Stephen Lawless Director
Stephen Lawless was Director of Production for the Glyndebourne Touring Opera from 1986 to 1991, where his work culminated in an immensely successful production of
Death in Venice, which was subsequently recorded by the BBC for television and video release. He made his début with the Kirov Opera in Leningrad producing
Boris Godunov which was broadcast live on British television, the first ever live telecast of an opera from the Soviet Union to the UK. He has directed throughout the world including The Royal Opera House, the Vienna State Opera, La Fenice, the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, the Hong Kong and New Zealand Festivals and the complete
Der Ring des Nibelungen for the Nürnberg Opera.
Pia Virolainen Lighting Designer
She Was born and went to school in Finland, since mid Eighties based in Hamburg, Germany. Studies of Business and Political Science at Hamburg University.
She has worked on Opera Productions at the Royal Opera Covent Garden, the New York City Opera, the West Palm Beach Opera, Teatro Carlo Felice Genoa, Opera Zuid in the Netherlands, De Koninklijke Schouwburg The Hague, Bilbao Opera, at the Bregenz Opera Festival, at the Komische Oper Berlin, at Hamburgische Staatsoper and at the Leipzig Opera.
She created the Lighting Design of
The Producers in Vienna and Berlin.
Die Habsburgischen in Vienna and
heidi-Das Musical in Swizerland. Her work as Associate Lighting Designer for Musicals includes, amongst others, Productions like
Mamma Mia (11 European Productions), Disney's
Beauty and The Beast (Oberhausen, Berlin, Moscow andBarcelona) and
Mary Poppins(Scheveningen).
Ingeborg Bernerth Costume Designer
Since 1981, the German costume designer Ingeborg Bernerth has been working for theatres and opera houses in Europe and North America.
During the last years she gave artistic form to the costumes of Rimsky-Korsakov's
The Czar’s Bride at Frankfurt Opera (stage director Stein Winge, set design Benoit Dugardyn); Mussorgsky's
Boris Godunov (stage director Robert Lehmeier, set design Tom Musch) at Nationale Reisopera Enschede; Donizetti's
Maria Stuarda and Roberto Devereux and upcoming /Anna Bolena at Dallas Opera (stage director Stephen Lawless, set design Benoit Dugardyn); Puccini's
Tosca at Festival Oscarsborg Operaen, Oslo (again with Stein Winge and Benoit Dugardyn); in cooperation with Stephen Lawless and Benoit Dugardyn
Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss for the Glyndebourne Festival, at Grand Théatre Geneva and Opera House Graz;
Die lustigen Weiber
von Windsor by Otto Nicolai (stage director Waut Koeken, set design Benoit Dugardyn) at Theater Erfurt;
Maria Stuarda (revival from Dallas Opera) at Canadian Opera Company, Toronto.
At the moment she workes with Vera Nemirova (stage direction)and Jens Killian (set design) on
Der Ring des Nibelungen at Oper Frankfurt (
Das Rheingold premiered in May 2010 and will be followed by
Die Walküre in October 2010).
Nicola Bowie Choreographer
Nicola Bowie trained at the Legat School of Russian Ballet and the Royal Ballet Upper School. She danced professionally with English National Ballet, formally London Festival Ballet. She joined English National Opera in 1976 and was appointed Head of Movement in 1988, a post she held until 2001. In this capacity she worked on over 60 productions choreographing most notably.
She has choreographed
Salome for Scottish Opera but also in Bonn, Dresden, Munich, San Diego, Boston and at Glimmerglass Opera. She choreographed
Street Scene for the Lyric Opera of Chicago,
Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk for English National Opera and
Vanessa for Washington Opera starring Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. She has worked at Seattle Opera on
Rigoletto and
Die Fledermaus.
From 1999 – 2006, she was at Glimmerglass Opera to working with the Young American Artists' Program in addition to her work for the main stage productions. She directed
The Abduction from the Seraglio at NYCO and
Il Trovatore for Dayton Opera. She has directed the English National Opera/Opera North production of
The Love for Three Oranges for the Teatro Nacional de Sao Carlos in Lisbon, and in 2005 choreographed
Street Scene. She also co-directed the ENO production of
Figaro's Wedding for the Madrid Mozart Festival and co-directed
Rigoletto for Scottish Opera.
