composer and cast. But it is the spirit that I feel proud of leading this production on my own and it is very challenging one.

Of course, this work is based on a work everyone knows and we have a young group of singers and principal singers that are well-known Chinese singers from the west. So it is a very creative and diverse team.

I look at directing like Robert Lepage once said. He said that directing is like being Columbus, who is only heroic after the opening. Before then you have a whole bunch of guys joining you on a boat without knowing where we are going. You don’t know anything and I established that right from the get-go. I am really proud of this work.

OW: Presenting new works is very important to this art form. But it is also challenging for audiences to embrace it. What is the most important of choosing the new work and do you make sure it is audience-friendly?

ZS: I think in terms of choosing the repertoire we always want to give background knowledge on why we choose it. For example, with “Orfeo,” we wanted to pay homage to Monteverdi and celebrate the Rennaissance spirit, which is when Monteverdi first tried opera. That is what we have to establish here at the Beijing Music Festival. It’s not always about the result. We have to learn about the process and I think it’s important to let young people know that you can fail.

The other thing is that from a production standpoint it has to be high quality but we also need new ways to get audiences in and appreciate new music. so it’s not always the new music they will be aware of. It never is and it’s not comfort music. So we have to find a way to involve the performers and the audience and that is why we chose an immersive opera. It’s an experience that will hook the audience.

OW: When you do a new work, what are biggest fears involved?

ZS: I never think any of my shows are perfect. I always know what can be done better and I also know the strengths behind every work I choose to do and the team I work with. It’s very thorough and I never tend to think commercially especially if it’s experimental.

I am also very aware of the audience and I appreciate the audience’s response. That is why I always get audiences in before we open so we can get real feedback. Theater is a live interaction and while people should be critical, they should be sympathetic because every day is different. So I don’t spend time thinking of my fears.

OW: How do you see the future of the festival?

ZS: World premieres will happen and I want to continue to bring music-theatre to the festival. I also want to do some performance art and crossover technology. I want top quality and I want to join forces with the frontier opera companies in the world to co-produce big stage operas that bring different visions. We are also trying to promote Chinese composers and there are quite a few abroad.

The post Q & A: Artistic Director Zou Shuang On The Beijing Music Festival & Directing ‘Orfeo’ appeared first on OperaWire.

The work, which was promoted as an “immersive opera,” had its world premiere at the Beijing Music Festival and the results were visually gorgeous with a slew of interesting ideas that sometimes lacked cohesiveness.

A Visual Spectacle

When audiences first walked into the Red space, they were given a red envelope to hand in at the entrance as if it were a present for the newly wedded couple. Then they were given glasses of champagne filled with water. A string quartet was playing wedding favorites and the environment was decorated as a cocktail hour would be. The environment allowed for chatting and for interaction with each other. It was a fun-filled environment and it gave a sign of what was to come.

Then the host finally entered and mezzo-soprano Yajie Zhang performed a tune and then introduced the couple along with a chorus which performed around the audience. In the meantime, cameras were filming throughout the space getting close-ups of the singers and of random audience members. Having the chorus around you allowed the audience to participate in the celebration.

Eventually, the chorus led the audience into a circle shaped space with a stage in the center of it all. Some of the audience members was asked to sit while others were led to the stage to join in on the party and dance with the castmates. It was a bit awkward for some audience members as not all were prepared to get up and dance but it created for that immersive moment where the audience was allowed to celebrate with Orfeo and Eurydice.

Once that party was over and Eurydice was shot, a slew of chorus member disguised as medics came in with yellow tape, giving it to the audience to hold out as if they were part of the scene of the crime. There were also flashes of news reports on screens and the musicians and chorus members eventually sat in with the audience. These were the spots where they would perform for the rest of the evening.

While that was the extent of audience participation, Shuang’s production always made sure that the visual aspects were enticing. For instance, the baroque death saw chorus members dance around the audience covered with ghost-like costumes while a smoke machine created that deathly environment. Then there was the character of Hope, who was always singing from the audience seats.

There were fewer such effects throughout the middle portions of the evening, but they allowed for greater intimacy with the drama. During Orfeo’s extended aria, Shuang had the audience concentrate on the character bringing attention to the stage and the character’s suffering for his dead wife. This was one of the strongest elements of the entire production as Shuang balanced the delicacy of the story with the more virtuosic moments.

