Puccini’s Madama Butterfly

EVENT DESCRIPTION

Opera Hong Kong is proud to stage the grand production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly in the fall of 2021. World premiered on 17 February 1904, Madama Butterfly is one of the most popular operas ever performed in theatres worldwide. A co-production of Opera Hong Kong and Slovene National Theatre Maribor, Madama Butterfly will become the cultural limelight held at Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre between 6 October and 10 October, 2021.

Regarded as Puccini’s most melodious opera, Madama Butterfly is a perfect amalgam of eastern culture and traditional western opera. Coincidentally, this magnificent production of the heart-wrenching love story will be performed by fantastic artists from Asia and Europe, the production, in a traditional setting, will turn the entire stage into Cio-Cio-san’s (Butterfly) house in Nagasaki with scenes created by spectacular modern visual effect. Director Pier Francesco Maestrini sets the happenings few decades earlier from what is told in the original play: 1860.
The opera opens when American navy lieutenant B. F. Pinkerton arrives in Japan to take up his duties on a ship docked in Nagasaki. To amuse himself, he gets a house and a young geisha wife, Cio-Cio-san. The American Consul Sharpless tries to warn him that the girl is taking it all completely seriously. Cio-Cio-san gives up everything including her family, religion and her own life to please Pinkerton. What she doesn’t know is, Pinkerton has no intention of continuing the relationship. One day he will have a “proper wedding” to a “real American wife”.
His ship leaves and Cio-Cio-san passively waits for the day when her husband returns… with a small, blond son of whom Pinkerton is ignorant. Pinkerton, of course, does return, three years later, with his American wife, leading to what may be the most heart-rending ending in musical theatre.

Renowned Italian Director Pier Francesco Maestrini will direct this three-act opera. Pier Francesco Maestrini has staged over 100 opera productions, delighting audiences worldwide. Hong Kong audience might find him familiar as he has directed another production Rigoletto for Opera Hong Kong in 2019. He just staged the same production of Madama Butterfly at Slovene National Theatre Maribor SNG in June 2021, and closed the prestigious Ljubljana Festival 2021 with great success and recognition. Audience in Hong Kong will have the privilege to see how he turns the stage into Cio-Cio-san’s house in Nagasaki.

This production will be conducted by the celebrated Canadian Conductor Yves Abel, another co-operation with Opera Hong Kong after he made his debut conducting Carmen in 2018. Since 2015, he has been the Chief Conductor of the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie (Herford, Germany).

Korean soprano Sae-Kyung Rim sings the title role. Despite her first debut with Opera Hong Kong, she already has the role in her blood. Her debut performance role was Cio-Cio-san at the Teatro Coccia of Novara; then she has been performing the same role at Teatro Valli in Reggio Emilia, Budapest, Las Palmas, Wiener Staatsoper, Bergen, Trondheim, Savonlinna Opera Festival, Oper Leipzig, Arena di Verona and Greek National Opera. Sae-Kyung Rim has won several international competitions in singing, including the Gian Battista Viotti in Vercelli.

Bing Bing Wang, a young Chinese soprano who actively singing in Europe, will share the role of Cio-Cio-san. She is the first Chinese graduated with a master degree from Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory of Music in Milan. While in Europe she has sung many roles such as Liu in Turandot, Nedda in Pagliacci, Micaëla in Carmen, in opera houses in Italy, France, Australia, United States, Israel, Latvian, Slovenia, Romania, Serbian etc.. In 2019, Sony Classic Label has signed on Bing Bing Wang to release her first Italian Arias Album, first Chinese soprano signing on Sony to release the CD.

Singing B. F. Pinkerton will be the renowned tenors Mykhailo Malafii and Khachatur Badalyan. Tenor from Ukraine, Mykhailo Malafi was the 1st Prize Winner of the 2017 Competizione dell’Opera, Frist Prize in the IV John Edward and Josephine Reszkow Vocal Competition, Poland, 2015; Frist Place in 48th International Antonin Dvorak Singing Competition, Karlovy Vary; Frist Place in the 2nd Minsk International Christmas Singing Competition. Khachatur Badalyan, tenor from Vladikavkaz, Russia, made his debut at Novaya Opera Theater in Moscow, where he received critical and public acclaim. From 2007 to 2011, the tenor was a soloist of the Novaya Opera in Moscow. He cooperated with many prominent conductors as Michael Pletney, Antonello Allemandi, Keri-Lynn Wilson, etc.

Baritone Marcin Bronikowski and Christian Federici will play the same role as Sharpless whereas Japanese Mezzo-soprano Yayoi Toriki will be singing the role of Suzuki, the maid of Cio-Cio-san. Together with our local young talents, this grand production promises to be a magnificent operatic experience not to be missed.

Programme Details
Date and time: 6-9 October (Wed to Sat) 7:45pm, 10 October (Sun) 3:00pm
Performed in Italian with Chinese and English Surtitles.
Tickets available at Urbitx from 25 Aug 2021

ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER

Established in July 2003 as a non-profit-making organization, Opera Hong Kong (OHK) is committed to the mission of enhancing the appreciation of the art of opera and promoting music talents in Hong Kong. In addition to staging high quality performances, educational programmes are also held regularly to reach the young population. OHK Chorus and OHK Children Chorus were established in 2004 and 2008 respectively and are becoming recognized forces in the local choral scene. OHK relies on the fundings from government and statutory bodies such as Leisure and Cultural Services Department, Hong Kong Arts Development Council and Home Affairs Bureau as well as corporate/individual sponsorship and donation to support its operations. In 2019, OHK became a grant recipient of the coveted Eminent Art Group Scheme by Hong Kong Arts Development Council. The Scheme’s continuous 5-year funding will further the growth of the company.