Italian Cultural Institute in Tokyo hosts Turandot centenary event

To mark the centenary of the first performance of Giacomo Puccini’s “Turandot” at La Scala, the Italian Cultural Institute in Tokyo hosted a special event titled “Turandot delle Stelle.”

The immersive performance, directed by Davide Giannoni and Francesca Pasquinucci of Imaginarium Creative Studio, utilized video mapping and live music to reinterpret the unfinished masterpiece. The production combined Puccini’s work with original music, hand-drawn illustrations, and projections.

In collaboration with the production company Komainu Kikaku, the event featured traditional Japanese instruments, including the koto and shakuhachi, played by Hosokawa Takahiro and Yashiro Saori. The performance aimed to bridge Italian musical tradition with various international cultures through a narrative following Puccini’s journey to find the perfect sounds for his opera.