Korean opera singers to star in Aida in Luxor

Korean opera singers will play the leads in Aida in Luxor, one of the most well-known historic sites in Egypt. The Korean Cultural Center in Egypt said Wednesday that soprano Rim Se-kyung, 44, will play Aida and tenor Lee Jeong-hwan, 41, Radames on Saturday and next Monday at 7 p.m. at Hatshepsut Temple in Luxor.

The production pre-celebrates the 150th anniversary (2021) of Aida, which is one of the most popular works by Italian composer Verdi. Set in ancient Egypt, the opera has been much loved by the locals. It was commissioned by a king of Egypt to celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal that connects the Red Sea and the Mediterranean and had its premiere in the Cairo Opera House in 1871. The upcoming performance is garnering even more attention being held in Luxor also known as “the world’s largest outdoor museum.”

Both Lim and Lee are world-renowned opera singers based in Europe and have played in Aida multiple times before. Lim was the first Korean singer who played the main character at Verona Arena, which is the first amphitheater in the world, in August 2015. She also performed at some of the best theaters in Europe including La Scala and Berlin State Opera. Lee played in Aida more than 65 times after his first performance as Radames in 2014 at the Opera Festival of St. Margarethen in Austria. He played Radames at the Cairo Opera House last December.


Se-Hyung Lee turtle@donga.com