Sejong Center demands apology from soprano Angela Gheorghiu

The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts said on Monday that it will seek an apology from Angela Gheorghiu after the renowned Romanian soprano interrupted another cast member's encore during a performance of the opera "Tosca."

Soprano Angela Gheorghiu at the press conference for the opera ″Tosca″ at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Aug. 30 [YONHAP]

The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts said on Monday that it will seek an apology from Angela Gheorghiu after the renowned Romanian soprano interrupted another cast member's encore during a performance of the opera "Tosca."

"The Seoul Metropolitan Opera, part of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, will strongly protest Angela Gheorghiu's actions and request an apology [from her] to the Korean audience,” the center said in the statement.

The center also issued a sincere apology to the audience for any discomfort caused during the performance of “Tosca” at the Sejong Center’s Grand Theater on Sunday at 5 p.m.

Gheorghui, who played the titular character Floria Tosca, came under fire on Sunday after she interrupted and cut off the encore of another cast member’s performance.

"Tosca" portrays the tragic story of the tempestuous opera singer Floria Tosca who fights to save her lover Mario Cavaradossi from the police chief Baron Scarpia.

Tenor Alfred Kim, who played Tosca's lover, was performing an encore of “E lucevan le stele” (1974) in response to the audience's continued applause when Gheorghui suddenly appeared on the stage, waving her hands and gesturing toward a clock, according to the center.

She reportedly demanded that conductor Jee Joong-bae stop the music for the encore. When the orchestra stopped playing, she shouted, "This is not a recital. It's a performance. Respect me!"

Afterward, the show proceeded.

Although Gheorghiu continued her performance for the rest of the opera, she took several minutes to appear for the curtain call.

The 59-year-old soprano appeared on stage late, escorted by cast member Samuel Yoon, but was reportedly met with boos from the audience, with some calling for Gheorghiu to “go home.”

Gheorghiu eventually left the stage without acknowledging the audience.

Encores are generally considered rare in opera because they disrupt the flow of the performance. The renowned Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini was known for disregarding audience requests for encores, instead choosing to proceed with the opera. However, some star opera singers perform encores for their fans.

But it is rare for a performer to interrupt an encore and shout on stage. This is not the first time Gheorghiu has done so — she similarly protested an encore during a "Tosca" performance in Vienna in 2016.

Giacomo Puccini’s opera “Tosca” kicked off in Seoul on Thursday night, and Sunday’s performance was the final show of the run.

Angela Gheorghiu made her opera debut in London in 1992. Renowned for her portrayal of the lead character in "Tosca," she rose to fame as a leading soprano.

BY WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]