Paradise Interrupted

Excerpts from the installation opera presented at the Temple of Dendur

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

New York, NY

March 21, 2015

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Directed and visually designed by Jennifer Wen Ma

Composed by Huang Ruo

Lead role performed by Qian Yi

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Excerpts from Paradise Interrupted, a new installation opera by artist Jennifer Wen Ma and composer Huang Ruo, were performed at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Temple of Dendur in the Sackler Wing on Saturday, March 21. The Met Museum Presents performances offered a special preview of the work-in-progress before the world premiere at the 2015 Spoleto Festival USA.

Paradise Interrupted is a poetic weaving of the western myth of the Garden of Eden and the Chinese myth of the Peony Pavilion. The narrative follows a woman in search for an unattainable ideal, exploring a world that is activated by her singing voice as she attempts to return to the garden.