Daegu Opera Festival Opens on October 4... Performances Include 'The Knight of the Rose' and 'Orlando Furioso'

Full Opera Performances and Gala Concerts Every Weekend Until November 8

Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier and Antonio Vivaldi's Orlando Furioso will be featured on the stage of the 21st Daegu International Opera Festival, which opens on October 4.

The 21st Daegu International Opera Festival is scheduled to run for about a month until November 8. The Daegu Opera House, which hosts and organizes the festival, will present opera performances every Friday and Saturday during the festival period. Overseas companies such as the Teatro Comunale di Ferrara from Italy and the National Opera of Bucharest from Romania will participate, and collaborative performances with domestic groups including the National Opera Company of Korea and the Gwangju City Opera Company will also be staged.

During the festival, Daegu Opera House will showcase two self-produced works. One of them, Strauss's opera Der Rosenkavalier, will be performed as the opening production on October 4-5. This marks the first time in 30 years that Der Rosenkavalier has been produced in Korea.

Last year, the Daegu International Opera Festival featured two Strauss operas, Salome and Electra. While those two works dealt with shocking tragic themes, this year's Der Rosenkavalier is a bright and cheerful comedy, completely different in tone. Set in the mid-18th century during the Habsburg monarchy, the story revolves around Octavian, a handsome noble youth and the lover of the Marcelline lady, and Sophie, the fianc?e of the womanizer Baron Ochs, who fall in love at first sight. At that time, nobles sent a silver rose to the bride on the eve of the wedding, and the messenger who delivered the rose was called the "Rosenkavalier" (Knight of the Rose). The opera, structured in three acts, reflects the social changes, generational conflicts, and societal views of the time based on noble society and love stories. The waltz melodies symbolizing Vienna flow throughout the opera.

On October 11-12, to commemorate the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Italy, the Teatro Comunale di Ferrara will present the Asian premiere of Vivaldi's opera Orlando Furioso, their latest production. Since 2022, Daegu Opera House has maintained a collaborative relationship with the Teatro Comunale di Ferrara, alternating new opera productions between the two theaters. Orlando Furioso was recognized for its artistic merit as a participant in the Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival in Germany.

On October 18-19, Daegu Opera House's original opera 264, That One Star will be staged. Since 2022, Daegu Opera House has been running the "Camerata Creative Opera Research Group" project, through which this full-length opera was completed after planning, showcases, and opera concertante performances. The opera focuses on the poet and independence activist Yi Yuk-sa (Lee Won-rok), exploring his life and literary achievements. Yi Yuk-sa was from Andong, Gyeongbuk, and was active in Daegu.

On October 25-26 and November 2-3, the National Opera Company of Korea and the Gwangju City Opera Company will each perform works by Verdi. The National Opera Company will present Evening Prayer on the Island of Sicily, which was their 60th anniversary production in 2022, while the Gwangju City Opera Company will perform La Traviata. Evening Prayer on the Island of Sicily depicts a rebellion against French oppressors in medieval Palermo. La Traviata is part of the "Moonlight Alliance" project, which connects Daegu and Gwangju through culture and arts.

The 21st Daegu International Opera Festival will conclude on November 8 with the "Puccini Opera Gala" concert by the National Opera of Bucharest. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Puccini's death. The National Opera of Bucharest, established in 1885, is a prestigious company. Romanian representative vocalists, the Dio Orchestra, a professional opera ensemble, and the Daegu Opera Choir will perform together.