Conductor Aldo Sisillo. File photos

This Sunday evening, a concert version of Mozart’s classical opera “Don Giovanni” will meet local audiences. Co-presented by Shenzhen Opera and Dance Theater (SZODT), Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra (SZSO), and Shenzhen Concert Hall, this special production for the 2026 Shenzhen ICIF Art Season represents a fresh endeavor to bring opera closer to contemporary audiences.

Under the baton of conductor Aldo Sisillo, musicians from the SZSO and singers from the SZODT will conjure Don Giovanni's world of gallantry and tragedy with arresting vocal power and orchestral precision.

SZODT singers.

Since its premiere in 1787, the opera has remained a cornerstone of the international operatic repertoire. Commissioned by the Prague Theater, it stands as one of Mozart's crowning achievements — a work that deftly balances profound meditations on desire, freedom, and fate with uproarious comic episodes, offering a full display of opera's multifaceted allure.

Mozart, at just 31, seamlessly fused an Italian libretto with Austro-German musical idioms in this score. The German poet Goethe and philosopher Kierkegaard both held it in the highest esteem, while Wagner famously hailed it as "the opera of operas."

Guan Jun.

With decades of experience in both opera and symphonic music, Sisillo is a regular presence at major theaters and festivals worldwide. His performance with Chile's National Symphony Orchestra in Santiago of Rossini's “Stabat Mater” was acclaimed by the media as the "Best Symphony Concert of the Year" and received the country's 2018 National Culture Award. 

This production's opera coach, Guan Jun, has served as artistic director for numerous productions, including the Hamburg State Opera's “Die Zauberflöte” and the SZSO's “Aida.” Having collaborated extensively with renowned conductors and directors on a wide range of operatic projects, she brings a wealth of stage experience to this concert.

Musicians of SZSO. 

Time: 7:30 p.m., Aug. 2

Tickets: 100–580 yuan, with discounted duo and trio packages available.