September 27th – October 3rd | Lü Jia conducts the world premiere of The Red Sorghum at NCPA Beijing
The year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the victories of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. To commemorate this historic milestone, the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) presents the world premiere of its new national opera commission: The Red Sorghum.
Based on the acclaimed novel Red Sorghum Clan by Mo Yan, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, the opera is set in Gaomi Town, Shandong Province, during the war of resistance. It tells the legendary story of Dai Fenglian, Yu Zhan’ao, and the local villagers as they struggle with human conflict, moral choices, and ultimately awaken with determination to fight when their nation is in peril. Since its publication, Mo Yan’s novel has inspired numerous adaptations in film, television, dance, and Peking Opera; this NCPA production brings it to the opera stage for the very first time.
With a libretto personally written by Mo Yan, the opera features vivid and compelling characters. Renowned composer Guo Wenjing has created a score that blends regional style with symphonic scope, making the work both deeply national and operatic in scale. Directed by Wang Xiaodi and conducted by Lü Jia, Music and Artistic Director of the NCPA, the premiere will showcase the combined artistry of a top-class creative team: set design by Ji Qiao, costumes by Chen Tongxun, lighting by Xing Xin, and video projection by Hu Tianji.
Performed by the NCPA Orchestra, China NCPA Chorus, and a distinguished cast including NCPA Resident Singers, The Red Sorghum promises to be an epic work of contemporary opera.
