Inside Look: Paradise Interrupted

NEW YORK, April 5, 2016 — Asia Society and Lincoln Center Festival present an inside look at the new opera Paradise Interrupted with some of its key artists — composer Huang Ruo, director/designer and librettist Jennifer Wen Ma, soprano Qian Yi, and tenor Yi Li — along with Dr. Agnes Hsu-Tang, who discusses the translation in the work. (1 hr., 36 min.)

Asia Society and Lincoln Center Festival invite you inside an arresting new opera with some of its key artists: acclaimed composer Huang Ruo (Dr. Sun Yat-sen); director/designer and librettist Jennifer Wen Ma; and soprano Qian Yi.

Weaving together traditional Chinese and contemporary Western idioms, Paradise Interrupted reimagines the biblical story of Eve’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden and the vivid dream of Du Liniang in The Peony Pavilion. This lecture/demonstration will explore the creative process of making this collaborative work, including an interactive look at the dynamic paper sculptures which make up the garden, as well as musical excerpts with Kunqu Opera soprano Qian Yi and tenor Yi Li, and music by members of Ensemble FIRE: Steve Buck, piano; Hong Da Chin, dizi; Shelley Monroe Huang, bassoon; Zhou Yi, pipa. Dr . H. M. Agnes Hsu-Tang will speak about the challenges and importance of translation within the work.

“A mesmerizing new work that is part opera, part dynamic art installation.” —Wall Street Journal

Paradise Interrupted will be at the Lincoln Center Festival from July 13-16, 2016. Click here for more information.

Paradise Interrupted is co-commissioned and co-produced by Spoleto Festival USA, Lincoln Center Festival, and National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts.