Don Giovanni is arising in Phnom Penh by All Dreams Cambodia

PHNOM PENH INTERNATIONAL OPERA FESTIVAL 2025 presents DON GIOVANNI

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART

THE FESTIVAL

The Phnom Penh International Opera Festival 2025 marks a new era of cultural collaboration and artistic ambition in Cambodia. This year's edition features Mozart's Don Giovanni; produced by All Dreams Cambodia and N&A Cambodia, with the active participation of the Cambodia Opera Project artistic team.

The Cambodia Opera Project was initiated by a Japanese opera artist and leader who, inspired by the warmth of the Khmer people and their famous smile, launched a unique cultural collaboration in the Kingdom, enjoying strong support from Japan and Italy right from the start. Japanese artists and orchestras have provided expertise and orchestral support, while the Italian Embassy and Italian cultural associations have played a key role in funding and artistic direction, particularly for flagship productions such as Cavalleria Rusticana, Pagliacci and Madama Butterfly.

After three sold-out productions in 2018, 2019, and 2023, the festival now presents its most ambitious event yet: Mozart’s Don Giovanni. For the first time in Phnom Penh, there will be two days of performances, marking a significant milestone in Cambodia’s cultural landscape. The project team has expanded to foster deeper collaboration, uniting over 80 performers from around the world and nurturing local talent through education and mentorship.

This festival is fully aligned with Cambodia’s strategy for cultural diplomacy and supports the nation’s emergence as a regional cultural platform, especially as Cambodia prepares to host the XXth Francophonie Summit in 2026. To mark the occasion, the festival will present Puccini’s La Bohème, an opera deeply connected to French culture, further strengthening ties with the Francophone world.

The 2025 production will also be Cambodia’s first carbon-neutral opera, setting a new benchmark for sustainable cultural events. By supporting this initiative, sponsors and partners contribute to both an unforgettable artistic experience and the shaping of Cambodia’s future cultural identity.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

FROM THE DIRECTOR

ADAPTING OPERA INNOVATION FOR MOZART'S DON GIOVANNI

Innovation and personalization are often buzzwords, but opera is a completely unique art form that demands a different approach. Unlike other artistic expressions, opera requires a sophisticated mediation process involving all the players - conductor, director, soloists, orchestra, chorus and the entire production team. This collaboration is what makes each production unique, integrating the sensitivities and emotional nuances behind every initiative, every gesture, every look and every musical phrase.

THE COLLABORATIVE GENESIS OF DON GIOVANNI

The director, working in close collaboration with the conductor, must thoroughly understand the genesis of the work and all that inspired the composer to create and compose. For instance, Mozart's "Don Giovanni" represents a perfect balance between comedy and tragedy, a "dramma giocoso" that revolutionized operatic composition in the late 18th century. Mozart, deeply interested in human psychology and moral complexity, created in Don Giovanni a character who embodies libertinism and defiance against social order and divine judgment. This character exists at the intersection of Enlightenment thinking and traditional morality, reflected in both the orchestration and the libretto.

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DEPTH OF MOZART'S VISION

Unlike Puccini's Orientalism in "Butterfly," Mozart was drawn to the exploration of human nature's darker impulses and their consequences. His fascination with the Don Juan legend ignited his poetics toward themes of seduction, betrayal, and ultimate retribution. The musical language he developed captures both the charm of the libertine and the gravity of his moral failings. This duality reflects the tension between individual freedom and social responsibility, between hedonism and morality a tension brilliantly conveyed through Mozart's revolutionary blend of comic and tragic elements within a single work.

A UNIQUE INTERPRETATIVE CHALLENGE

Therefore, when approaching "Don Giovanni," innovation and personalization take on profound dimensions that honor the work's inherent complexity. It's crucial to recognize this opera's unique nature as both entertainment and moral examination. "Don Giovanni" is not merely a performance but a collaborative philosophical inquiry that involves the entire creative team, with the audience serving as essential witnesses to the protagonist's downfall.

ABOUT "DON GIOVANNI"

Behind his boldness and his unbridled pursuit of women, it is God, men and the order of the world that Don Giovanni mocks and defies. It is in this respect that his downfall is inevitable, and his punishment devastating. Mozart's opera says it all with irrepressible force.

Don Giovanni is the quintessence of Mozart's genius, a kind of absolute of the genre, where the high and the low of human nature rub shoulders, where the tragic and the grotesque, the sublime and the derisory, spiritual impulses and the pleasures of the flesh flirt. All set to the most divine music ever written. The kind that made Richard Wagner call Don Giovanni “the opera of operas”.

 Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

 Librettist: Lorenzo da Ponte

 Premiere: 1787

 Place of creation: Czech Republic

 Number of acts: 2

 Original language: Italian

 The production of Wolfgang Amadeus

Mozart's “Don Giovanni” in Phnom

Penh has the support of His Majesty

Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia.

PRODUCTORS

FESTIVAL SPONSORS

CURRENT SUPPORTERS

Bangkok

 VINCENZO GRISOSTOMI TRAVAGLINI Director

THE TEAM

Vincenzo, a renowned Italian opera director, has captivated audience's world wide by bringing classical masterpieces to new horizons. His collaborative efforts have graced Phnom Penh with the acclaimed production of Madama Butterfly in 2023. Excitingly, Vincenzo is set to helm several upcoming operas in Cambodia, including the classics Don Giovanni in 2025, La Bohème in 2026 to commemorate the 20th Francophonie Summit, and the timeless La Traviata in 2027.



