Commemoration Performances of the 450th Anniversary of Shakespeare’s Birth
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Approximate 170 mins (Intermission Included)About
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2013 marks the 200th Anniversary of Verdi's birth and NCPA produced the masterpiece Otello, a most mature work selected from Masetro Verdi's full list, so as to commemorate the Opera King's outstanding contributions to the opera world. This production embodies Verdi's composing experiences accumulated in the past decades, transforming Shakespeare's poetic meaning and his roles into genius music. This time NCPA invites a famous Chinese conductor Mr. Lu Jia, the Musical Director in Verona Opera House in Italy, together with a powerful creative team led by internationally recognized director Giancarlo del Monaco. NCPA's production of Otello boasts a glister cast. The leading role Otello will be starred by American tenor Frank Porretta, who is deemed as the best choice for the tragic hero Otello with his resonant voice and robust shape. The best Chinese Otello- tenor Wei Song, and soprano Zhang Liping will also join in the production.
Production: National Centre for the Performing Arts
Composer: Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto: Arrigo Boito
Cast
Otello by Gustavo Porta / Wei Song
Desdemona by Lana Kos / Zhang Liping
John Lundgren by John Lundgren / Zhang Feng
Cassio by Wang Chuanyue / Li Yi
Lodovico by Guan Zhijing
Roderigo by Jin Zhengjian
Montano by Mei Jie
Herald by Zhao Ming
Pier Giorgio Morandi played for ten years as principal oboist in Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala in Milan. He studied composition at Conservatorio G. Verdi in Milan, and orchestra conducting at Salzburg Mozarteum with Maestro Ferdinand Leitner. During the years spent at La Scala, Morandi was assistant conductor of Maestro Riccardo Muti and later of Maestro Giuseppe Patanè, from whom he gained a lot of experience in refining the stylistic Italian repertoire and in learning all the secrets of the Italian operatic tradition.
In 1987 he studied in Tanglewood, USA, with Maestro Leonard Bernstein and Maestro Seiji Ozawa. In the same year, Morandi won the "Tanglewood Competition", also known as "Bernstein Prize". In 1989 he became Deputy Principal Conductor at Teatro dell'Opera in Rome, where he conducted Ernani, Madama Butterfly and several symphonic concerts. In 1990 he recorded his first opera with Roma opera house, Paisiello's Don Chisciotte. From 1991 and for the following five years, he was Principal Guest Conductor at Budapest National Opera House.
Morandi has a wide Italian operatic repertoire and he has been working as regular guest conductor since 1990 in all the major opera houses in Italy, Europe and worldwide: Palermo, Trieste, Roma, Marseille, La Maestranza in Seville, Bunka Kaikan in Tokyo, Osaka, National Opera Theatre in Seoul, Colon in Buenos Aires, Stockholm Royal Opera House, Theatre Royal de La Monnaie in Brussels, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Oper Frankfurt, Wiener Staatsoper, Macerata Opera Festival, Arena di Verona, Opernhaus Zürich, Goteborg, Teatro Regio di Parma, Napoli, Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago, Bilbao, Maiorca, Las Palmas, Valencia, Copenhagen Royal Opera House, Seattle Opera, Royal Albert Hall in London.
An appreciated interpreter of symphonic repertoire, Morandi has worked, among others, with Budapest Radio Orchestra, Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, Budapest State Orchestra, Flamish Radio Orchestra, Roma's Santa Cecilia Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra del Filarmonico di Verona, Sanremo Symphony Orchestra, Reggio Calabria Symphony Orchestra, Fukuoka Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra, Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra.
A prolific recording artist, Morandi appeared in several releases, including the Verdi Gala DVD with tenor José Cura and the London Symphony Orchestra, and two Sony Classic CD's of the European tour with tenor Vittorio Grigolo.
Recent seasons' highlights include La Fanciulla del West, Tosca and Un Ballo in Maschera at Stockholm Royal Opera House (where he held the position of Principal Guest Conductor), Aida in Oslo and in Qatar, L'Elisir d'Amore, La Bohème and Don Carlo in Dresden, Maria Stuarda in Frankfurt, Macbeth at La Scala, Attila at the Palace of Arts in Budapest, Rigoletto in Naples, a symphonic concert at Musikverein in Graz.