But as much as the production was a visual splendor, it wasn’t all perfect.

A Rock-Infused Score

Wang’s score was a unique discovery as it experimented with diverse musical genres.

The opera opened with a quartet performing wedding music and it quickly turned to techno and dance music. The energetic ambiance it created eventually turned to indie rock. The drums, the guitar, the cello, and the keyboard took center stage, bringing a very hip and alternative soundscape. The use of this band helped to reflect the sadness and loneliness of  Orfeo after the death of Eurydice as Wang brilliantly worked in the minor key and the nostalgic feel of the guitar.

But when Orfeo got to hell, this is when Wang’s finest moments came. Not only did she use the quartet with an ominous tremolo, but she also brought in a Guquin to give it an oriental feel. That was topped off with the use of the keyboard as Wang experimented with electronic sounds throughout the scene. And what also made the orchestrations unique was the change in rhythms and beats that were used throughout. There were some science fiction elements to the techno music and the dance in hell was an homage to a baroque avant-garde style. Each time the scene changed there was something new to discover and it was apparent that Wang had fun composing the orchestral parts of the opera.

But with such an inventive orchestral score, one would have expected the same inventive vocal writing. However, what audiences got for the 75 minutes was one recitativo passage after another with coloratura to end each phrase. Wang noted that she was looking to pay homage to Monteverdi in the work and perhaps the writing reflected that. But for so much melodic genius accompanying the singers, the lack of melodic vocal writing felt repetitive and caused a strain in the whole experience. Even the occasional riveting high notes seemed somewhat forced and unearned as the recits never drove the music forward or brought about climaxes. Even more disappointing was the lack in variation of tempi. Every solo piece was some variation of an adagio or andante tempo. One would have expected more upbeat music at some points in the score but Wang’s choice in keeping it the same tempo only reiterated her lack of inventiveness for the voice.

Thankfully Wang’s choral writing, while minimalistic, reflected a sense of urgency and drive. As the music repeated, the dynamics increased, leading to gorgeous, climatic music. One could only wish the soloists got more music similar to that of the choral parts.

Opera vs. Pop

In the title role, Meili Li brought a superb countertenor to the role. He showcased an emotional range through his use of clean coloratura runs and his emphasis on the text. During his aria as he lamented the death of Li used his piano singing to create some haunting effect but eventually rose to a forte to show the desperation of his character. While the writing clearly restrained his capabilities, those moments made up for it.

Yajie Zhang, who performed Hope and music, brought a beautiful mezzo voice with clean coloratura line. However, the lines sometimes seemed extremely pale and expressionless. That expressionless sound was emphasized by her robotic movements throughout. Perhaps it was the music, the character and the writing that didn’t help her as the voice it something to look out for.

But the biggest issue of the evening was probably composer and performer Fay Kueen Wang as the performer seemed completely out of place as Eurydice and Pluto. Of all the voices in the show, she did not have an operatic voice and that caused a major distraction. As she noted in a recent interview Wang does not like to label her works into genre and she likes to fuse styles. This was perhaps her intention using a pop voice with an operatic voice.

However, it didn’t quite work, especially in her brief duet with Orfeo as neither Li nor Wang’s voices melded together to create something cohesive. Instead, her pitchy straight-toned voice caused a distraction away from Li’s gorgeous and creamy countertenor. Wang, however, did have some interesting vocal moments, particularly in the hell scene as she held out some impressive top notes to great effect and that made up somewhat for the constant intonation problems.

Overall, this was a visually immersive evening that deserved a better treatment of its vocal writing.

The post Beijing Music Festival 2018 Festival Review: Orfeo appeared first on OperaWire.

That was the challenge mezzo-soprano Yajie Zhang had to face for the new opera “Orfeo” by Fay Kueen Wang and Zou Shuang.

A classically trained performer, Zhang has steadily risen the ranks of the opera world performing at the NDR Klassik Open Air of NDR Radiophilharmonie, the Theater Trier, and at the Staatstheater Braunschweig. A recent winner of the Internationaal Vocalisten Concours ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the mezzo-soprano has performed works by Verdi, Purcell, Ravel, Rossini, Bach, and Mozart and has traveled the world to great acclaim.

