Dream of the Red Chamber Performance
(October 2024)
October 12, 2024
Dear Friends,
Excitement is rapidly building towards the November opening of the UMN Opera Theatre’s
world premiere production of a new chamber orchestral version of Dream of the Red Chamber.
At CHF we can hardly contain ourselves, to see the project we initiated and funded fifteen years
ago finally coming home!
Many of you were with us when we were privileged to present a preview of the then-new Opera
by composer Bright Sheng in November 2015 at The Marsh. Everywhere we turned we were
greeted by a sea of smiling faces! Ten months later San Francisco Opera presented the world
premiere of this Opera to worldwide attention and accolades. This sumptuous production went
on to sold-out houses in Hong Kong, Beijing, Changsha and Wuhan, before returning to San
Francisco for a triumphant revival in 2020.
Grand as this production by San Francisco Opera was, a reality check began to sink in: hardly
any other opera company would be able to mount this production – the cost would be simply
prohibitive. So once again we launched into action, this time to commission Bright to create a
chamber orchestration version that any medium-sized opera company or university conservatory
would be able to present. Bright, who shares our passion to promote mutual understanding and
friendships among all peoples through artistic undertakings, readily complied. David Walsh,
Director of UMN Opera Theatre, and Mark Russell Smith, Director of Orchestral Studies at the
UMN School of Music, were both deeply involved in the creation of this new version.
In addition to a reduced orchestration, this new Opera version, to be portrayed by an all-Asian
cast, will present several other innovative features. One is the employment of Chinese opera
movements and gestures by all principal singers that will appear graceful and natural but at the
same time evocative. Keenly aware of the fragility of these gorgeous young voices studying at
the University’s School of Music, Bright has also relaxed his vocal demands on them.
Another innovation in this Opera will be the deployment of dancers to amplify a soloist’s
innermost feelings. All three principals of the love triangle, DaiYu, BaoYu and BaoChai,
will have dancer doubles who will appear at various times throughout the Opera. Their
choreography, a unique combination of classical Chinese dance and modern American dance,
has been created especially for them by New York-based legendary Chinese
dancer/choreographer Zhongmei Li.
Weaving all these innovations together on stage will be philosopher/TaiChi dancer master, Al
ChungLiang Huang. As a Taoist priest, Al will be guiding and watching over his charges,
sighing and grieving with them as he slips into and out of reality and illusion. Come November,
you will witness an evocative and immersive production inside a transformed Ted Mann
Concert Hall!
We cannot wait for you to experience this magic for yourselves! Therefore we would like to
invite you to join us in celebrating what happens when a diverse group of individuals comes
together, united in the single purpose of showcasing a great Chinese masterpiece, creating
opportunities for communication on the universality of human foibles, and reaching out to
touch one another’s heart in friendship and understanding.
To that end, CHF has created the following opportunities to come together during the weekend
of November 21-24 at the Ted Mann Concert Hall, where seating will be General Admission.
1. Thursday/Friday, November 21/22: CHF Evenings at Dream of the Red Chamber
Special additional $10 discount per ticket on already discounted ticket price of $20 for students
and seniors 62+; Deadline: while supply lasts.
To book tickets, go to: www.tickets.umn.edu/UMTE/Online/
Select ‘University Opera Theatre’
Select Date of either November 21 or November 22
Enter Promotional code: CHFMN, select Go
Select number of CHFMN-Adult 62+ and CHFMN-Students
Continue to Payment
For questions, please contact: admin@chfmn.org
Deadline: while supply lasts
2. Opening Night, Saturday, November 23: CHF Dinner at University Campus Club
Features special guests Matthew Shilvock, General Director of San Francisco Opera, and
Composer Bright Sheng. To be followed by attendance of the Opera at Ted Mann Concert Hall.
Package (dinner & opera) price: $150/person, parking not included
Contact for reservations: admin@chfmn.org
Deadline: November 5
3. Supporting Organizations
All organizations who pledge to inform their readership about this Opera, encourage their
attendance at this fantastic production, and disseminate the news of the above offers from CHF,
will be listed in the UMN Premiere Program as Supporting Organizations. If your organization
wishes to participate under this pledge, please contact admin@chfmn.org before deadline of
November 5.
We look forward to seeing many of you at Ted Mann that weekend! We cannot wait to share our
pride in showcasing our cultural heritage to all Minnesotans, and to reach out in friendship and
understanding to every open heart.
