Seoul, South Korea – Jose Cura, the internationally acclaimed Argentinian tenor with over 3,000 opera performances under his belt, is trading his vocal cords for a conductor's baton. The renowned singer is set to conduct Puccini's iconic opera, "Turandot," at the COEX Convention & Exhibition Center in Seoul from December 22nd to 31st.

In a press conference, Cura shared his excitement about returning to his roots. "I'm still very much an active tenor, having sung just ten days ago before coming to Korea," he said. "But after a fulfilling career as a vocalist, I'm eager to focus on my original passions of conducting and composing." Cura's musical journey began at the tender age of 15 when he debuted as a choir conductor, later pursuing formal studies in composition and conducting.

Cura will share the conductor's podium with another legendary tenor, Placido Domingo. Both singers have a deep connection to the role of Calaf in "Turandot," a role they have often performed. Cura will conduct on December 22nd, 23rd, 25th, and 26th, while Domingo will take the baton on the 28th and 30th.

"Performing opera in a large-scale venue like COEX will be a unique experience," Cura said, expressing his anticipation for this unconventional setting.

The production boasts a star-studded cast, including soprano Asmik Grigorian as Princess Turandot and tenor Yusif Eyvazov as Prince Calaf. The role of Liu will be shared by sopranos Juliana Grigorian and Park Mi-hye.

Artistic director Park Hyun-jun expressed his enthusiasm for bringing together such a talented group of artists. "Assembling world-class singers like this is almost impossible, but we wanted to demonstrate that opera can be produced on such a grand scale," he said. Park, who previously staged a memorable outdoor production of "Turandot" at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in 2003, aims to showcase the power of Korean performances on the global stage. "Just as we have K-pop, we also have K-opera. We want to show the world what Korean performances can achieve."

This production of "Turandot" marks the 100th anniversary of Puccini's death and is being broadcast by TV Chosun.

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