Knoxville Opera Company to Perform Condensed “Turandot” at Blount County Public Library

MARYVILLE, Tenn. – Experience an opera performance of Giacomo Puccini’s exotic “Turandot” by the Knoxville Opera Company 11 a.m. Jan. 13 at the Blount County Public Library.

Professional Knoxville Opera Company artists will perform a condensed version of the famous opera in English. The free performance will have a set and props, and artists will be in costume for this ancient story about a beautiful Chinese princess, the Prince who pursues her and his servant girl who sacrifices herself to protect the man she loves. A Mandarin announces that any suitor to the icy princess Turandot must solve three riddles or die. Seeing her, Prince Calaf falls in love with Turandot and announces himself a suitor who will answer the riddles.

This abbreviated performance is designed as an education/outreach program to help acquaint students and their families with opera.

Following the performance, there will be a Q&A session for students and audience members to interact with the performers.

Brittany Robinson, soprano, will perform as Turandot. Aaron Short, tenor, will sing the part of Calaf, the unknown prince. Kristin Vogel, soprano, will sing the part of Liu. Maestro Brian Salesky, Conductor and Executive Director of the Knoxville Opera Company, will emcee the presentation and serve as accompanist.

This is the opera that features the popular aria “Nessun dorma” which legendary tenor, Luciano Pavarotti, made famous during his illustrious career.

The music of “Turandot” was composed by Giacomo Puccini with the original libretto by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. The story is based on a Persian collection of stories called “The Book of One Thousand and One Days” by François Pétis de la Croix, with the first performance at La Scala, Milan, on Sunday, April 25, 1926.

Although Puccini composed only 12 operas, he secured his place of prominence among the greats of the 400-year history of musical theatre by creating some of the most popular works: “Madame Butterfly,” “Tosca,” “La Bohéme” and “Turandot.”

For more information, visit www.blountlibrary.org.

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