In 2010 in addition to her work with LA Opera Young Artists Program, she also gave Master classes to the Lindemann Young Artists Program at The Metropolitan Opera, McGill Unitversity Montreal and Chapman University, She directed
Lelisir d’amore San Francisco Opera Merola Program. Future plans include Director
La Boheme Eugene Opera, Choreographer
Boris Godunov The Dallas Opera, Choreographer
Faust Santa Fe Opera.
Warren Mok as Eisenstein
A Hong Kong Chinese tenor with a distinguished international career, since his European début in 1987 at the Deutsche Opera Berlin, Mok has been making frequent guest appearances throughout the world, including Deutsche Opera Berlin, Paris Opera, Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Opera Australia in Sydney Opera House, Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fioretino, Teatro di Bologna Comunale, Teatro Carlo Felice Genova, Teatro Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Opera de Nice, Opera de Lyon, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, The Netherlands Opera, Leipzig Opera, Royal Danish Opera, Teatro di San Carlos Lisbon, Seattle Opera, Bolshoi Theatre, Warsaw Opera, Teatro Lirico di Cagliari in Italy, ABAO Bilbao, Opera Ireland, Teatro di Palma di Mallorca, Nancy Opera France, Bergen Opera Norway, Latvian National Opera, Lithuanian National Opera, Orlando Opera Florida, Hawaii Opera Theater, concert halls in New York's Carnegie Hall, London's Royal Albert Hall, Berlin Philharmonie, Vienna Musik Verein, Tokyo Suntori Hall, Seoul, Prague and Zurich.
His operatic repertoire exceeds 60 roles including Calaf in Turandot, Cavaradossi in Tosca, Rodolfo in La Bohème, Don Jose in Carmen, Riccardo in Masked Ball, Radames in Aida, Duke in Rigoletto, Alfredo in La Traviata, Don Carlos, Romeo and Juliet, Faust, Werther, and many others.
He holds a Master of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music in New York City. In 2008, Mok was awarded Cavaliere dell 'Ordine della Stella della Solitarita' Italiana (Knight of the Star of Solidarity of Italy) from the Government of Italy, and Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French Government (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters), both awards honoring his contribution to bring the cultural exchanges between Hong Kong, Italy & France.
Sun Li as Eisenstein
Sun Li is a famous Chinese baritone and singer of Art Troupe Affiliated to Chinese Armed Police Force. He is Deputy Secretary General of Chinese Opera Research Institute and Member of Chinese Musicians Association. He ever won Gold Award of the 10th CCTV Young Singer Canto Competition; the First Prize of Vocal Music Performance in the 8th and the 9th Professional Theatrical Festival of the PLA; the first place in the 3rd China International Vocal Music Competition; Individual Merit Citation Class II twice and Individual Merit Citation Class III twice. His singing wins 'Five One Project Award', while starring dramas win Wenhua Award conferred by Ministry of Culture and many other awards.
As one of the most dynamic young baritones in Chinese opera cycle, Sun Li is invited to cooperate with China National Opera House, China National Symphony Orchestra, NCPA and other famous troupes and institutions, and stars in over 20 operas. His main works include
The Barber of Seville, Fidelio, Farewell to My Concubine, La Traviata, Turandot, Tan Dun's opera
Tea,A Heart's Mirror, Freni Raimondi, The White - Haired Girl, Xi Shi, A Village Teacher, etc.
In the early 2008, Sun Li starred in the opera Farewell to My Concubine made 10 tour shows in the US, who was highly praised by local media. In 2010, Sun Li won 'Wenhua Performance Award' by virtue of this play. At Leo Nucci Master Class in June 2010, Nucci acclaimed that Sun Li's skill 'is so perfect that amazes him'!
