Tea: A Mirror of Soul, one of five operas by the world-renowned Chinese composer Tan Dun, premiered in the Tokyo Suntory Hall (Oct 2002) and the Dutch National Opera (Jan 2005).  Inspired by The Classic of Tea by tea master Lu Yu, the opera tells the love story of Seikyo, a Japanese prince, and Lan, a Tang Dynasty princess.  Together, they embark on a journey to uncover the authentic version of the Classic.  Following the princess’s death, Seikyo becomes a monk, devoting his life to spreading the way of tea.  The work is full of beautiful arias and wonderful melodies, and the performance attempts to combine artificial intelligence visuals and high-tech multimedia elements in the concert hall for the first time.  The composer himself conducts this stirring work, imbued with the essence of Zen.

Conductor/Composer: Tan Dun
Director: Casba Káel
Soprano: Lucy Fitz Gibbon
Baritone: Li Sun
Tenor: Motoki Ishii
Bass: Apollo Wong
Mezzo-soprano: Niru Liu
Bass-Baritone Chorus