Daegu-born opera 'A Fortunate Day' to be performed by Italian singers

A new opera production titled 'A Fortunate Day,' originating from Daegu, South Korea, is set to premiere with a cast featuring both Korean and Italian opera singers. The performances are scheduled for July 17-18 at the Ayang Art Center's Ayang Hall.

The opera is inspired by Hyon Jin-geon's 1920s short story of the same name. It was adapted and composed by Park Ji-woon, an alumnus of Kyungpook National University, who also serves as the conductor. The narrative centers on a tragic love story set against the backdrop of Daegu's Sincheon area during the 1980s and 1990s, aiming to capture a distinctly Korean sensibility and the local characteristics of Daegu. The opera was first staged in 2011 after winning a creative competition by the National Opera Company.

This production is drawing attention as a significant example of Korean opera's globalization. While it is common for Korean singers to perform Western operas in foreign languages like Italian or German, it is highly unusual for Italian singers to perform an opera in Korean. Soprano Lee Young-sook, who plays the lead role of Ami, expressed her enthusiasm.

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The fact that Korean emotions, the rhythm of the Korean language, and the Korean narrative are being staged through the voices of Italian opera singers is a very symbolic scene showing that Korean creative opera can expand beyond the domestic stage to the world stage.

"The fact that Korean emotions, the rhythm of the Korean language, and the Korean narrative are being staged through the voices of Italian opera singers is a very symbolic scene showing that Korean creative opera can expand beyond the domestic stage to the world stage," Lee said. "I hope this performance will be a small starting point for Korean creative opera to advance globally."

The performance is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and tickets can be purchased through the Ticketlink website.

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I hope this performance will be a small starting point for Korean creative opera to advance globally.