Yao Hong as Rosalinde
Yao Hong, China's famous soprano, is a first-grade national actress. Among her numerous awards, she has won the First Prize at the 'Concord' International Opera Competition in Marseilles, the First Prize at the First National Vocal contest organized by the Ministry of Culture, the Sixth Wenhua Award by the Ministry of Culture, and the 'Plum Blossom Award' by Chinese Dramatists Association. In 2001, she performed on stage with the world's three major tenors at the Meridian Gate, Forbidden City. In 2005, she played the role of 'Liu' in Puccini's opera
Turandot directed by China's famous director Zhang Yimo successively in Paris and Munich, for which, her performance has been widely praised by international media and critics.
Luan Yitian as Rosalinde
Luan Yitian, a soprano who studied in Germany, graduated from the Music Academy Detmold. She acquired her master's degree of music with distinction (highest full mark). Later, She receives the diploma of the "Konzertexamen Gesang" (doctoral's degree) at the Music Academy Cologne with distinction (again highest full mark). She has played many major roles in multiple operas, including Mimì in
La Bohème, Donna Anna in
Don Giovanni, Liu in
Turandot, and Violettain in
La Traviata, etc. Luan Yitian has appeared on the stage of Theater Bonn, Landestheater Detmold, Eutiner Festspiele, Markgraefliches Opernhaus Bayreuth, as well as other famous theaters. She participated in the Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition of Belgium, the 46th International Singing Contest
Francisco Vinas in Barcelona, and was shortlisted as a finalist at the "International Singing Competition
Turandot" in Verona, and won the first prize at the "29th International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition", the most authoritative international competition, in Vienna in the discipline Operetta, becoming the first Asian singer to win the honor. Meanwhile, she also obtained the "Chambre Professionnelle des Directeurs d' Opéra Paris" special prize.
Song Yuanming as Adele
Song Yuanming, a soprano, obtained the two master degrees of "Opera and Light Opera" and "Art Songs and Cantata" in Vienna National University of Music and Performing Arts under the tutelage of Professor Franz Lucasalfsky, obtained the education diploma of "Outstanding Artist" higher than the songs and sound MA, and graduated from flute major of the Vienna Prayner Academy of Music. She won several awards including the third prize of the youth group on the 18th "Slovak International Vocal Competition"; the first prize and the award of "best singer" on the 44th Czech "Dvorak International Vocal Competition"; the third prize on Vienna "Mania International Vocal Competition"; and the first prize on 48th"International Vocal Competition in Toulouse, France". She has performed at the Salzburg International Art and Music Festival and in many renowned venues including Schloss Sch?nbrunn, Graz Opera and the Music Hall of the Seoul Arts Centre, etc., and has worked with famous orchestras like the Vienna Philharmonic as well as famous conductors including Riccardo Mu, Daniel Barenboim and Valery Gergiev. She has starred operas including
Don Juan, La Boheme, Turandot, Carmen and Die Fledermaus. As commended by media of Vienna, "Her voice is highly plastic, gentle and powerful, allowing her to be competent for all opera characters ranging from lyric soprano to coloratura soprano.
Li Jingjing as Adele
Li Jingjing is a skilled soprano and a soloist of the China National Opera House. She was graduated from Vienna University of Music and Performing Arts with a dual Master's Degree of Opera and Operette and of Art Song and Cantata, winning Super-A in academic performance for two times, which is the first time for Chinese student. Li Jingjing was taken by several international vocal music master classes and won herself a favorable review. She is also an exceptional awards winner such as Hamburg Stolz Vienna Light Opera Competition, Austria "Furruccio Tagliavini" International Vocal Music Competition, Vienna Dostal Interantional Operette Competition, Dostal Operette and International Vocal Music Competition, Sweden International Vocal Music Competition. She has translated several Chinese folk songs and art songs into German and Vienna dialect and held a bilingual solo recital themed What a Beautiful Jasmine Flower in Vienna, gaining enthusiastic recognition from audience and media who covered a special report about her. Later, she has been for several times invited to hold concerts and sing songs in Chinese and German around Austria as well as the Embassy of PRC in Austria. Li Jingjing entered China National Opera House for study in 2010.