CHF Advisory Committee CHFF Board of Directors
Pearl Lam Bergad Ida Lano
Gail Chang Bohr Stephanie Pomonis
Yvonne Cheung Ho Sonja Tilbury
Ida Lano Yen-Chin Woo
Yin Simpson
Ming Li Tchou
2024年10月12日
亲爱的朋友们，
明尼苏达大学歌剧院在11月将首次推出新室内管弦乐版《红楼梦》，大家的兴奋之情正在迅速升温！
作为传龙基金的我们看到十五年前发起和资助的项目终于回归了，几乎无法抑制我们内心的激动。
2015 年11月，我们有幸在 The Marsh 预演作曲家 盛宗亮 Bright Sheng 当时的新歌剧，您们中
的许多人都和我们在一起。无论我们走到哪里，都看到一片笑脸！十个月后，旧金山歌剧院首次
把歌剧《红楼梦》搬上舞台，公演了这部歌剧，并引起了全世界的关注和赞誉。接着，这部华丽
的歌剧在香港、北京、长沙和武汉演出也大获成功，并于 2020 年重返旧金山上演。
旧金山歌剧院的这部歌剧制作非常宏大，但现实开始让我们深入思考：几乎没有其他歌剧院能够
制作它 – 成本实在太高了。于是我们再次行动起来，委托 盛宗亮 改编一个任何中型歌剧院或大
学音乐学院都可以演奏的室内管弦乐版本。盛宗亮 和我们一样热衷于通过艺术事业促进各国人
民之间的相互理解和友谊，他很乐意地答应了。明尼苏达大学歌剧院院长 David Walsh 和明尼苏
达大学音乐学院管弦乐研究主任 Mark Russell Smith 也都深度参与了这个新版本的改编工作。
除了减少管弦乐配器之外，这部由全亚洲演员出演的新歌剧版本还将呈现其他几个创新特点。其
中之一是所有主要歌手都采用了中国戏曲里的传统动作和手势，这些动作和手势看起来既优雅自
然又令人回味。盛宗亮 敏锐地意识到这些在大学音乐学院学习的年轻漂亮歌手有待完美的基本
功，因此在声乐写作上也做了相应调整。
这部歌剧的另一个创新是安排伴舞来展示放大独唱演员的内心思想感受。三角恋中的三个主角黛
玉、宝玉和宝钗都将有双人伴舞，他们将在整个歌剧的不同时间出现。他们的舞蹈编排是中国古
典舞和美国现代舞的独特结合，由纽约传奇中国舞蹈家/编舞家 李忠梅 专门为他们创作。哲学家/
太極舞大师 黄忠良（Al ChungLiang Huang）将在舞台上把这些创新结合在一起展现给观众。作
为一名道士，他将指导和看管他的教众，在现实与幻觉之间来回穿越，与他们一起叹息和悲伤。
11 月，您们将在为这次演出特别装饰过的 Ted Mann 音乐厅内亲身体验它那梦幻般的艺术冲击
力，并见证一场精彩纷呈回味无穷的演出！
我们迫不及待地想让您们亲身体验这种魅力！因此，我们希望邀请尽可能多的人加入我们，一起
庆祝当一群不同的人聚集在一起时会发生什么：他们团结一致，共同展示一件伟大的杰作，创造
交流机会，探讨人类普遍存在的悲点，并在友谊和理解中触动彼此的内心。
为此，传龙基金在11月21日至24日对以下几场歌剧《红楼梦》音乐会提供了特别优惠和安排：
1. 11月21/22日星期四/星期五：传龙基金《红楼梦》之夜
学生和 62 岁以上老人每张票在原有 20 美元折扣价的基础上，额外享受 10 美元特别折扣；截止
日期：售完为止
订票网站：https://www.tickets.umn.edu/UMTE/Online/
输入促销代码 “CHFMN” ，click “Go”，
选择 “University Opera Theatre”，
选择日期 “11月21日” 或 “11月22日”，
选择 “CHFMN-62 岁以上成人” 和/或 “CHFMN-学生人数”，继续付款。
如有问题请联系：admin@chfmn.org
截止日期：售完为止
2. 开幕之夜，11 月 23 日星期六：传龙基金 晚宴在大学校园俱乐部举行
特邀嘉宾包括旧金山歌剧院总监 Matthew Shilvock 和作曲家 盛宗亮，随后将前往 Ted Mann 音
乐厅欣赏歌剧。
特别套餐价格：150 美元/人，不包括停车费。
预定联系方式：admin@chfmn.org
截止日期：11月5日
3. 赞助单位
所有承诺向读者宣传介绍这部歌剧并鼓励读者参加观看这部歌剧精彩演出，以及传播传龙基金上
述优惠消息的组织单位，将作为赞助单位列入 UMN 歌剧《红楼梦》公演节目单。
联系方式：admin@chfmn.org
截止日期：11月5日
我们期待那个周末在 Ted Mann Concert Hall 见到您们！我们迫不及待地想与大家分享我们向所
有明尼苏达人展示我们文化遗产的骄傲，并以友谊和理解感动每一颗敞开的心菲。
传龙基金 Advisory Committee 传龙基金友谊会 Board of Directors
Pearl Lam Bergad 林璧珠 Ida Lano 張艾逹
Gail Chang Bohr 鄭桂英 Stephanie Pomonis 潘明芬
Yvonne Cheung Ho 張毅文 Sonja Tilbury 宋素音
Ida Lano 張艾逹 Yen-Chin Woo 鄔元靖
Yin Simpson 梅德賢
Ming Li Tchou 朱黎慧明