Most recently, Don Carlo, Aida and Lucia di Lammermoor at La Scala, Otello in Copenhagen, Madama Butterfly in Oslo, Manon Lescaut, Rigoletto, Turandot, Madama Butterfly, La Bohème and La Traviata in Dresden
He is at present Principal Guest Conductor at Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra.
His future plans include: La Fanciulla del West in Frankfurt, Manon Lescaut at the New National Theatre in Tokyo, La Traviata at Opéra du Rhin, Otello, Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci in Beijing.
|
Jul. 17 |
Jul. 18 |
Jul. 19 |
Jul. 20 |
Otello |
Wei Song |
Gustavo Porta |
Wei Song |
Gustavo Porta |
Desdemona |
Zhang Liping |
Lana Kos |
Zhang Liping |
Lana Kos |
Jago |
Zhang Feng |
John Lundgren |
Zhang Feng |
John Lundgren |
Cassio |
Li Yi |
Wang Chuanyue |
Li Yi |
Wang Chuanyue |
His versatility led him to perform collaborations in all areas at the highest levels like the State television, to have daily collaborations with artists like Dario Fo, Tonino Guerra, Mietta Corli, Hugo de Ana, Nicolas Joel, Ezio Frigerio, Josep Maria Flotats, Lindsay Kemp, Pier'Alli, Gianni Quaranta, Raffaele Curi, Lluis Pasqual, José Carlos Plaza, Tito Egurza, Margherita Palli, Luca Ronconi, William Landi, Peter Stein, Vladimir Vasiliev and many others passing from international conferences until the Theatre which he has a very special feeling.
In over a decade of successful career he has made over 360 productions and he has worked with major opera theatres around the world.
Gustavo Porta was born in Carrilobo (Argentina) and made his stage debut in 1996 singing Monostatos in The Magic Flute at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires. In 1999 he moved to Italy, where he made his debut in Carmen, in I due timidi by Nino Rota and Il mito di Caino by Francesco Margola (the latter recorded on CD).
His international career was launched in 2001 when he was called to sing the role of Arrigo in I Vespri siciliani in Darmstadt. Soon thereafter, in a repertory ranging from Verdi titles as Attila, I Lombardi alla prima Crociata, Macbeth, Aroldo, to Il Trovatore, Aida, Puccini's Le Villi, Manon Lescaut, La bohème, Tosca, to Madame Butterfly and Bellini's Norma.
In 2008 he interpreted Tosca in Frankfurt, Manon Lescaut in Leipzig, Aida at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Giovanna D'Arco in St. Gallen and Pizzetti's Fedra at the Montpellier Festival.
In 2009 he celebrated a great success at the Maggio Musicale in Florence with Tosca and Cavalleria rusticana and between 2010 and 2011 he made a great debut in the difficult role of Faust in Boito's Mefistofele at the Oper Frankfurt, as well as the role of Luigi in Il Tabarro in Duesseldorf. Afterwards he performed Don José in Carmen in Tel Aviv under the baton of Zubin Mehta, he sang with success Manrico in Il Trovatore in Palermo, and he made his debut as Canio in I Pagliacci in Tel Aviv.
In 2012 he was for the first time on the stage of Vienna Staatsoper in I Pagliacci, and made his debut as Hagenbach in La Wally at the Opera Theatre in Ostrawa.
In 2013 he makes his debut at the Teatro Regio in Turin singing Andrea Chénier in the title role, and make a great role debut, that one of Verdi's Otello. Afterwards he will be in Vilnius again to interpret Otello, and in Warsaw to perform Don Carlo in the title role.
In 2014 he will make an important debut as Hoffmann in Les Contes d’Hoffmann in Tel Aviv, and perfom Cavalleria rusticana and I Pagliacci at the New National Theatre in Tokyo.
As one of the most prestigious contemporary Chinese tenor and the most influential leader in Shanghai, Wei serves as Vice President of the Shanghai Opera, member of Standing Committee of Shanghai CPPCC and Vice Chairman of the Shanghai Musicians' Association. Graduated from the vocal department of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, he studied under Professor Zhou Xiaoyan, Wang Weide and Li Weibo.