Liang Ning as Prince Orlofsky
One of the brightest mezzo-sopranos on the current opera scene, Liang Ning has already been heard in many of the world's leading opera houses. She is well known for her role as Suzuki in the recent film,
Madama Butterfly. Ms. Liang started her European career at the Hamburg State Opera and Vienna State Opera where she has sung Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro, Dorabella in Così fan tutte, Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Romeo in I Capuletti ed I Montecchi, Jenny in Mahagonny, and Composer in Ariadne auf Naxos. She has sung Idamante in Idomeneo at Teatro La Scala where she has also performed Suzuki in
Madama Butterfly. Ms. Liang debuted at the Metropolitan Opera as Octavian in
Der Rosenkavalier, which was broadcast worldwide. Ms. Liang has also performed with Berlin State Opera, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Semper Opera Dresden, the Bavarian State Opera, as well as opera houses in Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Amsterdam, Marseilles, Bologna, Helsinki, Tel Aviv, Washington, Philadelphia, and Toronto.
Ms. Liang is also an active concert and recital singer, and has worked with Giuseppe Sinopoli, Gary Bertini, Riccardo Muti, Sir Colin Davis, Christian Thielemann, Eliahu Inbal, Peter Schreier, Gerd Albrecht, and James Colon. She has also sung in many important European festivals such as Wiener Festwochen, Bregenz Music Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Savonlinna Music Festival, and festivals in Dresden, Ludwigsburg, Bad Kissingen, Athens, and Rheingau.
Ms. Liang is a winner of the Metropolitan National Council Competition, the Mirjam Helin Competition, the Musician's Emergency Competition, the Rosa Ponselle International Vocal Competition, the Loren L. Zachery Competition, and the Luciano Pavarotti Competition.
Ms. Liang received a Masters of Music from the Juilliard School in New York, and was a member of the American Opera Center. She has recorded a series of CD's, including Giacomo Meyerbeer Mélodies, Giuseppe Verdi's Romanza e Canzonette, and Mahler's Symphony No.2 and No. 8, as well as numerous television programs.
Xue Haoyin as Alfred
Xue Haoyin studied under the tutelage of Professor Chen Qilian and graduated from Shanghai Conservatory of Music. He successively won Best Singer Award of Professional Bel Canto Group in Shanghai Competition Zone of National Young Singer TV Grand Prix, the sixth place in "VERVIERS" International Opera Vocal Music Competition in Belgium and the second place in "Montreal and Czech Music Competition". After joining in Shanghai Opera House, he plays lead roles in
Pear Fishers, Thunderstorm, Tosca, Suor Angelica, Le Villi and other operas.
Yang Xiaoyong as Frank
National First-class performer, one of China's most outstanding baritones, currently a lead actor with Shanghai Opera House.
Yang Xiaoyong came out first during the elimination round of the International Vocal Competition organized by the Ministry of Culture; he is also prize winner of the Italian G. B. Viotti International Music Competition; winner of nomination award among Shanghai's first batch of Top 10 Young Actors; first prize winner of Shanghai TV's Chunlan Cup Art Song Singing Competition; second-prize winner of the First National Vocal Competition organized by the Ministry of Culture; winner of Outstanding Opera Performance at the 15th Shanghai Magnolia Cup, etc. His delicate and passionate singing brings alive the operatic roles he plays. In 1988, Yang played the father Peter in
Hansel and Gretel when he was a visiting scholar to Middlebury College. Yang has played leading roles in over thirty operas, both Chinese and foreign, among others:
Don Pasquale, Cosi fan tutte, Turandot, Eugene Onegin, Die Fledermaus, Aleko, Carmen, La Boheme, Die Maskerade, La Traviata, Cavalleria Rusticana, Madama Butterfly, Othello, La Damnation de Faust, The Tales of Hoffmann, Les Pecheurs de Perles, The Nose, Punchinello, Il Tabarro, The Merry Widow, Xi Shi, Qu Yuan, The Wilderness, Confucius, The Sun Bird, A Bet of Life and Death, and
Lady Wenji. In 2004, Yang won Outstanding Opera Performance award at the 15th Shanghai Magnolia Cup for his portrayal of Jago in
Othello. On top of all these, he has held solo concerts at Shanghai Concert Hall, Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Central Conservatory of Music, and Sichuan Conservatory of Music, and has recorded a number of albums.
