Creation Opera Institute (創世歌劇團創團) marked its 10th anniversary last year by joining forces with conductor Chen Lin (陳 琳) and the Ningbo Symphony Orchestra (寧波交響樂團) for a cross-strait production of George Bizet’s Carmen (卡門).
While the institute, which stages at least one new opera production per year, has worked with Chen before — on Giacomo Puccini’s La Boheme and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte — Carmen marked the first time it has worked with the Ningbo musicians.
Chen, who became a professor at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing immediately after she earned her master’s degree from it in 2004, has conducted leading orchestras in China, the US, Japan and Germany and has gradually been building a strong reputation for her opera work.
Photo: Creation Opera Institute
Carmen opened in the Creation Opera Institute’s hometown of Kaohsiung with two performances on Nov. 10 and Nov. 11, and will be performed in Taichung tomorrow evening and Sunday afternoon and in Taipei next weekend.
While the production, directed by Shanghai Opera director David Li Wei (李衛) does not boast elaborate sets, the singing promises to make up for the minimalist staging — by Taiwanese Wang Shih-hsing (王世信) — with a cast drawn from Taiwan, China and Spain.
The title role of Carmen will be sung by Taiwanese mezzo-soprano Weng Jo-pei (翁若珮) tomorrow and on Jan. 13, and by Chinese mezzo Chen Guanfu (陳冠馥) on the two Sundays, while Taiwanese tenor Fernando Wang (王典) will sing the role of Don Jose for the two Saturday shows with Spanish tenor Manuel Rodriguez Remiro at the Sunday ones.
Taiwanese sopranos Jeannie Voce (蔣啟真) and Lai Chueh-yu (賴玨妤) are dividing the role of Frasquita, while Taiwanese baritone Chao Fang-hao (趙方豪) will sing Escamillio.
The Chinese mezzo-soprano Qian Hong (錢竑) was supposed to sing the role of Micaela for the two Sunday matinees, but the institute posted a notice on Facebook on Tuesday saying that she had been unable to come and that Taiwanese soprano Grace Lin (林慈音), who was scheduled to sing the role tomorrow and next Saturday would also cover for Qian.
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm and Sunday at 2pm at the National Taichung Theater (NTT, 台中國家歌劇院) 101, Huilai Rd Sec 2, Taichung (台中市惠來路二段101號); remaining seats range from NT$1,500 to NT$3,000
■ Jan. 13 at 7:30pm and Jan. 14 at 2:30pm at the National Theater (國家戲劇院), 21-1 Zhongshan S Rd, Taipei (台北市中山南路21-1號); tickets range from NT$600 to NT$3,000
■ Tickets available at NTT and NTCH box offices, online at www.artsticket.com.tw and at convenience store ticketing kiosks
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