Mozart’s Così fan tutte is coming to Shanghai Opera House in a fresh semi-staged production for the China Shanghai International Arts Festival. Under the baton of Xu Zhong and featuring international soloists like Chloé Chaume and Serena Malfi, the show blends concert-style purity with just enough theatrical staging to keep things lively. Expect Mozart’s witty take on love, loyalty, and temptation, with some of his most intricate ensemble writing.

"Così fan tutte," a two-act opera composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with a libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, was created in 1789. It is regarded as a representative work of Mozart’s late operatic period and is often described as "a philosophical drama cloaked in comedy." The story unfolds around an absurd "test of fidelity," where two couples are caught in a web of emotional entanglements and trials, exposing the fragility of love, the complexity of human nature, and the double standards of social morality.

Unlike traditional comic operas that rely primarily on arias, Così fan tutte makes extensive use of ensemble singing—duets, trios, quartets—as the main device for advancing the plot and revealing psychological states. This close integration of music and drama marked a turning point in the artistic depth of opera buffa.

In 2025, the Shanghai Opera House will present a new semi-staged production of Così fan tutte under the direction of renowned conductor and pianist Xu Zhong, also President of the Opera House. This marks the company’s first semi-staged presentation of the opera at the 24th China Shanghai International Arts Festival, following the success of Le Nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni.

Conductor: Xu Zhong

The Shanghai Opera House Chorus and Symphony Orchestra, together with the Festival Orchestra of the China Shanghai International Arts Festival, will perform alongside an international cast, including Chloé Chaume (Fiordiligi), Serena Malfi (Dorabella), Dou Qianming (Guglielmo), Alessandro Scotto di Luzio (Ferrando), Wang Bailing (Despina), and Yu Yang (Don Alfonso). Stage elements such as lighting, spatial design, and character interaction are carefully crafted to combine the purity of a concert performance with the dramatic intensity of theater.

Shanghai Opera House Chorus and Orchestra

This production continues the Shanghai Opera House’s long-term exploration of Mozart’s comic operas and reflects its commitment to international collaboration, production innovation, and localized artistic expression. As one of the key projects of the Opera House and the Festival, the semi-staged Così fan tutte is both a contemporary interpretation of classical opera and an invitation for today’s audiences to reflect on love and human nature.

• Musicals & Operas
• Stage & Dance