Marking its 70th anniversary, the Shanghai Opera House launched its 2026-27 season under the theme "New Prospect · Shared Future" on Sept 1.

The season features sections spanning opera, dance drama, symphony, and arts education, bringing together top-tier artists from China and abroad.

The season opened with Vocal Paramount, the Shanghai Opera House's 26/27 season-opening concert. It will be followed by a series of concerts, beginning with the inaugural concert at the new Shanghai Grand Opera House on Oct 18.

Other highlights include a solo recital by the internationally renowned tenor Juan Diego Florez, conducted by maestro Diego Matheuz; the New Year Concert conducted by Li Xincao; and a complete Beethoven symphony cycle under the baton of Maestro Xu to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the composer's death.

New opera productions include Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore and Puccini's Turandot, as well as a new production of Verdi's La Traviata. The latter will feature the first group of graduates from the Young Chinese Opera Art Talents Training Project, a new initiative the opera house launched to mark its 70th birthday.

The new season will also present three classical opera performances. Xu will conduct Berlioz's La Damnation de Faust and Giordano's Andrea Chenier, both rarely performed in China. The third production, Franze Lehar's operetta Die lustige Witwe, will be jointly produced with the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra.

The new season will also see Shanghai Opera House's first production for young audiences: the children's opera The Little Match Girl, which aims to introduce children to the world of opera.

Source: China Daily