Award-winning Korean performing artists will play the key roles in the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ (CCP) staging of  Giuseppe Verdi’s “Rigoletto” on Aug. 22 (7 p.m.)  and Aug. 24  (3 p.m.)  at the Main Theater.

 

Originally called “La Maledizione” (The Curse), “Rigoletto,” an opera in four acts, is about the dissolute Duke of Mantua, his hunchback court jester Rigoletto, and Rigoletto’s beautiful daughter, Gilda.

 

The story revolves around a curse placed on both the Duke and Rigoletto by a courtier whose daughter has been seduced by the Duke with Rigoletto’s encouragement.

 

The curse takes full effect when Gilda falls in love with the Duke and eventually sacrifices her life to save him from the assassins hired by her own father.

 

The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play “Le Roi S’Amuse” by Victor Hugo.

 

The title role will be played by Korean baritone Daeson No. The cast also includes soprano Yun Kyoung Yi and tenor Jae Wook Lee.

 

Jae-Joon Lee will conduct the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra.

 

Baritone No

 

No graduated from the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia with an Artist’s Diploma in Opera. He also joined the Summer Music Festival of Music Academy of the West and Tanglewood.

 

He won the prestigious Lieder Prize in the 1999 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition. He also won First Prizes in the Marilyn Horne Voice Competition; Mario Lanza International Competition; Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation International Voice Competition; Liederkranz Foundation International Voice Competition; James Parkinson Italian Opera Competition; and Jeunesses Musicales International Competition in Canada 2002.

 

His opera credits include the title role in “Falstaff,” which he sang at Tanglewood under the baton of Seiji Ozawa; the title role in “Rigoletto” with the Lyric Opera of San Antonio, Texas; “Leporello” in productions of “Don Giovanni” at the Opera Delaware and the Performing Arts Center in Seoul; the roles of Bonze and Yamadori in “Madama Butterfly” with Opera Columbus; Scarpia in “Tosca” and Escamillo in “Carmen” with the New York City Opera; Escamillo  with Opera Grand Rapids in Michigan; and Marcello in “Don Giovanni” with the National Opera of Korea.

 

Soprano Yi

 

A multi-awarded soprano, Yi won the Grand Prix at the 4th Gotaeguk Voice Competition in Busan and the Best Prize at the 20th National Voice Competition of the Korea Music Association.

 

She captured the Second Prize at the 9th National Suri Music Competition, and the top female prize in the 29th Jungang Music Competition. She was a finalist at the 4th De Nardis International Voice Competition (Italy), as well as finalist and special-prize winner at the 44th Japan-Italy Voice Competition.

 

Yi has portrayed major roles in “La Traviata,” “Lucia di Lammermoor,” “Rigoletto,” “La Boheme,” “L’Elisir d’Amore,” “Carmen,” “Turandot,” “Il Barbiere di Siviglia,” and “Die Fledermaus.”

 

She was also a soloist of productions of “Messiah,” “Die Schoepfung,” Symphony No. 9; the Requiems of Mozart, Faure and Verdi; and Bach’s Mass in B Minor.

 

Tenor Lee

Tenor Jae Wook Lee is a graduate of the Department of Visual Design at Seoul National University of Technology in Korea. He came to classical singing late, starting his vocal studies at age 29.

 

He has won numerous prizes, including the first prizes in the Korean National Vocal Music Competition, Montserrat Cabelle, Rosetum and Nino Carta international vocal competitions.

 

Lee has performed lead roles in “La Traviata,” “Rigoletto,” “Nabucco,” “La Bohème,” “Madama Butterfly,” “Tosca,” “Manon Lescaut,” “Turandot,” “Carmen,” “Dialogues des Carmelites,” “Lucia di Lammermoor,” “L’Elisir d’Amore,” and “Die Zauberfllöte.”

 

Conductor Lee

 

Jae-Joon Lee has conducted numerous operas including “La Boheme,” “La Traviata,” “Carmen,” “Aida” and “Rigoletto.”

 

He has also conducted extensive symphonic works by Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Brahms and Mahler.

 

In 2002, Lee led the Pilgrim Mission Choir to the 2nd World Choir Olympics and to the 3rd World Choir Olympics held in Bremen, Germany. The choir became the back-to-back champion for two years in the Musica Sacra Acapella category, a feat which remains unchallenged in the European Chorus world.

 

He was artistic director of the 2004 Daegu International Choir Festival.

 

Lee has performed in the Philippines before. In 2008, he conducted the opera “The Bat,” produced by the CCP and the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Conservatory of Music.

 

Other performers include Filipino classical vocalists from the UST Conservatory such as Ronan Ferrer, Nenen Espina, Thea Perez, Jun Francis Jaranilla and Noel Azcona.

 

The chorus will be composed of male members of the Coro Tomasino of UST.

 

“Rigoletto” is presented by the CCP in cooperation with the Filipino Opera Society Foundation Inc.;  Bohol Restoration Group; and Rustan’s Group of Companies.

 

Part of the proceeds will go to the Bohol Restoration Group, which helps in the rehabilitation of heritage sites ravaged by the earthquake in 2013.

 

Ticket prices for the Aug. 22 Gala are P2,000, P1,500, P800, P500. Tickets for the Aug. 24 matinee are P1,200, P800, P500, P300. Discounts: 50 percent for students and 20 percent for senior citizens, government and military employees.

 

Call CCP Box Office at tel. 8323704.