Jee Hyun Lim Sings Title Role in Nashville Opera's MADAME BUTTERFLY

Renowned soprano Jee Hyun Lim sings the pivotal role of Cio-Cio San in Nashville's 2012-13 season opening production of Giacomo Puccini's MADAME BUTTERFLY, with tenor Cody Austin as Lieutenant Pinkerton and baritone Levi Hernandez as Sharpless.

Directed by John Hoomes, Nashville Opera's general and artistic director, the two performances of MADAME BUTTERFLY will feature the Grammy Award-winning musicians of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, conducted by William Boggs. Chorus master/accompanist Amy Tate Williams leads the 38-voice Nashville Opera Ensemble.

"MADAME BUTTERFLY continues to be one of the most popular works in the canon of opera because the drama and music are still relevant today," Hoomes explains. "The themes, score, and the raw emotions presented in this masterpiece still create a visceral experience for audiences nearly a hundred years after its premiere."

In Puccini's timeless opera, Japanese geisha Cio-Cio San, "Butterfly," abandons her faith and family for the dashing American sailor, Lieutenant Pinkerton. His love is only temporary and Cio-Cio San pays the ultimate price for her selfless devotion. 

Lim opened New York City Opera's 2005 season in the title role in MADAME BUTTERFLY, and has performed the role in David Freeman's award winning production at Royal Albert Hall, Teatro Municipal de Santiago in Santiago, Chile, and most recently in a ground breaking new production with San Antonio Opera.  Other recent performances of MADAME BUTTERFLY include productions with the Austin Lyric Opera, Syracuse Opera, Indianapolis Opera, Chautauqua Opera, the New York City Opera tour in Tokyo and Nagoya, Japan and in Dublin with Lyric Opera Productions.

Performances of MADAME BUTTERFLY will be Thursday, October 11 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, October 13 at 8 p.m. in the Tennessee Performing Arts Center's Andrew Jackson Hall, 505 Deaderick. Tickets are available by calling Nashville Opera at (615) 832-5242, the TPAC Box Office at (615) 782-4040, or online at www.nashvilleopera.org. The opera is sung in Italian with projectEd English translations.

Patrons are invited to attend the free Opera Insights discussion led by Hoomes one hour prior to curtain in the theatre. Story outlines, behind-the-scenes videos, and a detailed study guide are available at www.nashvilleopera.org. Tickets range in price from $26 to $102.50, and Nashville Opera continues to offer its unique Pay-What-You-Can option.

Prior to the Saturday night, October 13, performance, the Nashville Opera Guild will host a MADAME BUTTERFLY-themed dinner at the Sheraton Downtown Nashville Hotel starting at 5:30 p.m. The fundraising event is priced at $100 per person and reservations are available by calling Nashville Opera.

Nashville Opera, Tennessee's largest professional opera company, is among the most successful regional companies in the United States, and has presented three different world premiere operas since its inception in 1981. Mainstage performances are presented at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center and play to over 17,000 people annually. Nashville Opera's extensive education and outreach touring program reaches over 30,000 students throughout Middle Tennessee.