Francesca Zambello, Artistic Director of Washington National Opera, was at home one day when she heard some classical music coming from her teenage son's bedroom. Intrigued, she knocked on his door to ask him what he was listening to. As it turns out, it wasn't an opera he was listening to: it was Christopher's theme to the popular video game Civilization VI, "Sogno di Volare". After listening more to Christopher's work, she invited him to meet with her, and asked if he'd be interested in writing opera.

For the next few months, the two traded ideas about subject matter for a new opera, until Zambello made Tin and interesting proposal: she said she'd always wanted to commission a new ending to 'Turandot', that would give the princess a more satisfactory ending. Tin instantly agreed.

Zambello paired Tin with playwright/screenwriter Susan Soon He Stanton, who was also new to opera. In collaboration with Zambello and dramaturg Kelley Rourke, they created a new ending that made the love between Turandot and Calàf more plausible. The new ending was a critical and commercial success, with rave reviews (below) and a run that sold out prior to opening night.

Tin was excited, but the archival recording of the live performances from Kennedy Center was not of sufficient technical quality for Yuma to skate to it. And so a plan was put into place, where Tin would raise funds to make a new studio recording of his ending, while simultaneously creating a special version of it for Kagiyama's skating routine.

To craft Kagiyama's routine, Tin spent many months in collaboration with Nichol and Kostner, trying out different arrangements of the music, adjusting the timings, and adjusting the mix so that it would make the maximum dramatic impact on the ice, while also surveying the musical highlights of Tin's ending.

The collaboration between Tin, Nichol, Kostner, and Kagiyama was widely celebrated in the figure skating world. Mark Hanretty, NBC Sports commentator, said during the telecast of the NHK Trophy: 

This free skate with music specially composed and created as a collaboration between his choreographers and Christopher Tin has ignited such appreciation from the skating community. It debuted at the Lombardia Trophy in Bergamo to rapturous reception. A version of Turandot for Yuma Kagiyama.

I defy anybody not to be moved by the emotion of the music, the story behind the creation of this piece, specially recorded for Yuma... the music so extraordinary, and the skater just sublime, and the combination of the passionate movement that Yuma gives to that music is so emotional. And it just has Olympic moment written all over this piece.

Can't wait to see this again in Milano. I feel and sense it's set to be an iconic piece in the history of our sport to come.