Daegu, South Korea's UNESCO Creative City of Music, is set to host its 22nd International Opera Festival next month with the theme "Per Sempre," meaning "forever" in Italian. The theme represents the enduring beauty and immortality of art, highlighting opera's timeless ability to inspire and move audiences across generations, according to officials from the Daegu Opera House announced on Friday.

The festival's centerpiece features four full-scale opera productions that embody the festival's message of immortality and resonance. Opening the prestigious event, Verdi's "Il Trovatore" will be performed from September 26 to 27, marking its premiere at this year's festival as a production by the Daegu Opera House. Following this, Bizet's beloved "Carmen" will take the stage from October 16 to 18 in a production by the Yeongnam Opera Company, specially invited by the Daegu Opera House for this year's festival.

The festival continues with Mozart's acclaimed masterpiece "The Marriage of Figaro" scheduled for October 24-25, featuring a collaboration with rising vocal talents from around the world. Closing the main opera series is Gluck's "Orfeo ed Euridice," the Daegu Opera House's 2024 in-house production that was previously presented at Estonia's Saaremaa Opera Festival in July, demonstrating the international recognition of Daegu's opera excellence.

Beyond these four main opera productions, the festival expands significantly in both scope and artistic vision, organizers explained. Among the special highlights is the world premiere of Jin Young-min's concertante opera "Beauty," which draws inspiration from Sin Yun-bok's famous painting "Portrait of a Beauty." This unique production represents a fusion of traditional Korean art with contemporary opera composition.

Adding to the festival's international character, a special Korea-Japan-China gala concert titled "Heart of the East, One Stage" will be held on October 30. This collaborative performance will bring together top singers and opera companies from all three nations, symbolizing cultural exchange and solidarity across East Asia. The event represents the festival's commitment to fostering international cooperation in the arts.

The festival experience extends well beyond the main stage productions throughout Daegu, South Korea's fourth-largest city by population. Complementing the major opera performances are fringe concerts held across the city and beyond, intimate lobby concerts inside the opera house, and the popular "Prima della Prima" pre-performance lectures specifically designed to deepen audience understanding and appreciation of the art form.

Further emphasizing Daegu's growing role as an international opera destination, the festival will host a global opera market on October 27. This event positions the city as an important hub for opera distribution and artist exchange, connecting performers, producers, and opera companies from around the world.

The festival also features a unique visual arts collaboration with acclaimed contemporary artist Lee Bae, whose signature use of charcoal as an artistic medium perfectly conveys the festival's "Per Sempre" theme. This interdisciplinary approach demonstrates how the festival continues to evolve and incorporate various art forms while maintaining its focus on opera's enduring appeal.