The Portland Opera will open its 2019-20 season with Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.”

The production will feature the U.S. debut of acclaimed soprano Hiromi Omura in the title role. Ombre is one of today’s great interpreters as she has performed the work at the Opera Australia at the Sydney Opera House, the Latvian National Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, and The New National Theatre Tokyo.

She will be joined by Luis Chapa as Pinkerton, Nina Yoshida as Suzuki, and Baritone Troy Cook as Sharpless. Like Omura, all three will make their house debuts. Music director George Manahan will conduct the production by E. Loren Meeker.  Additionally, Momo Suzuki and Kevin Suzuki will serve as Japanese Movement & Cultural Advisors for the piece.

In a press release, E. Loreen Meeker noted, “Puccini’s masterpiece ‘Madama Butterfly’ forces American audiences to consider our history, culture, and the unknown victims of our past foreign policy. Our goal within a traditional setting is to honor Japanese culture through insightful storytelling and modern characterization. This creates an environment where we can examine the harsh realities of our past in an effort to learn from our mistakes at global, national, and personal levels.”

The opera is set to open on Oct. 25 and run through Nov. 2 at the Keller Auditorium in downtown Portland.