He used to play the leading man in many Chinese and foreign operas including Turandot, Tosca, Othello, La Traviata, Cavalleria Rusticana, Thunderstorm, King of Chu and Xi Shi. He has won the First Award in Bel Canto at the National Minority Vocal Competition, Baosteel Award for Excellence in Arts, the Fifth Magnolia Theater Performing Arts Award and other awards. His voice has metal-like penetration with a deep and mellow tone and he has been praised by experts as 'tenor voice with the most Caruso temperament' and 'being full of emotions'. Vocal Master Sherrill Milnes at Metropolitan Opera marvels at his 'world-class level'. Wei went to the United States in 2003 twice to hold a solo concert and performed the main male role in Rigoletto. He was commented by the local media that 'his voice, strong and with ease, is typical Italian bel canto' and that 'in today's world he is one of the best tenors'.
He has visited the United States, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland and other countries. From 1999 to 2000 in Paris, he learned and studied opera and held multiple concerts in France. In addition, he also served as judge of the National Vocal Competition and or the France International Vocal Competition and other positions.
Lana Kos was born in 1984 and made her debut at Croatian National Theater in Zagreb with Die Zauberflote interpreting the role of Queen of the Night. After few months, she performed the same role at Ljubljana National Theatre and she was invited at Varazdin Baroque Nights Festival to sing F.Cavalli's Pompeo Magno.
In 2005 Lana Kos sang Natasha Rostova at Moscow's Bolshoi Theater in Prokofjev's War and Peace under the baton of Mstislaw Rostropowitsch. The previous year, she performed Madama Cortese in Rossini's Il viaggio a Reims at the Wexford Festival. In 2009, Lana Kos starred as Violetta for the first time at the Maribor Opera and performed this role at the Ljubljana Festival 2009 as well as at a gala concert in Parma, Italy.
In the same year, Lana Kos portrayed the Vixen at Israel's first staging of Janacek's The cunning little vixen in Tel Aviv and made her debut as Gretel in Humperdinck's Hansel und Gretel at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich. Here Lana Kos has performed in many new productions with such conductors as Daniele Gatti, Nicola Luisotti, Kent Nagano and Kirill Petrenko.
In 2010 Lana Kos made her debut in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor as Lucia in Rijeka, and in July as Sonja in F. Lehar's Der Zarewitsch at Morbisch Festival. During the season 2010/2011, Lana Kos has made her debut as Mimi in a new production of Puccini's La bohème and as Juliette in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette and as Violetta in Verdi's La Traviata at Maribor Opera. In the summer 2010, Lana Kos made her successful debut at Arena di Verona Festival as Violetta under the baton of Carlo Rizzi with Hugo De Ana as stage director.
Also, in 2012 she performed at Teatro Massimo in Palermo La Traviata and she was invited at Masada Opera Festival where she debuted the role of Micaela in Carmen. She also performed the title role of Manon in Puccini's opera Manon Lescaut. She will sing the role of Violetta again at Teatro San Carlo in Napoli. After performing in Otello at NCPA this year, she will sing in Traviata at Israeli Opera Tel Aviv, Traviata for the historical celebration of the 100 years of the Arena di Verona, and Traviata at the National Opera Tokyo. She will sing the role of Violetta again at Teatro San Carlo in Napoli.
Lana Kos regularly performs concerts in Austria, Croatia, Germany and Italy.
Zhang Liping currently is Chair and Professor of the Vocal Music and Opera Department of China Central Conservatory of Music. In March 2004, she became the first Chinese in history to perform as the diva in the opera Madama Butterfly at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Meanwhile, she is also the first Chinese opera singer to perform the leading cast in the Royal Opera House, Convent Garden, where she has starred in a number of opera works, including the extremely difficult Lucia di Lammermo, which is regarded by the House as a box office draw.
Zhang Liping has also cast leading roles on the stages of Teatro Regio di Parma, Munich State Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Barcelona Opera House, Teatro La Fenice, in almost 20 operas including Rigoletto, Madama Butterfly, La Boheme, Lucia di Lammermo, Turandot, La Traviata, Carmen, Faust, The Marriage of Figaro and The Magic Flute. At the invitation of Mr. Webber, Father of music opera, Zhang appeared in the premiere of his new play True Love Never Dies in London, and recorded the theme song in Chinese.
EMI Classics released Zhang Liping's debut disc Arias in 2008, which has won worldwide acclaims. In 2009, Zhang saw some of her works collected into EMI's best annual opera selections CD, along with those of such giant singers as Callas, Domingo and Carreras.
John Lundgren is a dramatic baritone with an expressive stage appearance. He combines his powerful voice with an exquisite, theatrical understanding of the dramatic, operatic repertoire.
