During a Verdi recital at the Verdi Festival in Parma, Italy, a surprising and heartwarming moment unfolded when a devoted young opera enthusiast took the stage as an impromptu duet partner for star soprano Lisette Oropesa.
Oropesa, renowned for her operatic prowess, was performing an encore of Violetta’s ‘Sempre Libera’ (Always Free) from Verdi’s La Traviata when the unexpected duet occurred. In the usual staging of the opera, the tenor playing Alfredo is offstage, simulating a serenade from beneath Violetta’s balcony.
In this solo recital, however, no tenor was present. Liu Jianwei, a student at the Conservatorio Giuseppe Nicolini di Piacenza and a long-time admirer of Oropesa, seized the opportunity to join in during the second bar when no male singer responded to Violetta’s call.
The expression on Oropesa’s face reflected her surprise and delight as Liu courageously lent his tenor voice to the performance. While the original score includes Violetta’s entranced ‘Oh!’, Oropesa added a grateful ‘Grazie’ for this unexpected and unique moment.
Liu earned praise on Chinese social media, being hailed as a “hero” for his spontaneous contribution to the performance. Despite the positive reception, Liu emphasized in a Weibo post that he would not repeat such a stunt, deeming it unworthy of pride or advocacy. In a video message, he urged others not to interrupt singers during their performances, emphasizing the importance of polite behavior.
Following the concert, Liu personally apologized to Oropesa, who expressed gratitude to her impromptu duet partner by giving him her autograph and posing for photos. The heartening clip of their unexpected collaboration spread widely on social media, with Opera and TikTok star Babatunde Hiphopera cautioning against attempting similar feats with other sopranos.