Welsh National Opera's new season explores issues of race and gender

Welsh National Opera's new season,  features a new production of Puccini’s Madam Butterfly by Australian director Lindy Hume and WNO’s classic of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville directed by Giles Havergal. 

A series of digital talks and events to explore the themes of Madam Butterfly will be available throughout September. The content is inspired by issues relevant to the opera’s story in today’s world. As part of the programme there will be public webinars with the following themes: Modern Day Slavery, Imperialism and Colonialism and Re-inventing the Narrative. The discussions will be led by WNO General Director Aidan Lang, Kim Ann Williamson MBE, Strategic Objectives Programme Lead for the Wales Anti-Slavery Leadership Group and chair of the UK Modern Slavery Training Delivery Group and Jude Kelly CBE, founder of The WOW Foundation.

The new production of Madam Butterfly, opening at the Wales Millennium centre in Cardiff on 24 September, is directed by Australian director Lindy Hume and conducted by WNO conductor laureate Carlo Rizzi. The production will explore socially relevant themes of Puccini’s opera. Hume said: “This is not a business-as-usual moment. The last 18 months especially have brought home our hunger for human connection through live performance, especially live music.'

www.wno.org.uk