John Lundgren is born and raised in Sweden. While attending The Opera Academy in Copenhagen he joined the soloist-ensemble at The Royal Theatre, Copenhagen. His debut here was as Schaunard in La Bohème, conducted by Dietfried Bernet.
John has portrayed several of the most important, dramatic baritone characters at his 'home stage' in Copenhagen such as Paolo Albioni in Simone Boccanegra, Giorgio Germont in La Traviata, Posa in Don Carlo, and Amonasro with Roberto Alagna at the prestigious opening production of Aida in Copenhagen. Lately, John has made his debut in as diverse roles as Escamillo in Carmen, Scarpia in Tosca, Berg's Wozzeck.
In 2006 John sang the title role in Nabucco at the big Theater Hedeland outdoor arena. In 2007-2008 ,he sang Don Pizarro in Beethoven's Fidelio and make a debut in the title role of Wagner's Der Fliegende Hollaender at The Danish National Opera. And he made his Tokyo Opera debut as Scarpia in 2009.
2011, he sang Carlo Gérard in Keith Warner's Andrea Chenier production at Bregenzer Festspiele. Recently he had his debut as Amfortas in Parsifal with great success.
Contemporary opera is also an important part of John's repertoire. In 2005 he sang the demanding part of Prospero in The Tempest by Thomas Adès conducted by the composer himself. He also appeared at the Drottningholm-production of Cecilia and the Monkey King, by Reine J?nsson, where he sang nothing less than four different roles.
Future engagements include Barak in Frau ohne Schatten and The Macropuolos Case at Bavarian State Opera Munich, Alberich in Wagner's Rheingold in Geneva in 2013 and 2014, Telramund in Lohengrin and Jack Rance in Fanciulla del West at Deutsche Oper Berlin
In 2006 John Lundgren received the prestigious Birgit Nilsson Prize for being one of the few Scandinavian-born dramatic baritones of his generation. In 2010, he was honoured "Ridder af Dannebrogordenen" ("Knight of Dannebrog") by HM The Queen of Denmark.
Zhang Feng is a famous baritone singer and national Class-A Performer.
Zhang Feng studied with Zhou Xiaoyan and Xu Yi, the famous sopranos and vocal educators, and Mirella Freni, the world's top sopranos. He won the first award twice in 1998 and 2000 at the Hungary Budapest International Music Competition; he played Montague in Romeo and Juliet. His first own opera in 1996, and won praises from artists at home and abroad, and since then, he has started performing on the global opera stage. He has played more than 20 roles, including Figaro from The Barber of Seville, Gianni Schicchi from Gianni Schicchi, Escamillo from Carmen, the Baron Scarpia from Tosca, Armand Duval from The Lady of The Camellias, Don Juan from Don Juan, and Qiu Hu from The Wilderness by Cao Yu. His major performances also include: the premiere of Chinese opera The Wilderness in 1997; the Italian Melody hosted by the famous Italian soprano Katia Ricciarelli in 1998; the opening ceremony performance for the China Pavilion Day at Hannover World Expo in Germany in 2000; the solo concert successfully held at the Carnegie Hall in New York and the Asian Outstanding Young Singer Concert in 2001; a leading baritone singer of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with German Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Justus Franz in 2004; the performance in celebration of the 60th anniversary of Italian National Day, the concert tour of the Puccini Opera Collections, and the open-air solo concert at the Bosa International Art Festival in Italy in 2006; the singing of the Toreador Song at the Golden Hall of Vienna in 2007, which won standing ovation for three minutes, and then the Beautiful Song of Napoli concert invited by the vocal king Renzo Arbore in Italy’s Viareggio; the three solo concerts successfully held in Italy's Rome and Sardinia in 2008. In 2011, the President of the Italy specially issued a certificate, conferring Zhang Feng the Knight of Italian Republic Medal, and commended him as "one of the best opera singers" in the awarding speech.
Zhang Feng currently is a member of the Shanghai Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and vice chairman of Shanghai Youth Literature and Art Federation; he has won the Shanghai Artist award and the 15th Top Ten Shanghai Outstanding Youth award.
Wang Chuanyue, a young tenor singer and opera soloist from Opera Troupe of the General Political Department, graduated from the Vocal Department of the Central Conservatory of Music, with professional achievements ranking No. 1 for five consecutive years.
