Seoul City Opera Marks 40th Anniversary with Verdi's Aida Exploring Life and Death
Creatrip Team
5 months ago
Seoul City Opera will stage Verdi’s masterpiece Aida from Nov 13–16 at the Sejong Center Grand Theater to mark its 40th anniversary. Director Lee Ho-su said the production frames ancient Egypt’s fate-driven love story as a universal emotional narrative about how we face life and death, using the symbolism of the Nile’s east (life) and west (death) to challenge simple light/dark binaries. The cast features top international vocalists including sopranos Im Se-kyung and Jo Sun-hyung as Aida, tenors Shin Sang-geun and Guk Yoon-jong as Radames, mezzo-sopranos Yang Song-mi and Kim Se-rin as Amneris, and baritones Yoo Dong-jik and Yang Jun-mo as Amonasro. The production emphasizes faithful reproduction of the original’s classical beauty with a large-scale cast (about 200 performers) and a 100-strong chorus, aiming for an overwhelming theatrical impact. Artistic director Park Hye-jin said the focus is on conveying the original spirit and emotion authentically as a new milestone for the company’s future.
