Overview
Opera in three acts (1926) New Production! Celebrated contemporary artist Ai Weiwei makes his operatic debut with a new reading of Puccini’s fairy tale of misdirected love, exile and rule by decree. It’s a fitting project for Weiwei, famous for geopolitical installations, sculptures and photography that question authority and champion human rights and expression. From the ominous opening five notes, the score plunges audiences into an uncertain, violent world, seeped in bloodshed and despotism, where the cruel, seductive princess, Turandot (Ukrainian soprano Oksana Dyka), is pursued by a brave suitor (American tenor Michael Fabiano, in a role debut). This staging is performed without the ending added by Puccini's contemporary, Franco Alfano. The brilliant Oksana Lyniv conducts.