An opera company is in trouble. The waves of the pandemic are relentless, and the company struggles to stay afloat. Facing an unknown future, all resources has been set aside for a single major show next year. However, the company is divided in the choice to stage a whimsical Opera Buffa or a dramatic Opera Seria. As the members pit against each other, underlying doubts and tensions are uncovered, and the gravity of the situation sinks in. Nevertheless, there is a willingness to persist, and a yearning for art to live on. Will the comic Opera Buffa or the serious Opera Seria rise up to the situation, or does remedy lie in the melody of the harmonies?

A Conference of Chairs is a depiction of the artist’s struggles and hopes in our current plight. Staged with ‘a play within a play’ style, selected opera scenes from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) and George Frideric Handel's Rodelinda and Rinaldo are juxtaposed within a rising conflict. It calls for a courage to stay strong, a heart for sympathy, and a determination that must hold true even in the toughest of times.

11 and 12 November 2021, 7.30pm

Live broadcast from Lee Foundation Theatre, NAFA Campus 3

Andy Pang, Director

Lin Juan, Conductor

Jessica Chen, Head of Vocal Studies

Nicholas Loh, Vocal Coach

Enquiries: 6512 4179

Email: music@nafa.edu.sg

Website: www.nafa.edu.sg