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UCI Opera and Symphony Present Puccini’s Suor Angelica at Irvine Barclay Theatre

05.05.25

Experience the emotional power of Puccini’s Suor Angelica as UCI Opera and UCI Symphony bring a modern, staged production to the Irvine Barclay Theatre on Saturday, May 10, at 8 p.m.

Set in a 17th-century Tuscan convent, Suor Angelica tells the heartbreaking story of Sister Angelica, a noble-born nun who has spent seven years behind convent walls after bearing an illegitimate child. When her steely aunt finally arrives with devastating news, the opera builds to one of Puccini’s most shattering revelations—culminating in a transcendent finale of tragedy and redemption. Through Puccini’s luminous score, this one-act masterpiece delivers a stirring tale of maternal love, loss, and grace.

The performance, directed and designed by Andreas Mitisek, conducted by Dr. Geoffrey Pope, with Dr. Yuliya Minina as assistant music director, will be sung in Italian with supertitles. Approximate run time is one hour with no intermission.

Tickets are $21 general admission; $18 for seniors (62+), UCI faculty, alumni, staff, emeriti, retirees, and groups of 10 or more; $16 with an Arts Package (three or more events); and $10 for students and youth age 17 and under.

Generous support for this production is provided by the Opera Guild and the Marjorie and Robert Rawlins Endowment Fund.

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Bowers Museum Celebrates $500,000 Lead Gift for Terracotta Warriors Exhibition

05.02.25

With just four weeks to go before the opening of World of the Terracotta Warriors: New Archaeological Discoveries in Shaanxi in the 21st Century, Bowers Museum announces a transformational $500,000 gift from Charles and Ling Zhang. Their generous contribution anchors a wave of support for the exhibition, which opens May 24, 2025.

Lead support for the exhibition also comes from Southern China Airlines, South Coast Plaza, PNC Bank, East West Bank, the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, and Huaxie Int’l Fine Art Freight Service Co., Ltd.

Curated by Bowers Chief Curator Dr. Tianlong Jiao, World of the Terracotta Warriors features more than 110 newly excavated relics from Shaanxi Province—many never seen before in North America. This historic presentation highlights groundbreaking discoveries that reshape understanding of China’s First Emperor and the civilizations that came before.

President and CEO Dr. Seán O’Harrow and Dr. Jiao will lead a press preview May 23, joined by a delegation from China’s most prestigious cultural institutions, including the Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration, Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum Museum, and others.

The museum also thanks Chairwoman Anne Shih, whose decades of visionary leadership and fundraising have raised more than $30 million. Shih is leading the museum’s exclusive May 22 Gala, where guests will enjoy a first look at the exhibition. Gala support includes major sponsors Mei Yen and I Wan Huang, Dona Diane Anderson, and South Coast Plaza, among others.

The members-only opening night is May 24, and general tickets at bowers.org/warriors.

A full calendar of programs and events will begin prior to opening and culminate in a major symposium on June 21, featuring top international scholars.

Exhibition Details: