For Your Consideration
Turandot: Christopher Tin Finale
Best Classical Compendium
Best Contemporary Classical Composition
Best Engineered Album, Classical
Best Immersive Audio Album
Turandot: Christopher Tin Finale is Christopher's bold debut in the opera world: a completion of the most famous unfinished work in the opera canon, Giacomo Puccini's Turandot. Commissioned by Washington National Opera and with a libretto by Emmy-winning playwright Susan Soon He Stanton (HBO's Succession), it premiered at the Kennedy Center to rave reviews (Washington Post, Wall St. Journal, NY Times) before being unveiled on a global stage at the Men's Figure Skating Finals of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano Cortina.
FEATURING
Clay Hilley as Calàf
Ethan Vincent, Jonathan Pierce Rhodes, Nicholas Huff
English National Opera Chorus
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Christopher Tin and Matthew Quinn
Produced by Sean Flahaven and Timothy Hsia
Recorded by Andrew Dudman, Martin Kistner, Joe Sleep, and Charlie Pilzer
Mixed by Rich Breen
Mastered by Paul Blakemore
Executive Produced by Ban Banerjee and Piotr Michalak
LISTEN
Its sound and attitude, while contemporary, grow organically from Puccini’s original, like a savvy modern addition on a historic building. ... edgier than Puccini but still tonal, and Turandot’s initial insistence on power through violence is Wagnerian in scope and accompanied by blaring brass.
The Wall Street Journal
This new World Premiere also adds the enticing music of composer Christopher Tin to the finale of this production---so we have the ravishingly soaring music of the revered composer Giacomo Puccini as well as the contributions of this refreshing modern composer.
Broadway World
[Translated from Italian]: Christopher Tin succeeded in the balancing act between respecting the Puccini of the two previous acts, the Puccini of the incomplete sketches and his own personality as a composer of today... In my opinion, this ending does not look out of place alongside Alfano's (first or second) and could very well enter the repertoire as a variant of the classical standard.
OperaClick
To craft new music for this revised story, Zambello turned to Tin, a Grammy award-winning composer who has written for film, TV and video game soundtracks.
Associated Press
Puccini died just before he could finish writing the opera, so the Washington National Opera enlisted a pair of powerhouses to write the last 10 minutes of the piece: Grammy-winning composer Christopher Tin (the video game “Civilization IV”) and acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Susan Soon He Stanton (HBO’s “Succession”).
WTOP
Kagiyama’s programme has drawn attention both for its timing — coinciding with the 100th anniversary of Turandot’s premiere at the La Scala opera house in Milan — and for its sweeping operatic arrangement, and is bound to resonate strongly with a home crowd steeped in the opera's history.
Reuters
“He loves singing and the voice, and a lot of contemporary composers aren’t as focused on the voice,” Zambello said... The soprano Christine Goerke, who sings Turandot on the album, said that Tin writes “so gorgeously for the voice.”
New York Times
Tin’s score is exceptional... Tin is a master of musical embroidery and subtle Puccini references abound, connecting the final scene convincingly to what goes before... Christopher Tin should be reflecting on this success. He has established his opera street cred and it’s time for him to commit to a full work. It is talent like his that will lead the next generation into opera houses around the world.
Reaction
Tin is wise not to mimic the master and he does an interesting job of rearranging motifs and building a new kind of musical finale.
Metro Weekly
... this reimagining of “Turandot” is a perfect example of opera’s power to cross time and appeal to a modern audience. From its new time period to its complex and riveting tale about nature and the power of love, this production is sure to please everyone from the seasoned opera buff to the first-time viewer.
Maryland Theatre Guide
Sonically riveting. Even without the new ending — and Tin’s splendid musical additions, which draw sensibly from Puccini’s score while applying an entirely new emotional finish — Zambello’s “Turandot” crackles with fresh energy and some truly extraordinary singing.
Washington Post
For composer Tin, the task was perhaps even more delicate. He wanted to use as many of Puccini's musical sketches as possible for the ending. ... Tin, who is best known for his film and video game soundtracks, prides himself on making his work accessible.
NPR
Musically, Tin incorporates the same fragments Puccini left at his death, though often in novel ways—for instance, the tune for “Mio Fiore,” usually Calaf’s insistent love song, becomes a part of Turandot’s memory of her assault. The neo-romantic mode of Tin’s orchestration feels broadly continuous with the main score, though Tin adds some interesting details from traditional Chinese music...
Parterre Box
Tin’s music is muscular and modern without losing satisfying, even gorgeous melodic lines.
DC Theater Arts
[Tin's] music convincingly extends Puccini’s idiom to encompass these new dramatic ideas, and draws out shades of meaning that the libretto implies... Zambello and the WNO deserve credit for taking a risk here, and Stanton and Tin deserve kudos for making it pay off.
Washington Classical Review