Established in 2012 (under a different name), the mission of Kuala Lumpur City Opera (KLCO) is to promote western opera music among Malaysians through stage performances and concerts. With 15 principal singers and a resident chorus of 35, KLCO stages one or two full scale operas a year, and also runs workshops for kids, monthly opera film screenings, choral productions with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, and organises other events to promote classical music and opera. Past productions have included Puccini’s La Bohème, Bizet’s Carmen and Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore .
This season, for the first time, KLCO is coming to Penang to share the joy and excitement of opera here, and will present another favourite from Donizetti, La fille du Régiment, for the first time in Malaysia.
La Fille du Régiment, is an opera comique (an opera designed to make the audience laugh) which was first performed in 1840 and remains popular today. It is sung in French, with English dialogue, The soloists include husband and wife duo, soprano Jane Soong and tenor Yap Jin Hin, who play a lovestruck couple, Marie and Tonio, amid aristocratic society and soldiers in Switzerland, during the Napoleonic Wars. The opera is famous for the tenor aria which demands 9 high Cs, ‘Ah! mes amis, quel jour de fête (Ah, my friends, what an exciting day), which will be performed by Yap Jin Hin.
These and the other soloists will be supported by the 45-member KL City Opera Chorus, the Orchestra Ensemble of KL City Opera and the children from the Opera for Kids workshop. Helmed by executive producers Danny Chen & Ho Soon Yoon, the co-founders of KLCO, the production team include Columbian Juan Montoya as its principle conductor, award-winning stage director Amelia Tan and accomplished Soprano Cecilia Yap as vocal director and Chi Hoe Mak as chorus master.
Showtimes for the La Fille du Régiment are Saturday June 17th at 8.30pm and Sunday June 18th at 3pm at penangpac. Tickets cost RM 128 with a 10% discount for concessions, and are available at the penangpac box office, or at http://www.ticketpro.com.my/jnp/concert/opera/2108710-penangpac-La-fille-du-regiment.html. For more information contact klcityopera@gmail.com.