This Friday, the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra (SZSO), together with its chorus and children’s choir, will join forces with a line-up of rising opera stars from China to present the grand finale of their 2024-2025 season — a concert version of Puccini’s beloved opera “La Bohème.” Featured soloists include Wu Tongyu, Yu Song, Li Geng, Zong Yingying, Chen Zuhao, Chen Jiongran, and Wang Duoduo.

A poster for Friday's concert. Photos courtesy of SZSO

Under the baton of SZSO’s music director Lin Daye, this ensemble of nearly 200 performers will recreate the emotional intensity and warmth that have made Puccini’s “La Bohème” an enduring masterpiece. This purely musical rendition promises to vividly bring to life the passionate youth, pure love, and transcendent idealism of the young artists living in Paris’ Latin Quarter.

Originally composed by Giacomo Puccini in four acts, “La Bohème” is based on the episodic novel “Scènes de la vie de bohème” by French author Henri Murger, set to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. 

SZSO music director Lin Daye will conduct "La Bohème" in concert.

Premiered at Turin’s Regio Theater in February 1896, the opera tells the tragic love story of young bohemians in Paris, inspired by Puccini’s own impoverished student days in Milan. Its characters navigate love, loss, and the hardships of artistic life, making it a timeless reflection on youth and passion.

The Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra.

Alongside “Tosca” and “Madama Butterfly,” “La Bohème” is celebrated as one of Puccini’s early masterpieces, renowned for its delicate and poignant musical portrayal of intense emotions. Among the three, “La Bohème” contains the richest collection of memorable melodies and dramatic moments. Famous arias from Act I such as “Che gelida manina” (“What a Frozen Little Hand”) and “Mi chiamano Mimì” (“They Call Me Mimì”) remain highlights in concert repertoires worldwide.

(From L) Chen Jiongran, Chen Zuhao, and Wu Tongyu.

While this concert version omits elaborate sets and costumes, it promises an immersive auditory experience with exquisite artistry that captures Puccini’s incomparable melodic charm and emotional depth. The talented young soloists will shine in their roles, supported vibrantly by the chorus and children’s choir which will evoke the bustling energy of Parisian streets on Christmas Eve and the lively vibes of Café Momus.

(From L) Yu Song, Zong Yingying, and Li Geng.

From the tender moment when Rodolfo and Mimì meet by candlelight in a freezing attic to the heartrending finale where friends mourn Mimì’s passing like falling snowflakes, the performance will reveal how Puccini transforms sorrow into sublime art, expressing universal joys and sorrows.

“La Bohème” not only laid the foundation for verismo opera but also remains one of the three cornerstones of the operatic repertoire, alongside “Carmen” and “La Traviata.” As the candlelight flickers in the garret of the Latin Quarter, the undying flame of Puccini’s music will once again illuminate every soul seeking love and freedom.

Join SZSO for the spectacular grand finale of the 2024-2025 season.

Time: 7:30 p.m., July 18

Tickets: 50-880 yuan

Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall, Futian District (深圳音樂廳)

Metro: Line 3 or 4 to Children’s Palace Station (少年宮站), Exit D