"50 years later, people may not remember my novel, but Verdi makes it immortal."
                                                                                                                                   —Alexander Dumas Fils

La Traviata is the last part of "Popular Trilogy" by Verdi, the Italian romanticist composing master. It's also one of the best-selling classical works in the world opera history. The original version of the story is from Dumas Fils' famous novel Lady of the Camellias. The whole opera consists of three acts. It was initially performed in Teatro La Fenice on Mar. 6, 1853. After further adaptation, it became one of the most popular works in different opera houses universally and was performed again and again. Many arias with elegant melody enjoy great popularity and are engraved on the mind of the audience. Among Verdi's pieces, it has the greatest number of famous selections, which can be compete with Bizet's Carmen. Dumas Fils once hailed: "50 years later, people may not remember my novel, but Verdi makes it immortal."

In 2010, National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) has organized an international crew. The world top conducting maestro, Lorin Maazel, is invited to be its conductor and Artistic Director. The renowned Italian stage designer, Benito Leonori, will create a magic stage set in NCPA with flowing light and shadow as well as presenting a classical and fantastic banquet for vision and hearing.

The opera has both touching plot and moving music. The Drinking Song has become one of the most familiar melodies to the Chinese audience. La Traviata will lead you into the luxurious social circles of the 19th century Paris, witnessing the farewell between life and love after the courtesan Violetta gains love, experiencing the double shock in heart and senses.

Synopsis
The story is set in 19th century Paris. The famous courtesan Violetta is appointed Lady of the Camellias because of her love for camellias. Violetta is moved by the true love of a young man, Alfredo and they fall in love with each other. She leaves the luxurious Paris social circles. However, Alfredo's father comes to stop their love. Under his father's begging, for her lover's future and his family's reputation, Violetta chooses to give up with great agony and returns to her previous life in Paris. Alfredo, who doesn't know the truth, can't understand her behaviors and shamed her in public. The sickness of Violetta, who has tuberculosis, becomes heavier because of her lover's hate. Alfredo's father can't continue to bare the upset of his inner heart and at last tells his son the truth. But it's too late, Violetta has left the world lonely, with endless aspiration, just like camellias, wither and fall.

Artistic Director / Conductor: Lorin Maazel
One of the most outstanding conductors in the world today. He started to learn to play the violin at five years old and to conduct at seven, firstly conducted the orchestra in public at eight. When he was 15, Mr. Maazel had conducted many famous symphony orchestras in the States. Till now, the Maestro at 80 years old has conducted more than 150 symphony orchestras in world famous concert halls and opera houses, and has conducted over 5000 operas and symphony concerts. What is worth mentioning, the Maestro is also a brilliant composer and is keen on opera creation and direction. His opera 1984 was premiered in the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on May 3, 2005.

Since September 2002, Lorin Maazel started to take on the duty as Music Director of New York Philharmonic. In 2010, he will end this session which he has held for seven years and will hold the baton as well as Artistic Director of La Traviata in NCPA production.

Director / Lighting Designer: Henning Brockhaus
A famous German director and playwright. He once held positions in Teatro alla Scala di Milano and directed numerous opera works including Verdi's La Traviata, Puccini's Madama Butterfly and Turandot, and many drama works including Ibsen's The Lady from the Sea and Max Frisch's Biedermann and the Arsonist, for Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Teatro Real in Madrid, Hamburg State Opera House, Tokyo New National Theatre and other famous theatres and opera festivals.

Stage Design: Benito Leonori
Benito Leonori is a stage designer graduating from Accademia di Belle Arti di Macerata. Since 1992, he has cooperated with director Henning Brockhaus and stage designer Josef Svoboda in many operas. Their stage design for the opera La Traviata was awarded the Abbiati Prize in 1993.

Costume / Makeup Design: Giancarlo Colis
He graduated from Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma, Giancarlo Colis has been engaged in stage costume design ever since 1977. His main works include La Forza del Destino, Carmen and La Traviata etc. He has also designed costumes for films since 1985. One remarkable experience at the beginning of his engagement in film costume design is that he has participated in the costume design of the famous film The Last Emperor, and after that, he started to integrate Chinese factors into his design.      

