“Opera for Children” draws approximately 3,000 6th grade elementary school students!
“Opera for Children,” inviting approximately 3,000 6th-grade students from Kyoto Prefecture, took place on March 12th (Tuesday).
Initiated in 2015 as a pre-opening project of theROHM Theatre Kyoto under the aspiration of Seiji Ozawa, the Director of the Academy, with the intention of delivering authentic music to children, the “Opera for Children” has been held annually at the ROHM Theatre Kyoto since its opening in 2016 (*Canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic). This year, approximately 3,000 6th grade elementary school students from 52 schools in Kyoto Prefecture were invited to the performance.
In the morning session, featuring the first act of “Così fan tutte”, six soloists appeared who are expected to lead the future of Japan’s opera scene: Yurie Takano (Fiordiligi), Shoko Sogo (Dorabella), Shuhei Itoga (Ferrando), Yuichiro Ichikawa (Guglielmo), Ikumi Nakagawa (Despina), and Soshiro Ide (Don Alfonso). They also served as the cover cast. They sang Mozart’s beautiful melodies as duets, trios, and quartets, captivating the children’s attention.
Due to the illness of some performers, the afternoon session had a sudden change in the program. Apart from a scene from “Così fan tutte”, the audience enjoyed Mozart’s choral and orchestral works. “Instrument Introduction” was also held at the beginning of each performances.
