Announcement

Three Riddles, One Famous Aria: Discover Turandot at klpac

Published on 22/10/2026

A princess sets three riddles. A prince stakes his life on answering them. And before dawn, an entire city is drawn into the search for his name.

That’s the world of Turandot, Giacomo Puccini’s final opera, now on stage at Pentas 1, klpac. Presented by KL City Opera in collaboration with the Embassy of Italy in Kuala Lumpur, the production runs from 17–25 October 2026, bringing together Malaysian and international artists, a 50-piece orchestra and a 70-member chorus.

Whether you’re an opera regular or simply curious about seeing one live, there’s plenty to discover, from the music of Nessun dorma to costumes by Malaysian fashion house BEHATI.

A dangerous challenge, a secret name

Set in ancient Beijing, the story centres on Princess Turandot, who demands that any prince seeking her hand answer three riddles correctly. Failure means execution.

When the mysterious Prince Calaf succeeds, he offers her a challenge of his own: discover his name before dawn, and he will willingly die.

It’s a premise filled with tension, drawing the audience into a story of pride, vulnerability and high-stakes decisions. You don’t need to know the plot beforehand to follow it unfold.

You might already know the music

Even if Turandot is new to you, Nessun dorma might sound familiar. The celebrated tenor aria is one of the opera’s defining moments, sitting within a score that moves between intimate exchanges and large choral scenes.

This production brings that music to life with a 50-piece orchestra, conducted by Italian conductor Alessandro Mazzocchetti, alongside Assistant Conductor Dr Bernard Tan.

The KL City Opera Chorus and Young KL Singers form a combined 70-member chorus, adding scale to the world on stage. Together with the principal singers, they make this a chance to experience how voices and orchestra tell a story in a live theatre.

Where opera meets Malaysian fashion

The visual storytelling brings a local creative collaboration into the spotlight.

BEHATI, led by founder and designer Kelwen, contributes costume design and artistic direction. Known for working with traditional textiles, cultural motifs and heritage craftsmanship through contemporary fashion, the label brings its design approach to Puccini’s opera.

With Amelia Tan as Stage Director, the production connects music, performance and fashion, giving audiences another layer to look out for beyond the score.

A milestone for KL City Opera

According to KL City Opera, this production marks Turandot’s return to Malaysia after more than two decades and is the company’s largest and most ambitious staging to date.

It also continues KLCO’s collaboration with the Embassy of Italy in Kuala Lumpur. Presented within the framework of the Week of the Italian Language in the World, the production brings Malaysian and international artists together through a shared operatic tradition.

For audiences, that collaboration becomes something tangible: the chance to encounter this work through the performers, musicians and creative practitioners bringing it to the local stage.

First opera? You can follow along

Turandot is performed in Italian with English and Chinese surtitles, so you can follow the words as the story unfolds.

The performance lasts approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes, including a 20-minute interval, and is suitable for audiences aged 6 and above.

You don’t need to understand Italian or study the score beforehand. Start with the story, follow the surtitles and let the voices, orchestra and staging guide you through it.