Opera for the Dead | 祭歌
Mindy Meng Wang & Monica Lim
Presented by Arts House
Thursday 26 February – Sunday 1 March 2026
Thurs – Fri, 7.30pm
Sat, 2pm & 7.30pm
Sun, 5pm
50 mins, no interval
Post-show artist talk for all ticket holders
Fri 27 Feb
Tickets
Standard $40
Reduced $25
BLAKTIX $15
Companion Card Free
A small transaction fee will be charged per order.
Warnings
Suitable for ages 12+
This performance explores themes of death. The work contains loud music, haze, abrupt lighting changes, and low lighting.
This show is free roaming, with limited seating available.
Please speak to Front of House upon arrival if you require seating
Detailed access information is available to download below
PDF | Word
Arts House
North Melbourne Town Hall
521 Queensberry St,
North Melbourne
Wheelchair Accessible
Quiet Space Available
Assistance Animal
Visual Rating 50%
Aural Rating 75%
Audio description
Companion CardWander through an immersive music and visual experience exploring the connection between life and death.
Created by award-winning composer and Guzheng artist Mindy Meng Wang and sound technologist and composer Monica Lim, Opera for the Dead | 祭歌 is a contemporary Chinese cyber-opera combining live musicians and singers with electronic processing, ambisonic sound, 3D animation and movement.
Audiences are invited to move freely through the performance space as it transforms from stage to cinema to dance floor, journeying between the real and imaginary, past and present.
Inspired by Chinese mourning rituals but speaking to common experiences of death, mourning and ancestry, Opera for the Dead | 祭歌 examines the contradictions that exist in our traditions around death: the tension between spirituality and materialism, the eternal versus digital convenience, and the contrast between our experience of grief and the way it is performed.
★★★★★ – ArtsHub
★★★★★ – Limelight
About the artists
Mindy Meng Wang explores the space between traditional and contemporary practices. Her cross-cultural life and professional experience create a unique style, influenced by both Chinese and Western music. A pioneer in bringing the Guzheng (an ancient Chinese harp) into contemporary genres, Mindy’s vision is to build a more culturally diverse and inclusive music industry.
Monica Lim
Monica Lim is a composer, pianist and sound artist whose work spans installation, performance art, contemporary dance and new media. She explores cross-disciplinary forms and combinations of technology with music. Her work has been presented nationally and internationally, and she is currently a Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne.
Artist statement
Remembering her grandfather who loved music, Monica wondered why we did not instead burn music and art for our loved ones, rather than just material goods. So the concept for the work was born, an offering of music and art for the dead, and a celebration of memory in a shared moment for us and the audience alike.
This work combines the strengths of both our practices, Mindy with her extraordinary ability to create emotive performance and deep knowledge of Chinese culture, and Monica with her expertise in immersive sound installations and extensive knowledge of audio technologies.
Artistic credits
Dramaturg: Ophelia Huang
Animation Artist: Rel Pham
Set & Lighting Design: Jenny Hector
Choreographer: Carol Brown
Costume: Leonas Panjaitan
Video System Design: Nick Roux
Guzheng: Mindy Meng Wang
Electronics: Monica Lim
Vocals: Yu-Tien Lin
Percussion: Alexander Meagher
Cello: Nils Hobiger
Wuchang: Ong Wen Chen & Jiawen Feng
Production Manager: Justin Heaton
Sound Engineer & Operator: Sascha Budimski
Producers: Insite Arts
Details
Presented by Arts House
Thursday 26 February – Sunday 1 March 2026
Thurs – Fri, 7.30pm
Sat, 2pm & 7.30pm
Sun, 5pm
50 mins, no interval
Post-show artist talk for all ticket holders
Fri 27 Feb
Tickets
Standard $40
Reduced $25
BLAKTIX $15
Companion Card Free
A small transaction fee will be charged per order.
Warnings
Suitable for ages 12+
This performance explores themes of death. The work contains loud music, haze, abrupt lighting changes, and low lighting.
This show is free roaming, with limited seating available.
Please speak to Front of House upon arrival if you require seating
Detailed access information is available to download below
PDF | Word
Arts House
North Melbourne Town Hall
521 Queensberry St,
North Melbourne
Wheelchair Accessible Quiet Space Available Assistance Animal Visual Rating 50% Aural Rating 75% Audio description Companion CardSupported by:
Commissioned by Asia TOPA and Arts Centre Melbourne.
With support from Creative Australia, APRA AMCOS Art Music Fund, Playking Foundation, University of Melbourne, and Abbotsford Convent.
Supported by Insite Arts.
Image credit: Dewie Bukit
Image description: Two women, adorned in elaborate, vibrant headdresses and patterned silk garments, stand side-by-side against a neutral grey background. Their conical headpieces are fringed in bright orange, and their layered costumes mix embroidered fabrics in red, blue, green, and gold tones.