Now she is making her Beijing Music Festival debut in her first world premiere.

Zhang spoke with OperaWire about the challenges of performing in an immersive rock opera and the experience of creating a new work.

OperaWire: Tell me about your collaboration with the team of this new work?

Yajie Zhang: It’s actually very new for me and I got this opportunity because I won a competition in the Netherlands. Shuang contacted me and she led me to the roles of Hope and Music. This experience has been interesting because I had never sung with a rock band. I live in Germany and this would never be seen. It’s always Mozart and Handel and classical music.

So it’s fresh to sing with a countertenor and a pop singer and that is fresh and exciting for me.

OW: How is the vocal writing and what are the challenges of Fay Kueen Wang’s music?

YZ: It’s really not so difficult to learn the music and it’s not so high or low. It’s really comfortable for me.

The difficult part is working with a band because I am used to a conductor and there isn’t one here. We’re always moving around the stage and it is important not to look at the band. So there are no cues and the music is very free. The other difficult part is that I have to sit around the audience and that is challenging because I cannot move and I don’t always feel comfortable with someone right there. You must always be in the music and always keep the emotion.

OW: How do you adjust to a rock band and the physical demands of the production?

YZ: We rehearsed one month in the summer and that was helpful when we came to space. For this production, the lighting helps a lot. But honestly, I try not think about the stage and just do the music. In the first space I get to dance and sing and in the second it’s more restrained so I get to just sing. There isn’t a lot of movement and I get to work around the stage.

OW: What has Shuang given you as a director and how has she helped with your characters?

YZ: When we rehearsed in the summer, we experimented and we did whatever we wanted. Then when we got to staging, Shuang gave me more ideas for the character and for what I had to do on stage. With the staging, we were able to also find more emotions and a better idea of the cues and everything on the stage.

OW: This is a world premiere. What has the experience been like for you?

YZ: It’s such a pleasure for me and this is a very special project. You don’t see this type of project in Europe or America and for me, it’s a sign that as a classical musician we cannot just stay with the classics. We have to move on and find new ways to do our art.

It’s important for younger audiences. We don’t always want to see a singer in beautiful gowns singing Mozart and as a singer, I have always wanted to do something fresh and new. And who says an opera singer can’t do pop music? We should be able to mix it.

OW: What has it been like to perform at the Beijing Music Festival?

YZ: I just feel like I’m at home with a big family. We have created a family with this production. It’s not like in Germany where it’s all very professional and not as warm of an experience. And this has definitely been a rewarding and unforgettable experience.

The post Q & A: Mezzo Yajie Zhang On The World Premiere Of ‘Orfeo’ appeared first on OperaWire.

Orfeo – Beijing Music Festival, China

Fay Jueen Wang and Zou Shuang’s new immersive opera makes its world premiere in a production that Shuang is directing. The opera combines avant-garde, baroque and rock music to create a new experience for audiences. The production also stars rising stars Meili Li and Yajie Zhang. The production will be presented three times during the weekend.

Meifstofele – Opéra de Lyon, France

Paul Groves stars as Faust with John Relyea in the title role of Boito’s epic work. Eugenia Muraveva sings both Elena and Margarita. Daniele Rustioni conducts Alex Olle’s production. The performance marks the final one of the season.

Benjamin – Hamburg State Opera, Germany

Peter Ruzicka’s 2018 opera returns to Germany after making its world premiere a few months ago. Dietrich Henschel, Lini Gong, Dorottya Láng, Marta Swiderska, and Tigran Martirossian star. Ruzika conducts his work.

Semiramide – Teatro La Fenice, Italy

Jessica Pratt, Teresa Iervolino, Alex Esposito, and Enea Scala star in Rossini’s final Italian opera in a new production by Cecilia Ligorio. Riccardo Frizza conducts the work, which will be performed for the first time in the season and will be streamed on Rai 3.

Porgy and Bess – English National Opera, United Kingdom

Nicole Cabell and Eric Greene star in Gershwin’s masterpiece. John Wilson conducts David Robertson’s acclaimed production, which opened earlier this month. Latonia Moore also stars in the production.

The post Top 5 Operas to See This Weekend – International (10/19-21) appeared first on OperaWire.

