Author: OperaLab

“Carmen” dual anniversary celebration at Peninsula Shanghai

Post author By OperaLab
Post date October 3, 2025
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As part of “Carmen 2025“, the yearlong programme of events celebrating the dual anniversaries of the novel and the opera, and following on from the opening performance of Les amours de Carmen Wong at the Hong Kong Peninsula, a musical reception was held on 29 September 2025 by the Peninsula Shanghai with French Consulate-General and Alliance Française.

Li Zijian (piano) & He Jiangqing (flute)

The even featured readings from the novel by Edouard Beaud, and musical selections—including a new arrangement of the Chanson Bohème for piano, flute and mezzo by Marco Iannelli—performed by mezzo-soprano Shen Xiwen, pianist Li Zijian and flautist He Jingqian. The evening was directed by Chen Yong.

Tags Bizet, Shanghai

Performances

“Les amours de Carmen Wong” returns to the Peninsula

Post author By OperaLab
Post date September 6, 2025
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This second performance of Carmen Wong, the new localised version reduced to the four principles which debuted at the 2025 French May at Felix in the Peninsula Hong Kong on 31 May, features Ashley Chui and Etta Fung as the two bar hostesses Carmen and Micaëla, Chen Yong as José and Albert Lim as the colonial policeman Escamillo.

Tags Bizet, Hong kong

Artist activities

Ashley Chui featured in “Jessica” magazine

Post author By OperaLab
Post date August 15, 2025
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Ashley Chui’s mezzo-soprano voice isn’t breaking glass, but glass ceilings. At 30, this Hong Kong native is shattering opera’s stuffy stereotypes, blending powerhouse performances with leadership roles and creative ventures. Ashley’s journey is a masterclass in ambition: a woman who turned teenage shyness into global artistry, fusing opera with modern pop and philanthropy to inspire future generations and make classical music accessible to all.
https://www.jessicahk.com/global/ashley-chui-opera

Artist activities

New dialogue for Opera Hong Kong’s “Die lustige witwe”

Post author By OperaLab
Post date July 7, 2025
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Peter Gordon has worked with Director Tang Xinxin to produce new streamlined dialogue for Opera Hong Kong’s upcoming August 2025 production which will also feature Chen Yong as the Comte Camille de Rossillon.

Tags Franz Lehár

Performances

50 performances at Guangzhou Opera House

Post author By OperaLab
Post date June 5, 2025
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In May, the Guangzhou Opera House celebrated its 50th performance of its series of immersive comic operas begun just three years ago in 2022 with Gaetano Donizetti’s Rita. This was followed by Jacques Offenbach’s Pomme d’Api and the current run of George Bizet’s Le docteur Miracle. According to producer Jenny Liang Lizhen, “This series of productions combines the art of Western opera with Chinese local culture, successfully exploring a new model of cross-border fusion opera.”

Tags Guangzhou

Performances Productions

“Les amours de Carmen Wong” at Peninsula Hong Kong

Post author By OperaLab
Post date June 5, 2025
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Carmen Wong, the new localised version reduced to the four principles debuted at the 2025 French May at Felix in the Peninsula Hong Kong on 31 May, featuring Ashley Chui and Etta Fung as the two bar hostesses Carmen and Micaëla, Chen Yong as José and Isaac Droscha as the colonial policeman Escamillo.

It will be performed twice more on 21 July and 20 September.

Tags Bizet, French May, Kong Kong

Performances Productions

“The Story of Carmen”

2025 is the 150th anniversary of Georges Bizet’s iconic “Carmen”. In celebration, this multimedia presentation offers a new rendition of the timeless story. Centred on selections from the opera sung by some of Hong Kong’s most acclaimed vocalists, infused with narrative from the original novel by Prosper Mérimée (itself celebrating its 180th anniversary!) – it brings to life one of Europe’s most fascinating literary characters.

Sung in French with English surtitles and English narration, this “Europe Day” event is the first major performance of “Carmen 2025”, a year-long programme of opera, literature, music and dance, commemorating the dual anniversaries of the novel and opera.

Tags Bizet, French May, Hong kong, Opera Hong Kong

Artist activities Performances Productions

Holiday performances of “Le docteur Miracle” at Guangzhou Opera House

Post author By OperaLab
Post date January 2, 2025

Marco Iannelli conducting

The Guangzhou Opera House closed out 2024 and welcomed in 2025 with four special performances of world-premiere production in modern-day Laurette travels to a French fairy-tale where all her dreams come true. Marco Iannelli conducted his new score which includes original music featuring resettings of familiar French children’s songs, and additional music by Bizet from his other operas “Don Procopio” and “Carmen”.

This four performances bring the total to 10 so far in the 2024-2025 season, almost certainly the longest run of Le docteur Miracle since its debut run of 11 performances in 1857. A further 13 performances are scheduled.

The set of “Le docteur Miracle”, Guangzhou

Tags Bizet, Guangzhou, Marco Iannelli

Artist activities

Marco Iannelli’s new arrangement for “Il tabarro”

Post author By OperaLab
Post date December 14, 2024

Burak Bilgili as Michele

Marco Iannelli’s new rearrangement for Il tabarro, the first of the three operas in Giacomo Puccini’s Il trittico, commissioned by Hong Kong’s Musica Viva, was played for three performances at the Hong Kong City Hall from 13-15 December 2024. The performances featured Turkish bass Burak Bilgili as Michele, the cuckolded barge-owner. He was joined by soprano Rianne Lau and tenor Yeghishe Manucharyan as the star-crossed lovers Giorgetta and Luigi.

Tags Hong kong, Marco Iannelli, Puccini

Performances Productions

“Le docteur Miracle” returns to Guanzhou Opera House for New Year’s

Post author By OperaLab
Post date December 3, 2024

In this world-premiere production, modern-day Laurette travels to a French fairy-tale where all her dreams come true. It has a new world-premiere arrangement by Marco Iannelli that includes original music featuring resettings of familiar French children’s songs, and additional music by Bizet from his other operas “Don Procopio” and “Carmen”.

Iannelli will conduct four special performances on 31 December 2024 and 1 January 2025.

Tags Bizet, China, Guangzhou