Hard act to follow

When French-Italian composer Richard Cocciante brought his famous French musical, Notre Dame de Paris, to Beijing over a decade ago, he was approached by a local musical producer who invited him to compose for a new Chinese-language musical. When he discovered that the work was going to be based on Giacomo Puccini's classic three-act opera Turandot, Cocciante politely declined.

"Puccini's music is incomparable and unsurpassable. I felt so small in front of him," says Cocciante during his recent visit to the Forbidden City, or Palace Museum, in Beijing.

However, over the years, he changed his mind and he now plans to stage his own version of the story through music. Working with partners including the China Arts and Entertainment Group, the Chinese musical production of Turandot is scheduled to embark on a national tour in May 2020.