Mark Morris/Yo Yo Ma at Melbourne Festival

The Melbourne International Arts Festival has announced it will host the Australian premiere of the spectacular Azerbaijani dance opera Layla and Majnun, a collaboration between renowned American choreographer Mark Morris and the Silkroad Ensemble, a musical group founded by legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Layla and Majnun brings together the Silk Road musicians alongside 16 dancers from the Mark Morris Dance Group. Central to the work are Azerbaijani mugham vocalists, Alim Qasimov and his daughter and protégée Fargana Qasimova, whose vocal commands have earned them rockstar status, including a UNESCO Music Prize, one of the most prestigious international prizes in music.

The tale of Layla and Majnun is a Middle-Eastern story of would-be lovers doomed to separation and death. Backed by a dazzling stage and costume design by the late British contemporary artist Howard Hodgkin, the set will feature a backdrop of his famous painting Love and Death, accented by flowing gowns and tunics in coral and blue.

"This work made its debut over one hundred years ago as the Middle East’s first opera," says Melbourne Festival’s Artistic Director Jonathan Holloway says. "Today, this traditional tale has been reworked by the finest artists of our generation for audiences of the 21st century in a special co-commission with Melbourne Festival."

Layla and Majnun will be shown exclusively in Melbourne in from October 10 to 13 in the largest-scale production of this modern classic ever seen in the West.

Watch this space for the full Melbourne Festival program, announced on July 25!

For more info and booking, go here.