Zhang Gong as Frank
Zhang Gong is a baritone and the chief of baritone part of China National Symphony Orchestra. In 2003, he entered the Opera Department of China Conservatory of Music, majoring in Opera Performance. At school, he has always been a sharp student with excellent score. In July 2007, Zhang Gong entered China National Symphony Orchestra and got the chance to cooperate with many distinguished conductors and singers from both home and abroad. He participated in the concert in memory of the 100th Anniversary Bo Yibo's Birth, the baritone solo of
The Triumphant Return of General (Zhang Guoyong as conductor), the 1st Welfare Concert on the World Ear-Care Day (Chen Xieyang as conductor), record quartet
The Crescent Moon to be included in the album of China National Symphony Orchestra, and operas
Gianni Schicchi, The Marriage of Figaro and
the Barber of Seville.
Su Dawei as Dr. Blind
Graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music with a Master's Degree in Vocal Music, Su Dawei is a tenor of China National Symphony Orchestra. He has won awards on the 5th World Chinese Vocal Music Competition and the 6th Italy Alcamo International Vocal Music Competition (China Area). In 2010, Mr. Su took lessons from the art director of 'The Three Great Tenors', Italian art direction master of national treasure and well-known pianist Rolando Nicolosi who praised Mr. Su as a lyric tenor with great musicality and the most beautiful timbre. Su Dawei has been a performer in
Madama Butterfly, La Traviata, The Marriage of Figaro and
La Clemeza Di Titto. In July 2010, Mr. Su played the Chief Attendant in opera Salome, receiving rave review from conductor Li Xincao and positive response from audience. Su Dawei has cooperated with several powerful orchestras, including Central Conservatory of Music, China Philharmonic Orchestra, China Youth Symphony Orchestra of the Central Conservatory of Music, Japan Four Seasons Theater Orchestra and Taipei Symphony Orchestra.
Chen Peisi as Frosch
Chen Peisi is a well-known Chinese comedian and actor of China Broadcasting Art Troupe. He stars in such stage plays as
Capper, Sunrise, Correct Counting Keeps Good Friendship, Balcony, Fool, Old House and
Surprising Dinner. His major TV works include
Unexpected Blessing, Go Ahead for New Life, Mutual Happiness and
Short Play Series in Tianle Times. His major film works include
What A Family, Sunset Street, Young Master's Suffering, Father and Son, Father and Son Run Shop, Foolish Manager, Father, Son and
Old Car,
Temporary Father, Sub Husband, Her Majesty Is Fine,
Filial Son and
Filial Piety.
Ma Min as Ida
Ma Min is a soprano of NCPA Chorus trained by eminent mezzo-soprano Liu Shan. In 2006, Ma Min entered the Art College of the Chinese People's Liberation Army with marvelous academic results and acquired the title of 'Super - A Student' for three years in a row besides scholarship. In 2008, the choir of the school - Ma Min is a member - won the gold award at CCTV Youth Singer Competition and assigned to perform in Japan. At the end of 2009, he was recruited by NCPA Chorus and has performed
Xi Shi, Carmen, La Traviata, L'elisir d'Amore (play Janetta) and
Turandot.
Wu Tao as Ivan
Wu Tao is tenor trained by famous tenor and vocal music educator Cen Bing. Wu Tao entered into the Vocal Performance Department of the Capital Normal University and took lessons from Shi Guangjun and Jiang Chunguang. In 2005, he was exposed to chorus, igniting the sparkle of interest for it. In 2006, he, on behalf of the university, visited the University of Mainz for artistic exchanges. Then, he served as the leading singer at the International Chorus Competition in Xiamen and the World Chorus Festival in Busan, South Korea in June and Nov. 2007 respectively. In addition, he rehearsed a large number of chorus works, enhancing organizing capacity and accumulating rich rehearsal experience. While learning at school, he participated in the performance of operas
The Marriage of Figaro, The Magic Flute and
Aleko.