The controversy surrounding the soprano’s onstage interruption during the performance of opera Tosca is intensifying.
On Sept. 8, during the performance of Tosca at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, renowned Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu (59) interrupted the third act, protesting the tenor’s encore and demanding to be respected.
Gheorghiu later issued a lengthy rebuttal through her agency. In response, the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, which hosted the performance, quickly released a counterstatement, and the dispute is now attracting international attention.
According to Opera Wire on Sept. 11, Gheorghiu’s agency, Intermusica, explained that there had been a prior agreement between the conductor, the production team, and the performers that no encores would take place during the opera. Gheorghiu expressed regret that this agreement had been broken. This statement countered the Sejong Center’s earlier demand for an apology, made shortly after the performance.
Intermusica’s statement added that the conductor had suggested an encore for Gheorghiu’s aria after the second act, but she had declined in order to maintain the unity of the performance. However, they claimed that this decision was not respected during the third act when the tenor performed an encore. Gheorghiu reportedly took this as a personal affront, standing firm in her belief.
On Sept. 12, the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts issued its own rebuttal, acknowledging that Gheorghiu had communicated her preference for no encores through her manager.
However, they argued that this was not a formal agreement and that Gheorghiu did not have the authority to dictate whether other singers could perform an encore. The center emphasized that the real issue was Gheorghiu’s disruption of the third act, which they claimed severely infringed on the audience’s right to enjoy the performance.
The practice of an encore, derived from the French word meaning “again,” is a traditional way for musicians to respond to audience applause, especially in recitals or concerts.
However, opinions differ among conductors and singers regarding encores during operas. Gheorghiu has been a vocal critic of encores during opera performances. In 2016, she caused a similar controversy at the Vienna State Opera during a performance of Tosca, when she protested tenor Jonas Kaufmann’s encore of the aria “E lucevan le stelle” by leaving the stage, causing a delay in the performance.
A similar situation unfolded on Sept. 8 at the Sejong Center when tenor Kim Jae-hyung performed the same aria as an encore in the third act of Tosca. Gheorghiu stepped onto the stage, reportedly protesting that it was not a solo recital and asking for respect. After the performance, when the cast gathered to bow, she left the stage without completing her bow, following boos from the audience. The Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Ji Jung-bae, accompanied the performance that evening.
