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Turning Turandot

Italian

Synopsis

A contemporary, queer reimagining of Giacomo Puccini's unfinished opera Turandot. The work confronts what its creator, composer Olivia Hyunsin Kim, describes as the racist, sexist, and discriminatory elements of the original melodrama. The stated intentions are "We will make Turandot sexy again!" and "to settle accounts with the patriarchy that has dictated the rules in the opera world." The approach is informed by queer characters, immigrant backgrounds, and People of Color (PoC). The adaptation does not alter Puccini's music but reassigns vocal roles by swapping genders: Calaf becomes a soprano, Liù becomes a fragile tenor, and Turandot herself is transformed into a virile baritone.

Composer

Olivia Hyunsin Kim is the director, choreographer, and originator of the concept. The musical arrangement is by Jacopo Salvatori, who adapted Puccini's music for a chamber ensemble

Lyricist / Librettist / Playwright

The work uses the original Italian libretto by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. The English supertitles are by William Weaver. The concept and direction reframe the narrative, but do not introduce new lyrics.

Year of composition/publication / premiere

2024

Genre

Other:

LGBTQAI+ category

Queer

Level of centrality

Main character

Characters

Turandot, Liù

Voice type

Baritone, Tenor

Pronouns

she/her

Publisher / Rights holder

Where to buy / access the work

Performance rights

For performance rights, please contact the composer and/or publisher to ensure legal compliance.