The Korea Opera Festival Opens on the 4th of Next Month... Held Separately in the First and Second Half Due to COVID-19

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] The 2020 Korea Opera Festival will be held in two parts: the first half (June) and the second half (August and September). Originally scheduled to open in May, the event was postponed due to the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), resulting in an unprecedented dispersed hosting.

The Korea Opera Festival, which began in 2010, is the country's representative opera festival. Over the past decade, it has staged more than 40 opera works in over 200 performances, attracting more than 250,000 spectators. This year, the Korea Opera Festival was selected as an excellent performing arts program by the Korea Arts & Culture Education Service's Korea Performing Arts Festival, and it takes its first step under the sponsorship of the Seoul Arts Center and the organization of the private group 'Korea Opera & Ballet Festival Promotion Committee.' From the 1st to the 3rd festival, the National Opera Company hosted the event, and from the 4th festival in 2013 to the 10th last year, the festival was operated by the Seoul Arts Center and the Korea Opera Festival Organizing Committee.

The first production of the 11th Korea Opera Festival is "The Telephone" and "The Medium," works by American contemporary opera composer Gian Carlo Menotti, presented by Diatto Society from June 4 to 7 at the Seoul Arts Center's Jayu Small Theater. Diatto Society will perform in two parts: Part 1 "The Telephone" and Part 2 "The Medium," lasting 105 minutes.

"The Telephone" tells the story of a man who cannot propose because his girlfriend keeps talking on the phone, while "The Medium" is about a gypsy woman who claims to be a medium and scams people who have lost loved ones.

From June 12 to 14, Korea Arts Group will perform "Nam Mollae Heullineun Nunmul" (Tears Shed in Secret), an adaptation of Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti's "L'elisir d'amore," at the Seoul Arts Center's Jayu Small Theater. "Nam Mollae Heullineun Nunmul" is originally the title of a famous aria sung by Nemorino, the protagonist of "L'elisir d'amore."

In August, at the Seoul Arts Center Opera Theater, Nuova Opera Company will present "Cheonsaengyeonbun" (Im Jun-hee, August 7?9), Seoul Opera Ensemble will perform "Rigoletto" (August 14?16), Ganghwa Javeseto Opera Company will stage "Die Fledermaus" (Bat, August 21?23), and in September, at the Seoul Arts Center CJ Towol Theater, the National Opera Company will present the new work "Red Shoes" (Jeon Ye-eun, September 4?5).

The Korea Opera Festival organizers announced that, together with the Seoul Arts Center, they will operate the festival while adhering to infection prevention guidelines to provide a safe viewing environment. Audience members must wear masks inside the auditorium and facilities, and entry will be restricted if they refuse temperature checks or have a fever. Additionally, attendees must complete a questionnaire regarding their health status and overseas travel history and sanitize their hands before entering the lobby. To reduce direct contact between audience and staff, transparent acrylic panels will be installed at ticket booths, and audience members must tear their own tickets during admission. Social distancing will be enforced in the seating area by leaving one seat empty between attendees.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.