Composed by one of the country’s most distinguished composers, Richard Mills AM, with a libretto by Joel Tan, Victorian Opera is thrilled to present a brand-new opera, The Butterfly Lovers, in the Playhouse – Arts Centre Melbourne from 12 October 2022.
The Butterfly Lovers tells the tale of identity and societal repression based on a traditional Chinese folk story. It also combines the talents of some of Australia’s finest opera makers and performers with Singapore’s Wild Rice theatre (world renowned as one of the best theatre companies in Asia) led by their intrepid Artistic Director Ivan Heng. Some may be familiar with Ivan from the Australian tour of the play, Emily of Emerald Hill.
Featuring the Australian premiere of countertenor Meili Li who joins Victorian Opera from the Royal Opera House and the Bavarian State Opera, baritone Haotian Qi, who’s recently been heard as soloist with Opera Australia, and soprano Cathy-Di Zhang in her debut for Victorian Opera, and renowned for her performances with Pintchgut Opera.
Richard Mills AM is well known for his melodic and dynamic operatic works, such as The Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, Batavia and The Love of the Nightingale.
Composer & Conductor: Richard Mills | Director & Set Designer: Ivan Heng | Featuring: Haotian Qi, Meili Li, Cathy-Di Zhang, Victorian Opera Chamber Orchestra | Multimedia/Set Designer: Brian Tan | Costume Designer: Max Tan | Lighting Designer: Philip Lethlean | Sound Designer: Jim Atkins | Librettist: Joel Tan
The Butterfly Lovers
Playhouse – Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
Season: 12 – 15 October 2022
Bookings: www.artscentremelbourne.com.au
For more information, visit: www.victorianopera.com.au for details.
Image: The Butterfly Lovers (supplied)