In NCPA-commission opera The Chinese Orphan, Wang Chuanyue has sung as Han Jue. He has played the main role in Donizetti's Don Pasquale and Verdi's La Traviata. He was selected as a formal member of the Beier Gong Master Class in 2005 for vocal students, admitted to the Opera Center at The Juilliard School in 2008, where he studied vocal music with the department head, Professor Edith Bers.
He has achieved outstanding results in the 11th and 13th National Young Singers Competition; with Award of Excellence in the China station of the Neue Stimmen International Singing Competition in Germany in 2005; with second place in the 3rd International Vocal Competition Trials in 2007 held by Chinese Musicians Association; at the same year, he won the Excellence Award in the 26th International vocal Competition in Vienna, Austria; fourth place at the 4th China International Vocal Competition held by the Ministry of Culture; he came first at the 2009 International Vocal Competition.
A native of Jinan, China, tenor Li Yi is in his first year of WNO's Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program. He recently received his Artist Diploma from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). He will represent China in the 2013 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition in summer 2013. A graduate of San Francisco Opera's Merola Opera Program, he has also participated in CCM's festival in Spoleto, Italy, as well as the Opera Studio Nederland in Amsterdam. Recent performances include Tamino in The Magic Flute, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Alfredo in La Traviata, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Rodolfo in La Bohème, and Cavaradossi in Tosca. He won first prize at the 2012 Opera Columbus Irma M. Cooper Vocal Competition; the 2009 International Singing Competition in Marmande, France; and the 2008 World Chinese Singing Competition of Taipei. A 2012 regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, he has also received prizes from the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation and the Gerda Lissner Foundation, and was a finalist in the 2009 Montserrat Caballé International Singing Competition.
Yang Yanting has sung Flora in NCPA's production of La Traviata. She was awarded the excellent prize in the China section of Bellini International Vocal Competition, and the third prize of the 11th Hebei TV Youth Singers Competition.
He has performed in NCPA productions of La Bohème (Colline), A Village Teacher (Zhou Wushan), La Traviata (the Doctor), L’Elisir d'Amore (Dr. Dulcamara), Turandot (Timur), The Chinese Orphan (Gongsun Chujiu), Rigoletto (the Killer), Xi Shi (Wu Zixu), Lohengrin (Heinrich der Vogler), and Le Nozze di Figaro (Bartolo).
As a bass, Guan Zhijing is active on both domestic and overseas opera stages with complete singing skills, proper vocal flexibility and complex performance features. He is the winner of Wenhua Award in the 8th National Vocal Music Competition, the Award of Merit in the first "Voice from the Golden Shore" New Singers & Songs Competition and the Crystal Award in the 3rd CCTV Foreign Song Competition for Chinese Singers. He was recruited in 2005 to the international master class organized by reputable Italian tenor Carlo Bergonzi.
He has sung the role of Gastone in the NCPA production of La Traviata, Tu Angu in NCPA opera The Chinese Orphan, Steuermann in NCPA production of Der Fliegende Hollaender, Roderigo in NCPA production of Otello. He is a national A-class performer in China as well as NCPA's resident artist.
Since 2005, he has sung Jiao Daxing in China's original opera Wild Prairie for more than 30 times in various versions of the opera, including the 20th anniversary version, NCPA concert version, and mini-theater version.
In 2007, Jin participated in the premiere of Wagner's Tristan and Isolde in China, as the only Chinese performer in the opera and working with China Philharmonic and numerous world-class artists. In 2008, he performed in the premiere of the original Chinese opera Farewell to My Concubine (as Han Xin) in Beijing, and the six-city tour in the U.S., which was called the 'Ice-breaking Trip of Chinese Opera in America'. In April, 2008, he sang in the French opera Le roi d'Ys (as Mylio) in NCPA. His performance was highly praised by the French, and, as a consequence, he was sponsored by the French government to study in France. In June, 2008, he sang the leading role in the original Chinese opera Goodbye Again, Cambridge (as Xu Zhimo). In November, 2009, Goodbye Again, Cambridge, with Jin as the leading role, was staged in the Multi-functional Theatre in NCPA. In May and September, 2009, he sang in the premiere and second public performance of the Chinese original opera The Song of Youth, successfully portraying two distinctively different characters, Lu Jiachuan and Yu Yongze, in the opera. In 2010 and 2011, he sang Gastone in La Traviata in NCPA.
