The sound of music in Kuching

The Borneo Opera Festival 2023 featured renowned opera virtuosos and saw full house concerts throughout its four days.

THE grand, melodramatic world of opera came to life in Kuching recently as world-renowned opera virtuosos converged in the city for the inaugural Borneo Opera Festival.

It was a full house at the festival venue, the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN) complex, on all three nights of the concert including its opening gala when world-class personalities such as Maestro Alfio Grasso, Italian tenor Domenico Menini and Sarawak’s own budding talent Jeanne-Marie Druce mesmerised audiences with the grandeur, artistic brilliance and beautiful melody of this cultural extravaganza.

Maestro Grasso, the Italian baritone who has conquered the world of opera, was joined by Romanian artiste Ioan Vrasmas and his Teatro d’Opera Italiana (Vox Orchestra), Spanish soprano Beatriz Sylvan and violinist Bogdan Alexandru Costache, a shining virtuoso in the world of classical music throughout the four-day festival from Oct 12-15.

The festival awed audiences with the grandeur and beauty of opera with popular numbers such as Granada performed by Menini, Italian traditional Bella Ciao and Johann Strauss’ Donauwalzer performed by Costache and the Vox Orchestra.

Jeanne-Marie stole the limelight and set Sarawak’s social media abuzz after the opening gala with her opera version of the state anthem Ibu Pertiwiku.

Jeanne-Marie steals the limelight with her opera rendition of the Sarawak state anthem Ibu Pertiwiku.

The following evenings saw her performances growing stronger. The young soprano was unfazed by the fame and reputation of her fellow performers, managing to hold her own with a beautiful rendition of Giuseppe Verdi’s Aria Violetta and Giacomo Puccini’s O Mio Babbino Caro.

She also sang a romantic number, Franz Lehar’s Lippen Schweigen, with Menini.

There were also humourous and comedic moments when the Vox Orchestra performed Josep Strauss’ Feuerfest Polka. Popularly known as the blacksmith polka, the number literally featured a musician forging a blacksmith hammer and beating metal and iron to the beat of the song.

Maestro Grasso also drew laughter from the crowd before the song Brindisi (the drinking song), as he shouted “tunggu” to ask the orchestra to wait while he tried to open a bottle of champagne on stage.

The highlight of the festival would be the massively famous Nessun Dorma, performed flawlessly by Menini to thunderous applause from the crowd each night.

“It is through these festivals that we Sarawakians are able to showcase our culture, adventure, nature, food and festivals to the world and in turn, we are able to exchange knowledge with international performers.

“It has long been my desire to see our future Sarawak Performing Arts Centre becoming the region’s very own Istana Budaya Sarawak.

A section of the Vox Orchestra performing during the concert.

“The Sarawak government recognises the importance of supporting the arts and ensuring that they continue to thrive, bringing joy and inspiration to generations to come,” Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said at the festival opening gala.

His speech was read by state Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

Event organiser Pauline Peck of Borneo Season Opera II Palcoscenico PLT said: “Through the Borneo Opera Festival, our mission is to make Sarawak the ultimate hub for classical music in Asia and beyond. We are dedicated to elevating opera and opera productions, instrumentals, orchestras and choir in the region, propelling Sarawak onto the global stage.”

The Borneo Opera Festival 2023, the first of its kind in the state, was coordinated by Beam Event Management.

Other famous numbers performed at the concert included Mozart’s Non Piu Andrai by Vrasmas, Jacques Offenbach’s Can Can and Pace Mi Dio Vissi D’arte.

The closing for the evenings saw Jeanne-Marie, Sylvan, Menini, Grasso and Vrasmas singing Funiculi Funicula before Costache and the orchestra performed Tico Tico.

On the final evening, the concert ended with a specially arranged rendition of the folk song Rasa Sayang, performed by Jeanne-Marie.

Maestro Grasso, when commenting about the festival, said it was more than just a night of beautiful arias and enchanting performances. It was about planting the seeds for a musical foundation that will benefit generations to come, especially in Sarawak.

“Opera, with its powerful melodies, has the ability to touch the hearts and minds of its listeners, no matter where they come from, through the power of storytelling,” he said.