Tokaido Road, the superb new chamber opera by Nicola LeFanu with a libretto by Nancy Gaffield, is to be premiered this Sunday 6th July at the Cheltenham Music Festival.

Tokaido Road has been commissioned by Okeanos, the UK’s unique Western-Japanese musical ensemble. The production is based on the famous set of woodblock paintings The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido by Japanese artist Hiroshige. We follow Hiro’s journey along the road between Tokyo and Kyoto, the story told by a composite of music, mime, poetry, visuals and dance. This ancient journey is brought to life as the audience experiences the dangers of earthquakes and floods which he contended with, and meets the interesting characters who appear along the way. The work also delves deeper into the story – showing that in this seemingly beautiful world, all is not what it seems – with a different story behind every welcoming inn and tea house.

Directed by Caroline Clegg, the production will star Baritone Jeremy Huw Williams, mezzo-soprano Caryl Hughes, award-winning young soprano Rapheala Papadakis and the Okeanos ensemble conducted by Dominic Wheeler.

For tickets or more information, visit www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/music or call 0844 880 8094.