Daegu Opera House, China’s NCPA to present large-scale ‘Rigoletto’

Daegu Opera House will present Giuseppe Verdi’s "Rigoletto" on April 24 and 25, marking the Asian premiere of a new co-production with China’s National Centre for the Performing Arts.

The production arrives as one of the venue’s final operas before a scheduled renovation in May, bringing together international creative forces for a technologically ambitious staging of Verdi’s masterpiece.

Based on Victor Hugo’s play "Le roi s’amuse," Rigoletto unfolds within the morally distorted court of the Duke of Mantua, exposing the abuse of absolute power and its devastating consequences. Long celebrated for its intensity and psychological depth, the opera continues to resonate through its exploration of class conflict, gender oppression and the arbitrary violence of authority.

Italian director Davide Livermore, known for integrating visual technology into operatic storytelling, approaches the work under the guiding principle that “everything exists beneath the score.” His staging reconstructs the aesthetic of a 16th-century Italian court while simultaneously reframing it through contemporary visual language.

The production employs a massive LED digital canvas, transforming the stage into a fluid, constantly shifting visual environment. These evolving images help visualize the inner worlds of the characters — shaped by love, curse and revenge — while underscoring the decay of a court governed solely by power, according to Daegu Opera House.

Musical direction will be led by conductor Kim Kwang-hyun, music director of the Classic Busan Orchestra, with video design by D-WOK, a group known for blending performing arts with advanced technology.

The cast brings together leading voices from Korea, Europe and China. Baritone Lee Dong-hwan and Leon Kim share the title role, while soprano Zhang Wenqin and Lee Hye-jung alternate as Gilda. Tenors Yoo Jun-ho and Kwon Jae-hee take on the Duke of Mantua, with bass Ryu Ji-sang appearing as Sparafucile.

Performances take place April 24 at 7:30 p.m. and April 25 at 3 p.m. at Daegu Opera House.

Ticket prices range from 20,000 won to 120,000 won.