From Page to Stage: Turandot

Some operas go back centuries, yet Puccini's Turandot is a relatively recent inductee into the classic canon. But did you know that the tale of Turandot herself can be traced back to the 12th century?

What began as a Persian fairytale has unfolded into one of the world's grandest operas, with a story centuries in the making—though ultimately left uncompleted by Puccini's untimely death. Despite that, the opera's legacy has persisted with it's story still continue being written to this day as composers rewrite and redefine the opera's ending.

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Contextualizing Puccini's Turandot

Turandot is by far LA Opera's most requested work. Despite its popularity, Turandot has also been one of the most criticized operas. While Puccini's music and dramatic flair has drawn in opera fans for nearly a century, its depiction of Chinese stereotypes has pushed others away.  To help address the challenges of presenting Turandot, we teamed up with the Asian Opera Alliance (AOA), and more specifically, their Executive Director Melody Chang. In this article, she explores the value of and the challenges inherent in presenting this opera, and describes how LA Opera, with AOA's guidance, is managing them.

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Enigmas, Mysteries and Contradictions

The riddles asked by Princess Turandot aren't the only ones within Puccini's masterpiece. Having been left incomplete due to Puccini's untimely death, Turandot is an enigma in the opera world.

Premiering just before the dawn of the golden age of Hollywood, Turandot was a grand statement on both where opera has been and its place in pop culture while also breaking new grounds both for Puccini and opera.

Read as our Music Director James Conlon goes over the mystery that is Turandot.

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BambinO is Back

Missed BambinO, or can't wait to see it again?

Catch a performance at a venue near you, playing this upcoming June.

Designed for babies ages 6-18 months.

BambinO takes you and your little ones on a high-flying opera adventure.

Check back soon for the full schedule and click the link below for more info.

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Voice and the Violin

Husband and wife duo-world-renowned soprano Larisa Martínez and Grammy® Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell present their latest project, "Voice & the Violin." Performing alongside longtime collaborator and pianist, Peter Dugan, this performance showcases a captivating repertoire of beloved art song, opera and modern classics, to musical theater. Enjoy $20 student tickets with the code RUSH2324.

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