New York's Advance Look at 'Dr. Sun Yat-sen,' Ahead of US Premiere
NEW YORK, December 2, 2013 — Asia Society presented an evening of live music and a panel discussion with the creative team behind the opera Dr. Sun Yat-sen prior to its American premiere at the Santa Fe Opera in July 2014.
Written by the Chinese-born American composer Huang Ruo, with a libretto by Candace Mui-ngam Chong, this historical opera dramatizes — through a blend of Eastern, Western, folk, and classical styles — the early-20th-century struggle to overthrow China's ancient monarchy and build a modern national identity.
Panelists:
Ken Smith, moderator
Huang Ruo, composer
James Robinson, stage director
Carolyn Kuan, conductor
James Schuette, costume designer
Sean Curran, choreographer
Allen Moyer, scenic designer
Singers:
Fang-Tao Jiang, soprano (Soong Ching-ling and Lu Mu-zhen)
Laurence Broderick, tenor (Dr. Sun Yat-Sen)
Benjamin Bloomfield, bass-baritone (Charlie Soong)
Toby Newman, mezzo-soprano (Ni Gui-Zhen)
Musicians:
Zhou Yi, pipa and gu qin
Shelley Monroe Huang, bassoon
Stephen Buck, piano
Download the program notes (PDF)
Video: Highlights from the panel discussion (5 min., 23 sec.)
Related Link:
Video: Asia Society Audience Gets to Know Sun Yat-Sen — the Life and the Opera