HH PRINCE SISOWATH RAVIVADDHANA MONIPONG Assistant Director

His Highness Prince Sisowath

Ravivaddhana Monipong, also known as Prince Ravi or the “Italian Prince”, played a significant role in the Cambodian premiere of Madama Butterfly. It was a continuation of his long-standing collaboration with Vincenzo, which began in 2010 and has included various lyric productions in Europe and Asia. His participation in this production not only added a unique Cambodian perspective but also helped to create a harmonious blend of cultures.

 JACQUES GUICHANDUT Director of Production

As Managing Director of DMC All

Dreams Cambodia, Jacques has spent decades promoting the country's heritage and encouraging sustainable tourism. He has also supported projects that enhance Cambodia's image abroad. His belief in the transformative power of art and culture as tourism development tools played a key role in his decision to produce “Don Giovanni”.

Such a production not only enriches the Cambodian cultural scene, but also positions the country as a new stage for world-class performances, attracting international attention and fostering cultural exchange.

 JUN lISAKA Conductor

 AI IWASAKI

Art Director & Casting

Jun is a distinguished Japanese opera conductor, repetiteur, and producer with extensive experience at the New National Theatre Tokyo for over 20 years. He has contributed to over 100 productions, including many Japanese premieres. Internationally, he has expanded his activities to Asia, notably serving as Music Director and Conductor for Cambodia’s first fullscale opera productions: Cavalleria Rusticana (2018) and Pagliacci (2019), and as Japan Musical Director for Madama Butterfly (2023). In addition, he actively mentor young musicians and fosters cross-cultural collaboration in opera production.

Ai is a prominent figure in the opera world, known for her contributions as both an artist and a leader. In 2018, she founded the Cambodia Opera Project, serving as Executive Producer and Artistic Director. She has played a central role in the development of Cambodia’s operatic scene, performing important roles in Cavalleria Rusticana (2018), Pagliacci (2019), and Madama Butterfly (2023), while also overseeing the productions’ artistic direction. In addition, she has contributed to the education of young artists as a voice instructor at the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh.

ROMYDA KETH

THOMAS JAFFRE

Costum & Decor

Romyda & Thomas form a dynamic creative partnership for the Cambodia Opera Project.

Romyda, celebrated Cambodian designer and founder of Ambre, creates elegant women’s costumes inspired by Khmer silk and local craftsmanship. For Don Giovanni, she leads the women’s costume design, while Thomas, with a Parisian background and years of collaboration with Romyda, designs the men’s costumes.

Together, they will also create the opera’s décor, ensuring a cohesive and striking visual experience that celebrates Cambodian artistry.



CIRO GIORDANO ORSINI

Don Giovanni Baritone Italian

TH E CA S T

Donna Anna Soprano Italian

Don Ottavio

Tenor

Italian

HIDEYZ MASUHARA

Leporello Bass Japan

AI IWASAKI

Zerlina Soprano Japan

YASKO FUJII

Donna Elvira

Soprano Japan

GENTA FUJIOKA

Masetto Bass Japan

TETSURO SATO

Il Commendatore Bass Japan

SETHISAK KHUON

Tenor

Cambodia

MARIA TOMASSI

ENRICO TERRONE GUERRA

THE VENUE

2,000 seats

The annual organization of the opera at Naba Theatre @ Naga2 pursues several strategic missions and objectives:

 Promote Cambodia’s Cultural Soft Power

By hosting a world-renowned opera like Don Giovanni in a prestigious venue, the event aims to position Cambodia as a hub for high-level cultural events in Southeast Asia, enhancing the country’s international image and influence through culture.

 Showcase Naba Theatre as a Premier Cultural Venue

Making the opera a yearly tradition at Naba Theatre reinforces its status as a leading stage for the performing arts in the region.

 Attract International Audiences and Opera Lovers

Special agreements with airlines will allow the creation of exclusive packages (including reduced airfares and event access) to encourage opera enthusiasts from across Southeast Asia and beyond to attend. This initiative is designed to make Naba Theatre a destination for cultural tourism and to foster a loyal audience base for opera in the region.

NABA THEATRE @ NAGA2

 Engage Specialist Press and Influencers

Inviting international specialist media and cultural influencers will amplify the event’s visibility and prestige, generating coverage that can reach new audiences and further promote Phnom Penh as a cultural destination.

 Support the Development of Local Arts and Infrastructure

The annual opera serves as a catalyst for improving the technical facilities of Naba Theatre, with the goal of transforming it into a venue of international renown for live performance. This contributes to the professionalization of the local arts sector and supports broader cultural development.

 Create a Sustainable Cultural Calendar

The opera is envisioned as a cornerstone of a broader, annually recurring cultural calendar at Naba Theatre, alongside other major events such as the Royal Choral Award. This regular programming will help structure and sustain Phnom Penh’s cultural life, making it more attractive to both local and international audiences.

In summary, the mission is to establish an unmissable annual cultural event that elevates Phnom Penh’s profile, attracts international visitors, and contributes to the country’s cultural and economic dynamism—all while celebrating and enhancing the prestige of Naba Theatre and Cambodian arts.

DON GIOVANNI by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart