A Cambodian royalty in Turandot
By Pablo A. Tariman
Nov 04, 2022 9:42 PM

Prince Sisowath Ravivaddhana Monipong and Maestro Maestro Vincenzo Grisostomi Travaglini with Turandot co-producer Zenaida R. Tantoco of Rustan’s Group of Companies.

The cast of Turandot which opens December 9-11 is a gathering of opera luminaries from all over the world.

Singing the title role is Korean soprano Lilla Lee as Princess Turandot and Calaf is Italian tenor Alessandro Liberatore while the role of Liu will be sung by Filipina soprano Rachelle Gerodias.
Ensemble singers will come from the Viva Voce Voice Lab of Camille Lopez Molina.

Over-all direction is by seasoned Italian opera director Maestro Vincenzo Grisostomi Travaglini with his assistant director who happens to be Prince Sisowath Ravivaddhana Monipong of Cambodia.

Prince Sisowath Ravivaddhana Monipong of Cambodia after a night of Tosca at Rome Opera. From the Prince’s FB page.

Prince Ravi – as he is known to his Manila friends – recalls with fondness his last opera outing in Manila in 2020 as assistant director of Lucia di Lammermoor: “The experience was absolutely great! We had such a nice time, sharing and discussing concepts with our fellow artists. The presence of Filipino tenor Arthur Espiritu was crucial. We felt so warmly welcomed and the good vibes we shared not only among the artistic team, but also with the technical people of CCP. The PPO gave its best to Maestro Alessandro Palumbo and the result was so rewarding. I remember with emotion the crowd of young and passionate opera-lovers, when we went to greet them at CCP stairs during the matinee. The joyful smiles and adulations were so sincere!”

If the Cambodian assistant director’s name is familiar, it is because Prince Ravi is the same assistant director in the staging of L’Elisir d’amore at the CCP in October 2017 and Lucia di Lammermoor also at the CCP in 2020.

(His grandfather, Prince Norodom Monissara, together with his cousin, Prince Sisowath Sirik Matak were state visitors of then President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. in 1968.)
https://verafiles.org/articles/a-cambod ... n-turandot