In an effort to promote opera among Filipinos in the provinces, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) recently brought Italian composer Giacomo Puccini’s timeless tragedy La Bohème to Silliman University in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental. This outreach program was made possible in partnership with the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA), Filipinas Opera Society Foundation, Inc. (FOSFI), Silliman University and the city government of Dumaguete.

“By bringing La Bohème to Dumaguete, the CCP hopes to ignite the spirits of those who share the ideals of Puccini’s young and brave Bohemians,” shared CCP president Kaye C. Tinga during the opening program.

Exploring the fragility of life through the artistic lens, Puccini’s La Bohème was based on the novel Scenes de la vie de Bohème by French writer Henri Murger. It depicts the colorful lives of young Bohemians residing in the Latin Quarter of Paris in the 1840s. The tragic love story of La Bohème marked Puccini’s rise to fame, transforming him into a fully-fledged original composer when it first premiered in Turin, Italy, in 1896. Known for its remarkable arias and scenes, the opera has served as inspiration to numerous artistic interpretations such as Jonathan Larson’s rock musical Rent and Baz Luhrmann’s award-winning jukebox film Moulin Rouge. With its timeless perspective on life, love and friendship, the opera continuously resonates with audiences across generations, proving that heartfelt art transcends time and borders.

Directed by Alexander Cortez, the four-act opera successfully showcased local talent including Viva Voce Voice Lab performers Iona Ventocilla-Borja, Nomher Nival, Myramae Meneses, Carlo Falcis, Roby Malubay, Fritz Rivera, and Raymond Yadao. Meanwhile, Viva Voce Voice Lab artistic director and soprano singer Camille Lopez-Molina handled the music direction.

Presenting Puccini’s most beloved opera in Dumaguete City is a part of the larger vision that the CCP and its partner organizations are striving to realize — inspiring a deep appreciation for opera among the next generation of artists, musicians, and audiences.

The world of opera, often associated with extravagant sets and elaborate costumes, may seem distant and unattainable for aspiring Filipino artists. However, this misconception is what the CCP aims to challenge and overcome. This is why the CCP has been showcasing live opera performances such as Puccini’s Turandot, Gaetano Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore (The Elixir of Love), and Lucia di Lammermoor.

For the past eight years, the CCP also presented The Met: Live in HD, a series of live opera performances transmitted in high-definition video via satellite from the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

With its allied partners, the CCP also presented the Progetto Puccini masterclasses with mentors Fabio Armiliato, Mariano Panico, and Lorena Zaccaria. The classes consisted of workshops and training to selected Filipino opera singers. In addition to celebrating Puccini’s legacy, the masterclasses hope to nurture Filipino musicality by cultivating a new generation of opera lovers.