The Riddle ofTurandot: A Community Discussion
In May of 2023, Opera Colorado is bringing Puccini’s masterpiece Turandot to the stage at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. While this opera is one of the great works in the repertoire, made by one of the most well-known composers, Turandot also poses many challenges to a modern audience.
Conversations about yellowface and cultural appropriation are at the forefront of these discussions. The Italian composer Puccini never set foot in Asia but created the opera during a time of western fascination with the east known as Orientalism. Over the past few years, many opera houses putting this story on stage have been questioning how to best present it, including the Canadian Opera Company and Philadelphia Opera.
At Opera Colorado, we want to explore these challenges further to help guide our production. On February 13, we invited members from the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) community to a panel discussion co-hosted by Rocky Mountain Public Media on some of the issues surrounding Turandot. Thank you to our panelists:
Harry Budisidharta
Executive Director, Asian Pacific Development Center
Greg Carpenter
Elllie Caulkins General & Artistic Director, Opera Colorado
Margaret Ozaki Graves
Soprano, Educator, Advocate
Aria Umezawa
Stage Director
Deborah Yim
Managing Attorney, Primera Law Group
President Elect, Asian Pacific American Bar Association
Amber Coté
Moderator
Community and Volunteer Director, Rocky Mountain Public Media
Watch the full panel discussion now.