M. Butterfly / August 29, 2019 by David Hwang

M. BUTTERFLY

July 30 - August 24, 2022

The Santa Fe Opera

Libretto by David Henry Hwang

Music by Huang Ruo

Don’t miss this highly anticipated World Premiere Opera.

Rene Gallimard, a civil servant at the French embassy in Beijing, falls in love with a beautiful Chinese opera singer named Song Liling, who holds two shocking secrets, both of which eventually bring Gallimard professional and personal ruin. Broadway’s smash hit is transformed to operatic form.

"IT SEEMED TIME TO FINALLY EMBARK UPON MY DREAM OF BRINGING 'M. BUTTERFLY' BACK TO THE WORLD OF OPERA...HUANG RUO AND I BELIEVE IT WILL ALLOW THIS STORY TO TAKE WING, MORE BEAUTIFULLY AND POWERFULLY THAN EVER BEFORE." -LIBRETTIST DAVID HENRY HWANG

R ead more about M. BUTTERFLY the opera

An American Soldier / June 17, 2019 by David Hwang

AN AMERICAN SOLDIER

Libretto by David Henry Hwang
Music by Huang Ruo

On October 3, 2011, Chinese-American Army Pvt. Danny Chen was found dead in a guard tower at his base in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. Based on his story, and drawing from the ensuing courts-martial of Chen's fellow soldiers, An American Soldierexplores what happens when the very people who are supposed to protect you in a combat zone become your enemy.

An American Soldier was commissioned by the Washington National Opera, and premiered as a one hour-long work, performed in English in 2014, directed by David Paul. The full-length version premiered in 2018 at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, directed by James Robinson.

Guang Yang as Mother Chen and Andrew Stenson as Danny Chen. Photo by Scott Suchman for the Washington National Opera, 2015

Andrew Stenson as Danny Chen. Photo by Scott Suchman for the Washington National Opera, 2015

Guang Yang as Mother Chen. Photo by Scott for the Washington National Opera, 2015

Andrew Stenson as Danny Chen. Photo by Scott Suchman for the Washington National Opera, 2015

Trevor Scheunemann as Sgt. Marcum and Andrew Stenson as Danny Chen. Photo by Scott Suchman for the Washington National Opera, 2015

The Voyage / June 15, 2019 by David Hwang

THE VOYAGE

Libretto by David Henry Hwang
Music by Philip Glass

Alternating between the exploration of space, and Columbus’ exploration of the seas, A Voyage is a general study of exploration - of the oceans, of space and time and of the mind.

The Voyage was commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera in New York City and premiered there in 1992, directed by David Poutney.

The Voyage at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Photo by Winnie Klotz.

1000 Airplanes on the Roof / June 15, 2019 by David Hwang

1000 AIRPLANES ON THE ROOF

Text by David Henry Hwang
Created with Philip Glass & Jerome Sirlin

1000 Airplanes on the Roof is the story of “M.,” a New Yorker who is abducted by aliens, probed and questioned, then returned to Earth and told to forget the event. The ambiguity of M.’s experience – was it real or hallucinated? – is never fully resolved; it is a parable on contemporary’s man’s search for identity in a bewildering world.

Originally presented in the Vienna Airport, Hanger #3 in 1988, directed by Philip Glass. Subsequent national and international tours, including an engagement at New York City’s Beacon Theatre, recreated the original production, including Jerome Sirlin’s holographic “visual libretto” projections.