He has performed in many important events including Handel's oratorio Messiah as soloist or leading singer. As a Chinese artist, he has visited countries and regions including Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Slovenia, the U.S., Canada, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan.
The Fifth Sister, with Jin as the leading role, won the New Production Award and Grand Award of the Splendor Award in the 7th China Art Festival in 2004 and was named one of the 30 Works of Excellence on the Nation's Stage in 2005. In 1999, he was a finalist in the Japan Shizuoka International Singing Competition. As a Singer of Excellence, he took part in the Concert of Singers of Excellence in China zone of the Shen Xiang International Singing Competition.
In 2000, he won a silver prize in the BBK Young Singer Competition held by CCTV. In the same year, he won a Lark Cup silver prize for professional singers.
He has performed in NCPA productions of Rigoletto (Monterone), La Cenerentola (Alidoro), Un Ballo in Maschera (Ribbing), and Lohengrin.
At the Central Conservatory of Music he studied under the guidance of Prof. Li Xinchang, famous singer and educator of vocal music. Then he went to Germany and furthered his vocal study with renowned baritone Wolfgang Brendel and studied Lied with Helmut Deutsch.
Since 2006 he has became solo singer in Theater Ulm and has sung many important roles such as Figaro from Le nozze di Figaro, Sarastro from The Magic Flute, Banco from Macbeth, etc., which brought him critical acclaim in German as well as opera performing experience. He has also been invited to sing in concerts and operas around Europe.
Zhao Ming, a soloist of the China Railway Art Troupe, graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music and studied with Professor Zhao Dengying. He is now a master degree candidate of arts of the Central Conservatory of Music and studies with Professor Jin Tielin. He once won the second prize in the Russia Maxim Mikhaylov International Opera Contest, and the honorable mention of bel canto in the 8th Chinese Golden Bell Award. He once performed Zhou Wushan in opera A Village Teacher, the NCPA's first realistic opera Since 2011, he has worked as the special editor for the magazine Arts of Singing issued by the People's Music Publishing House, and written critiques about music, interviews with famous musicians, pedagogical materials about music, and so on.
NCPA Chorus was established on December 8, 2009, whose members were carefully selected from famous music schools in and out of China. Now the Chorus invites Wu Lingfen as the conductor, with many artists well-known in China and abroad giving instructions. Affiliated to NCPA, the highest palace of performing arts in China, the Chorus adheres to NCPA's guiding principles of 'for the people, for the arts, and for the world'. The Chorus mainly stages operas and concerts, and also takes part in kinds of cultural communication and arts outreach events.
Ever since its establishment, the Chorus has actively performed in more than 20 operas of NCPA production, such as NCPA's commission operas Xi Shi, The Chinese Orphan, and The Ballad of Canal, as well as other classical operas in and out of China: The White-Haired Girl, The Red Guards on Honghu Lake, Le Nozze di Figaro, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, L'italiana in Algeri, Rigoletto,La Traviata, Otello, Der Fliegende Hollander, Lohengrin, Carmen, Turandot andTosca, etc. Its artistic quality receives rave acclaims from both the critics and the audience.
Besides operas, the Chorus has participated in many grand vocal works and themed concerts, such as Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, Mahler's Symphony No.2 and No.8, and the grand music and dance epic Road to Revive, etc. As NCPA's resident chorus, it has been to Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan to participate in performances and arts exchange, both to wide acclaims.
The Chorus has cooperated with many well-known artists ever since its establishment, receiving high praises from them all. Plácido Domingo once said it was his honor to cooperate with these talented young artists; Lorin Maazel ever praised it 'a chorus full of passion', so and so forth. On the stage of NCPA, the Chorus has cooperated with such directors as Francesca Zambello, Giancarlo Del Monaco, Chen Xinyi, Cao Qijing, Liao Xianghong, such conductors as Lorin Maazel, Daniel Oren, Lu Jia, Li Xincao, Zhang Guoyong, such vocalists as Plácido Domingo, Leo Nucci, Inva Mula, Brandon Jovanovich, Dai Yuqiang, Wei Song, Warren Mok, He Hui, Dilbèr, Zhang Liping, to name just a few. With more than a hundred performances each year, the Chorus is surely to play an active role in the further development of NCPA.
