Please be advised that the following information refers to a production from the Met's 2006-2007 season. Explore our 2009-2010 season to view the current repertory.

The First Emperor

Approximate running time 3 hrs. 10 min.

In what promises to be the most elaborate Met production since War & Peace, composer Tan Dun (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Symphony 1997: Heaven Earth Mankind) creates an epic new opera set in the ancient court of Qin Shi Huangdi, the First Emperor of China. Plácido Domingo sings the role of the Emperor who unites China and builds the Great Wall. Paul Groves is Gao Jianli, the court composer who defies him and seduces Yueyang, the Emperor’s daughter, sung by Elizabeth Futral.

The production team includes China’s leading film director, Zhang Yimou (House of Flying Daggers and Hero), and Academy Award®-winning costume designer Emi Wada (Akira Kurosawa’s Ran). Ha Jin, the National Book Award-winning novelist, is the co-author of the English language libretto.

The First Emperor is a co-production with the Los Angeles Opera.

• Elizabeth Futral
• Paul Groves
• Plácido Domingo
• Tan Dun

Performance Dates/Tickets and Info

All performances for this production have passed, and tickets are no longer available.