Conductor Chung Myung-whun [Classic Busan]
Conductor Chung Myung-whun [Classic Busan]

It is "Otello" this time. Chung Myung-whun, artistic director of Classic Busan — which oversees Busan Concert Hall and Busan Opera House — is bringing Verdi's "Otello" back to a Korean stage for the first time in 11 years.

Classic Busan announced Monday that it will stage Giuseppe Verdi's late masterpiece "Otello" as a concert opera Oct. 10 and 11 to mark the first anniversary of Busan Concert Hall's opening.

The production is a centerpiece project aimed at laying the creative groundwork for Busan Opera House, set to open in 2027, while repositioning Busan from a city that imports performances into a hub for original opera production.

"Otello" premiered at La Scala in Milan on Feb. 5, 1887. The opera is widely regarded as the pinnacle of Verdi's aesthetic — a work that distills Shakespeare's tragedy through sweeping orchestration and penetrating psychological depth.

The Busan production will feature tenor Gregory Kunde, considered the foremost interpreter of the title role today, alongside baritone Zeljko Lucic — a regular lead at both La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera — as Iago, and soprano Son Ji-hye, a former resident artist at the Dortmund Theater in Germany, as Desdemona. The Asia Philharmonic Orchestra will perform.

Rather than importing a ready-made foreign production, Classic Busan is overseeing all planning and production itself and collaborating with the local arts community. Busan-born mezzo-soprano Sabina Kim and bass-baritone Lee Jun-o will join the cast, along with the Classic Busan Chorus, Noi Opera Chorus and the Haeundae-gu Boys and Girls Choir.


shee@heraldcorp.com