The Daegu Opera House under the Daegu Arts & Culture Promotion Agency successfully showcased its self-produced opera "Andrea Chénier" at the Ferrara Municipal Theater in Italy on February 28th and March 2nd, receiving a warm response from the local audience and enhancing the international status of Korean opera.
Daegu Opera House Captivates Italian Audience with "Andrea Chénier"
Daegu Opera House performed "Andrea Chénier," a renowned work by Italian composer Umberto Giordano, twice at the Ferrara Municipal Theater, receiving enthusiastic responses from the local audience.
The performance, produced by Daegu Opera House, was praised by the local media for its intense direction, delicate emotional expression, and the harmony of a grand orchestra.
This work, known for its dramatic narrative and rich musical elements, requires a high level of musical completeness, making it a challenging piece even on the world opera stage.
Despite the difficulty of the piece, Daegu Opera House proved its high level of completeness with this performance, successfully presenting a self-produced Korean opera on the European opera stage.
An Uncommon Performance of Korean-Produced Opera in Italy
The performance of a Korean-produced opera in an Italian theater is a rare occurrence, providing a fresh and new stimulus to the audience.
At the end of the performance, the audience responded enthusiastically with a standing ovation. One audience member praised, “It was a stage of high completeness, comparable to those on European stages. The singers' intense emotional expression and overwhelming vocal skills were moving.” The performers also shared their unique feelings about this performance.
The lead tenor expressed, “It was an overwhelming stage to meet the audience in Italy, the homeland of opera, with a Korean-produced opera,” adding, “Thanks to the audience's warm response, I was able to immerse myself more deeply into the performance, leading to a good result.”
A Milestone for Daegu as a UNESCO City of Music
This performance was not just about showcasing a work, but it was an important opportunity to prove Daegu’s performing arts capabilities on the world stage as a UNESCO City of Music.
Daegu Opera House plans to continue expanding the overseas reach of its self-produced operas, actively pursuing global endeavors through continuous networking, positioning Daegu as an international performing arts hub.
Strengthening Cooperation with UNESCO Cities of Music
Starting with this performance in Italy, Daegu Opera House, leading the UNESCO Cities of Music, has shown a proactive stance in strengthening cooperation with overseas UNESCO Cities of Music and broadening the foundation for international cultural and artistic exchange.
At an official meeting hosted by Daegu Opera House at Ferrara City Hall, Director Park Soon-tae of the Daegu Arts & Culture Promotion Agency, Cultural Arts Policy Director Choi Mi-kyung of Daegu City, and Director Jeong Gap-gyun of Daegu Opera House attended and discussed cultural and artistic cooperation plans with the Deputy Mayor of Ferrara and representatives from UNESCO Cities of Music (Bolzano, Pesaro, Bologna).
In this meeting, the Daegu Arts & Culture Promotion Agency emphasized activating international exchanges through performing arts and proposed joint projects among creative cities.
They discussed detailed cooperation models reflecting each city’s cultural characteristics, achieving results in finding practical cooperation measures such as joint production projects, artist exchanges, and co-planning performances.
Furthermore, Ferrara, designated as a UNESCO cultural heritage city, has been continuously seeking ways to integrate art and creativity while preserving cultural heritage. This meeting served as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation for sustainable cultural value creation among Daegu, Ferrara, and other UNESCO Cities of Music.
Global Exchange Strengthened with Paris UNESCO Headquarters Meeting
Following the successful performance in Italy, Daegu Opera House, along with the Daegu City delegation, visited the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) headquarters in Paris on March 4th to discuss expanding international cultural and artistic exchanges.
During this meeting, Daegu Opera House shared the achievements of its overseas performances and explored international cooperation measures centered on performing arts, discussing ways to expand network cooperation among UNESCO Cities of Music.
In this visit, Daegu City introduced its cultural arts policies and discussed inviting the UCCN delegation to the “Daegu Global Forum” scheduled for October 2025, strengthening cooperation among creative cities.
Director Jeong Gap-gyun of Daegu Opera House stated
“The performance of the self-produced opera ‘Andrea Chénier’ in Ferrara, Italy, was a significant opportunity to prove the high planning and production capabilities of Daegu Opera House overseas,” adding, “Building on the success of this performance, Daegu Opera House will enhance its international standing and firmly establish itself as the cultural and artistic center representing Daegu, the only opera production theater in Korea and a UNESCO City of Music.”
Director Park Soon-tae of Daegu Arts & Culture Promotion Agency said
“The meetings held in Ferrara and Paris were meaningful as they went beyond simple city-to-city exchanges to seek practical cooperation measures for the joint growth of creative cities,” adding, “Daegu Arts & Culture Promotion Agency will continue to lead advanced international cooperation, driving city development.”
Conclusion
With this overseas advancement, Daegu Opera House has solidified its international standing. It plans to further strengthen its foundation through various high-quality opera performances and the 22nd Daegu International Opera Festival held domestically.
Thus, as the center of UNESCO Cities of Music, Daegu Opera House will continue to take proactive and dynamic steps for the development and bright future of Korean opera.
