New Opera "SUN

Program

• Opera "SUN" （Opera in 2 acts in Japanese)

  Itsuko Ota

What is Inaope?
The concept of the Inaope (Inabe x String Opera) Project is "an accessible opera that can be enjoyed by everyone with the participation of citizens", a new form of music culture originating in Inabe. The opera to be performed is "SUN," a new opera inspired by the city of Inabe in Mie Prefecture.
The original story is by Fuminori Shinohara, a resident of Inabe City, and the music is composed by Itsuko Ota, a resident of Yokkaichi City who also teaches composition in Inabe City.
Please enjoy the story and music as if you were listening to a picture book being read to you.

Feature 1: Original new opera with Inabe City as its motif
The story is a fantasy in which the main character, San, visits "Tree Village," "Flower Village," "Earth Village," and "Mountain Village" in the "City of Love," each of which is inspired by Kitase Town, Fujiwara Town, Inabe Town, and Daian Town, respectively. Inabe's unique characteristics are scattered throughout, such as festival scenes and the legend of the dragon god.

Feature 2: Performances by people from Inabe City and surrounding areas
The choir group "Opekoro," which plays the role of a spirit, was formed in the fall of 2022 with members recruited from the public. In the summer of 2023, soloists and villagers will be invited from the public, and many people from Inabe City and the surrounding areas will participate in the festival.

Feature (3): Stage design utilizing Inabe's natural materials
Stage design and props utilizing natural materials from Inabe are supervised by Junna Fujikawa, a gardener from Inabe City, who also supervised the pre-concert concert in March 2023, which was well received.

Feature 4: Small orchestra with strings only
A small string orchestra, which is rare in opera, allows the opera to be performed anywhere, regardless of the theater. The Kuwana String Orchestra, based in Inabe City, performs.

Movie