Asia-Europe Cultural Festival: 2021 | The Road to Mozart at Angkor

An opera performance blending stories from Cambodia and Mozart's classical music

Dance and music
22 - 26 November 2021
Online

Under the auspicious patronage of His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia, and in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the APSARA Authority, Mozart at Angkor is a symbiosis of two stories, the Cambodian Ramayana (known in Cambodia as the Reamker) and Mozart’s Magic Flute. Acclaimed choreographer Nam Narim and musical director Keo Dorivan lead the performance of Khmer Classical Ballet, Shadow Puppetry (Sbek Thom), and Masked dances (Lkhon Khol) classified by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage, that are integrated into this original musical theatre event.

The vision to produce Mozart’s opera in Cambodia originated over a decade ago with the patron of the arts in Cambodia, the late Robert Turnbull, who engaged the Italian stage director Stefano Vizioli and Australian-Italian musical director Aaron Carpenè to collaborate with Cambodian partners in an exciting process of intercultural performative practices exchange. Since 2014 the two directors have worked with Cambodian and international performing artists in a collaborative creative process, in particular with the former Amrita Performing Arts Dance Ensemble under the direction of choreographers Chey Chankethya and Nam Narim, and Khmer music master Keo Dorivan. The collaboration led to a critically acclaimed production of Die Zauberflöte in 2017 at the Sanxay Summer Opera Festival in France and a fully staged abridged version in 2018 at the Chaktomuk Conference Hall in Phnom Penh in the presence of H.E. Dr. Phoeurng Sackona, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts.