Daegu Opera House will stage its 2026 featured opera "Rigoletto" over two days on April 24 and 25. The production is co-produced with China's National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) to mark the "2026 Korea-China-Japan Cultural Exchange Year," making it an Asia premiere exclusively available in Daegu.
The "Rigoletto" production is a Korea-China cultural exchange project backed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange. Daegu Opera House and the NCPA, China's leading national performing arts institution, jointly planned all aspects of the production from its earliest stages, including staging, direction and technical elements. The project carries significant meaning as a co-production model that pools Asia's opera production capabilities, going beyond a simple guest performance.
The stage reinterprets Verdi's masterpiece through cutting-edge visual language. A massive LED digital canvas offers a modern reimagining of 16th-century Italian architectural styles and court grandeur. Ceiling frescoes are rendered through 3D mapping projections to maximize the sense of spatial depth. Visuals preserving the texture and rich color palette of classical paintings shift in sync with each act's dramatic arc, transforming the entire stage into what resembles a "moving art gallery." Daegu Opera House will also offer ViewMaster seats providing a panoramic view of the full stage composition and Focus seats for close-up appreciation of specific elements.
Direction is handled by world-renowned opera director Davide Livermore. Livermore directed the season-opening production at La Scala for four consecutive years and currently serves as artistic director of the Grand Théâtre de Genève. He is well known for combining advanced visual technology and stage design with classical interpretation to maximize narrative and emotional impact. Daegu Opera House plans to hold an open interview on April 6 with Livermore himself to share the production process and artistic vision.
The production and cast roster is equally impressive. Conductor Kim Kwang-hyun, music director of the Classic Busan Season Orchestra, leads the orchestra. Stage video design is by D-WOK, which has worked at major opera houses worldwide. Baritones Lee Dong-hwan and Kim Han-gyeol take the title role of Rigoletto, while Zhang Yuanqin and Lee Hye-jung sing the role of Gilda. The Duke of Mantua is performed by Yoo Jun-ho and Kwon Jae-hee, and Ryu Ji-sang takes the role of Sparafucile.
"This production is a project combining technology, direction and international collaboration," a Daegu Opera House official said. "It will offer audiences a new opera experience."
Ticket prices are 100,000 won for VIP seats, 80,000 won for R seats, 60,000 won for S seats, 40,000 won for A seats and 20,000 won for B seats. ViewMaster and Focus seats are 120,000 won each. Reservations are available through Daegu Opera House and NOL Ticket.