Dai Fujikura
Opera works
SOLARIS (2013 - 2014)
The Gold-Bug (2017)
A Dream of Armageddon (2018 - 2019)2021/5/20

SOLARIS (2013 - 2014)
co-commissioned by commande du Théâtre des Champs Elysées, de l'Opéra de Lille,
de l'Opéra de Lausanne, de l‘Ensemble intercontemporain et de l’IRCAM Centre Pompidou.
opera (in English)
based on Stanisław Lem's novel "SOLARIS"
Libretto: Saburo Teshigawara (translated by Harry Ross + Dai Fujikura)
Cast:
Hari - Soprano
Kris Kelvin - Baritone
Snaut - Tenor
Gibarian - Bass
Off stage Kelvin - BaritoneOrchestra:1111, 1110, 1 perc, 1 celesta, strings (1,1,1,1,1) with live electronics
duration: 90 min.
Published by Ricordi Berlin"Solaris" (at World Premiere) Photos © Jean Philippe Raibaud

SOLARIS (2013 - 2014)
co-commissioned by commande du Théâtre des Champs Elysées, de l'Opéra de Lille,de l'Opéra de Lausanne, de l‘Ensemble intercontemporain et de l’IRCAM Centre Pompidou.
・World Premiere
March 5th. 7th 2015, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris, France
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCWoI5T8V40
・Swiss Premiere
April 24th. 26th 2015, Opéra de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
・German Premiere
May 18th. 26th. 31st and June 6th. 8th. 10th. 16th 2018,Theater Augsburg, Germany
https://vimeo.com/271825954"Solaris" (at German Premiere) Photos © Theater Augsburg photo by Jan Pieter Fuhr

・Japan Premiere - Concert version
October 31st 2018, Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, Japan・Japan Premiere - Staged version (postponed due to COVID-19)
September 2020, Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, Japan・Austrian Premiere
6.-11. April 2021, Neue Oper Wien, Austria
https://neueoperwien.at/solaris/"Solaris" (at Austrian Premiere in Neuen Oper Wien Photos

The Gold-Bug (2017)
commissioned by Kompositionsauftrag von Hochschule für Musik/FHNW und Theater Basel,Schweiz, finanziert durch die Ernst von Siemens Musikstiftung.
opera (in English, also German and French versions) for a Young Audiencebased on Edgar Allan Poe's story "The Gold-Bug"
Libretto: Hannah Dübgen
Cast:
Lilith - Soprano
Albert - Baritone
Sam - Tenor
William - BassMargaret/Anneli - Mezzo Soprano
Orchestra:
1011/1010/1perc/11111
Duration: 70 min.
Published by Ricordi Berlin

Opera "The Gold-Bug" Theater Basel ©Kim Culetto

The Gold-Bug (2017)
commissioned by Kompositionsauftrag von Hochschule für Musik/FHNW und Theater Basel,Schweiz, finanziert durch die Ernst von Siemens Musikstiftung.
・ German version World Premiere
March 9th. 11st. 15th. 18th. 19th. 25th, April 26th. 29th and May 9th 2018,
Theater Basel, Switzerland
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUHbuUuTPO0・ French version World Premiere
February 25th 2020, Le Blanc-Mesnil, Théâtre, France
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2WYPXy5UysFebruary 28th 2020, Maison des Arts et de la Culture, FranceMarch 1st 2020, Théâtre Luxembourg, FranceApril 8th 2020, Philharmonie de Paris, Cité de la musique, France (CANCELLED due to COVID-19)
Listening Guide
https://www.daifujikura.com/goldbug/

Opera "The Gold-Bug" Theater Basel ©Kim Culetto

A Dream of Armageddon (2018 - 2019)
commissioned by New National Theatre, Tokyo
an opera in nine scenes (English)
after the short story “A Dream of Armageddon“ by H.G.Wells
Libretto: Harry RossCast:
Cooper Hedon - Tenor
Fortnum Roscoe double cast with Johnson Evesham - Bass Baritone
Bella Loggia - Lyric Soprano
The Inspector - Mezzo SopranoThe Singer double cast with The Cynic - Tenor
The Soldier - Boy Soprano
Chorus (SSAATTBB) - Commuters - Revelers - Demonstrators - Air tattoo spectators Militia
Orchestra:
2222/2220/1timp/1perc/1celesta/STRINGS
Duration: 90 min.
Published by Ricordi Berlin・World Premiere
November 15th 18th 21st 23rd, 2020, New National Theatre Tokyo, Japan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw80ELOTErY&t=1s

A Dream of Armageddon (2018 - 2019)
commissioned by New National Theatre Tokyo
Synopsis
Fortnum Roscoe, a young tax lawyer, sits opposite
Cooper Hedon on a commuter train heading to a big city.
Cooper sees that Fortnum is reading a book about dreams,
and tries to share the details of his own recurring dreamwith Fortnum, who becomes ever more frustrated with
Cooper's interruption to his morning reading. Cooper
shares his theory that dreams and reality are not mixed,
since he was killed in his recurring dream which felt soreal that he felt conscious while dreaming. Much toFortnum's irritation, Cooper expands on this alternate
dream life:
He explains how he was living a life devoid ofresponsibility with his partner Bella, in a secluded, luxury
compound. One night, whilst at its cabaret, the Inspectorof the new totalitarian regime The Circle; disrupts theevening. Terrified of the threat of war, the attendees are
persuaded to join The Circle after listening to a speech by
its leader Johnson Evesham. Bella tries to confront theInspector, and ends up having to run into hiding withCooper. Bella desperately tries to convince Cooper to join
the resistance against Johnson. Cooper is not convinced.
Suddenly, huge planes and battleships approach, andbombing begins. Bella is shot in crossfire and bleeds out
in Cooper's arms.

A Dream of Armageddon (2018 - 2019)
commissioned by New National Theatre, TokyoReviews― the major Japanese news papers like Asahi, Yomiuri and Mainichi have chosen " A Dream of Armageddon "as top 3 performances (all kinds of classical concerts in Japan) in 2020.

「Opera Now」January-Febryary,2021「Opera 」February 2021

BachtrackDai Fujikura
Born in 1977 in Osaka Japan, Dai was fifteen when he moved to UK.
The recipient of many composition prizes, he has received numerous
international co-commissions from the Salzburg Festival, Lucerne Festival,BBC Proms, Bamberg Symphony, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, SimónBolívar Symphony Orchestra and more. He has been Composer-inResidence of Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra since 2014 and held thesame post at the Orchestre national d‘Île-de-France in 2017/18. Dai’s first
opera Solaris, co-commissioned by the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées,Opéra de Lausanne and the Opéra de Lille, had its world premiere in Parisin 2015 and has since gained a worldwide reputation. A new production ofSolaris was created and performed at the Staatstheater Augsburg in 2018.
Then in 2018, his second opera, The Gold-Bug, made its world premiere.
In 2017, awarded the Silver Lion Award from the Venice Biennale – anaward for groundbreaking composers. Artistic Director since 2017 ofthe Born Creative Festival at the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, a music
festival that brings “new sounds” together from around the world.
In 2020, made headlines with the Japan premiere performance ofShamisen Concerto and the worldpremiere performance of his fourth
piano concerto Akiko’s Piano, among others.
His works are recorded by and released mainly on his own label Minabel
Records in collaboration with SONY Music and his compositions are
published by Ricordi Berlin.
https://www.daifujikura.com/

2021/5/20