China NCPA Orchestra is the resident orchestra of the National Centre for the Performing Arts of China (NCPA), balancing a busy and distinguished performance schedule with a reputation as one of China's most adventurous and dynamic orchestras. Established in March 2010, the orchestra is composed of distinguished musicians from around the world, performing more than a dozen operas, ballets and regular symphonic seasons every year. Lu Jia took up the post of Principal Conductor in February 2011, succeeding Chen Zuohuang, the current Laureate Conductor, NCPA’s Music Artistic Director and also one of the founders of the orchestra. Yuan Ding was appointed assistant conductor in the same year.
The NCPA Orchestra demonstrates an abiding commitment to high levels of artistic excellence and prides itself on its long-term collaborations with the finest musicians of our day. Artists associated with the orchestra in the past two years include Lorin Maazel, Christoph Eschenbach, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Gunter Herbig, Gilbert Varga, Lang Lang, Stephen Kovacevich, Leo Nucci, Wang Yuja and Han-Na Chang. Maestro Lorin Maazel praised the orchestra as "a hard-working excellence with great passion" after a series of concerts and the NCPA's new La Traviata in June 2010.
In its first season of 2011, China NCPA Orchestra gained critical acclaim for its performances in NCPA's new productions of Tosca (directed by Giancarlo Del Monaco), The Barber of Seville (co-produced with Castleton Festival), Die Fledermaus, and a new composed opera The Chinese Orphan. Apart from that, the orchestra was also deeply involved in NCPA's 2011 Gustav Mahler Project. Under the batons of maestros including Christoph Eschenbach, Yoel Levi, Jun Maerkl and Chen Zuohuang, the orchestra completed Mahler's Symphonies No. 1, 2, 3, 8 and 10.
In the season of 2012, China NCPA Orchestra won a highly successful acclaim for two NCPA's new productions: Der Fliegende Hollander and Lohengrin, both Wagner's operas were Chinese Premiere. It continually collaborates with prominent musicians around the world for concert programs, including Maestro Vladimir Ashkenazy, Yan Pascal Tortelier and the legendary pianist Rudolf Buchbinder.
In addition to its extensive domestic performances, the NCPA Orchestra also received a widespread international praise in 2012. The orchestra was invited by Kissingen Summer Music Festival and Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival in July 2012, and kicked off his first German tour in Nürnberg, Hamburg and Berlin under the baton of Christoph Eschenbach and Chen Zuohuang. This was followed by a successful concert at the Sydney Opera House with Maestro Chen Zuohuang in November.
In the season of 2013, the NCPA orchestra presents colorful programs on the commemoration of Wagner, Verdi and Britten, highlighting the Ring without words with 12 principals from Berlin Philharmonic under the baton of Lorin Maazel. NCPA's new opera productions that the orchestra is involved include Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Otello and Nabucco, which features his second successful collaboration with Placido Domingo.
The NCPA orchestra aims to build up a world-class orchestra with operation and management conforming to global practices while incorporating Chinese characteristics. Devoted to educational and outreach activities, the Orchestra also has presented a series of Weekend Matinee Concerts since its establishment. With specially selected repertoire, performances of high quality and extremely low ticket prices, these concerts have won great acclaim from both audience and critics. The orchestra is now embarking on a similar path with the complete Beethoven symphonies with Maestro Lu Jia.
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Dedicated to the staging of epic operas, ballets and dance dramas, the golden Opera House is considered the centerpiece of the NCPA. Its main tone is golden color, which looks glamorous and splendid. In the auditorium are the stalls and three higher levels of balconies, which can seat an audience of 2,207, including the venue of SRO. It is equipped with a modern stage that can be moved up/down/backward/forward or rotated, a ballet stage that can slant, and a rising orchestra pit for the triple winds orchestra. All the cutting-edge staging mechanism provides artists with enormous possibilities of creative performance.
Dedicated to the staging of epic operas, ballets and dance dramas, the golden Opera House is considered the centerpiece of the NCPA. Its main tone is golden color, which looks glamorous and splendid. In the auditorium are the stalls and three higher levels of balconies, which can seat an audience of 2,207, including the venue of SRO. It is equipped with a modern stage that can be moved up/down/backward/forward or rotated, a ballet stage that can slant, and a rising orchestra pit for the triple winds orchestra. All the cutting-edge staging mechanism provides artists with enormous possibilities of creative performance.