She has performed across China, Europe, and the United States in such prestigious venues as the Berliner Philharmonie, Lincoln Center, Arnold Schoenberg Center, Musikverein, Oper Graz, Merkin Hall, Joseph Haydn-Saal, Yun Isang Memorial Hall, Shanghai Concert Hall, and Beijing’s National Center for the Performing Arts, among others. 

This year she will present “Orfeo,” her new opera immersive opera and a composition, which was commissioned by the Beijing Music Festival under the New Wave Site Specific Opera category. The works, while paying tribute to Monteverdi’s “Orfeo” fuses baroque, avant-garde and rock music to create an immersive operatic experience.

OperaWire sat done with Wang to talk about the work and the challenges of creating a new opera.

OperaWire: How did the rehearsal process go?

Fay Kueen Wang: It went well. We had two runs prior to the opening with an audience. The first run was messy and we did all the tech stuff all the way through. But the second time went well and it was exciting.

OW: What inspired you to write this?

FKW: Zou Shuang and I have been friends for some time and she brought up the fact that she wanted to do something like a sci-fi version of “Orfeo” and I felt like it was a pretty intriguing idea. And from my side, I didn’t want to re-score or redo an opera. But I liked the idea to use the story and quoting themes from Monteverdi’s version. Because its the first opera in recorded history it was very meaningful to quote some of the themes in this new version of Orfeo. But we wanted a modern interpretation of this story. This new version is a bit different from the happy ending in the Gluck and we wanted to do something like in Sci-fi movies where you go in circles. Here we wanted to explore life and death and how humans reflect on the universe and how the universe affects humans. In this opera, you will see the wedding in one space and then a dance party and hell in another space. It’s a story of human nature.

OW: Tell me about the musical aspects and how you fuse pop and classical music together for the opera?

FKW: I have classical training and I have listened to a lot of classical music since I grew up. But I am also intrigued by Rock n’Roll, avant-garde music, and jazz and I had a rock band before. I am also a jazz/rock singer. So when I wrote the work I wanted to pay tribute to baroque music and baroque chamber music. But because later genres were inspired by baroque music like Gothic rock, I think in this piece it was important to unite both genres. It’s almost like Glitch art because in the videos we use we see glitch art and musically it has glitch music with distortions. That is another theme in the work as life can go wrong because we cannot decide everything and it can go in many ways. And that is like a piece of art.

But in terms of how to classify this work, I don’t want the audience to hear what kind of genre the piece is because I often get questioned what kind of music I write and I always find it is hard to answer. I think the genre is a really natural expression for what kind of things you want to present. But genre should not be decided beforehand. You need to know the core of your piece and genre is not the core of the piece.

OW: Tell me about the opera and the immersive experience that audiences will see?

FKW: The beginning of the opera is an actual wedding and we will have a wedding car outside of the theater. So the audience members are wedding guests to the venue and at first, the actors and the audience will be in the same space and the same dimension.

In the beginning, there will be a string quartet and you will experience a real wedding. Then we will lead the audience to the next space and it will be a big dance party and will invite the audience to dance with us for a bit.

The second space has an immersive vibe because the musicians will be sitting around the audience and the audience will also be close to the stage.  The performers will also be in front of the audience’s feet.

OW: What is the most challenging part of doing something like this?

FKW: As a performer, because I will also sing Eurydice, I don’t really get nervous. I’ve done similar shows with my band and as a performer no matter where the audience is, I feel comfortable. And during the rehearsals regardless of the technical issues, I felt great.

I think the most difficult part is the wardrobe because I have three dresses during the show and they are three versions of wedding dresses. There is the normal one, the Pluto version, and the hell version. It’s really cool visually but challenging to change into it.

OW: How does it feel to World Premiere your piece at the Beijing Music Festival?

FKW: I was really surprised that they wanted to do something so different striking because the music festival is labeled as a classical music festival and they have done a lot of traditional programs. Its one of the top music festivals in Asia so it was really bold of them to do something like this. And I think this is a really good opportunity to open the door for a new generation.

OW: After the World Premiere, what are the plans for this opera and what will you be working on next?

FKW: We are planning on touring the piece in a semi-staged version in China. We might also bring it to Europe at a music festival. As for me, I am working on orchestral music and some Indie pop music. My band and I will be on tour for our new season and at the same time, I will record some music.

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