Lead Cast

Mary Dunleavy (Violetta)
American soprano Mary Dunleavy continues to receive critical and popular acclaim for her performances with many of the world's leading opera houses and orchestras.

In the 2009-2010 season, Ms. Dunleavy performs Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail at San Francisco Opera, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the San Diego Symphony, and Gilda in Rigoletto opposite Richard Paul Fink and David Pomeroy at Lyric Opera of Kansas City. Her gallery of operatic heroines is led by her signature role, Violetta in La Traviata, seen thus far in over 60 performances at the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Barcelona's Gran Teatre del Liceu, Glimmerglass Opera, New York City Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, the Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest, and others. Her Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte, a role which she retired in 2002 after 84 performances, was heard at the Met, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco, Washington, Houston Grand Opera, Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, Amsterdam, Aix-en-Provence, Montréal and NYCO.

Zhang Liping (Violetta)
The well-known soprano Zhang Liping is Dean and Professor of the Vocal Music and Opera Department of China Central Conservatory of Music. In Mar. 2004, her Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly at the Metropolitan Opera in New York and became the first Chinese in history to perform as the diva in the Met. Zhang is also the first Chinese opera singer ever to perform as the diva in the Royal Opera House, Convent Garden, where she has starred in a number of operas, including Lucia di Lammermo, and is regarded by the opera as a box office draw.  

Zhang Liping's heroines have appeared on the stage of Teatro Regio di Parma, Munich State Opera, Barcelona Opera House, Teatro La Fenice, including Rigoletto, Madama Butterfly, La Boheme, Lucia di Lammermo, Turandot, La Traviata, Carmen, Faust, The Marriage of Figaro and The Magic Flute, etc.

Arturo Chacon-Cruz (Alfredo)
Born in Mexico, Arturo Chacon -Cruz has in recent seasons made many important international debuts in theaters including the Berlin State Opera, Hamburg State Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Teatro Comunale in Bologna, Teatro San Carlo, Naples, Teatro la Fenice, Venice, Teatro Regio di Turin, Palau de la Reina Sofia in Valencia, L'Opera de Montpellier, and at the Festival de Radio France in Montpellier. In North America he has appeared with the Washington Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Houston Opera, Michigan Opera Theater, Florida Grand Opera and many others.

Arturo Chacon Cruz began his 2009/10 season as Rodolfo in La Boheme with the Portland Opera. He then debuted in this role with the Cologne Opera and subsequently made his debut with the Hamburg State Opera as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly. He also returned to the Berlin State Opera in La Boheme the Berlin State Opera Chacon Cruz will also appear as the Duca in Rigoletto with the Opera de La Wallonie, Liege and with the Florentine Opera in Milwaukee. Chacon Cruz has received many awards, including, the First Place and Audience Choice Award at the 2003 Eleanor McCollum Competition in Houston Grand Opera, winner of Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in the New England Region, and he was also a winner of Operalia 2005.

Ding Yi (Alfredo)
Ding Yi is a world famous opera singer and the first tenor in Sydney Opera House, and he is also the only Asian opera singer who plays the lead there. Ding is well-grounded in singing and skilled in techniques, and his performance is marvelous. He played the lead in such world famous operas as La Traviata, Tosca, Rigoletto, Faust, Cavalleria Rusticana, and his performances received favorable comments in the western opera circles. Australia's Herald Sun and The Australian appraised him as "the typical Italian-style heroic tenor and his singing is world-class". Ding was appraised by the Queen of Opera Joan Sutherland as "the best opera actor and the most brilliant tenor". Ding has been awarded in the Shizuoka International Opera Competition in Japan and the 6th Marseilles International Opera Competition in France. He also received the honor of Artist Achievements Award granted by the European Arts Council of the World Chinese Musicians Association and the Administration of Rome, Italy.

Drinking Song