Marco Polo (opera)

Marco Polo is an opera in two acts by the Chinese-born composer Tan Dun with an English libretto by the writer and critic Paul Griffiths. It premiered at the Munich Biennale on 7 May 1996 in a staging by Martha Clarke.

The work divides the title figure into two characters—Marco (mezzo-soprano) and Polo (tenor)—and interleaves a spiritual “Book of Timespace” with episodes inspired by the Venetian’s travels. The scoring combines standard Western orchestra and chorus with instruments associated with the cultures evoked in the drama, including pipa, sheng, tabla and Tibetan horns.

Marco Polo received the 1998 Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition. Notable productions include the United States premiere at New York City Opera in November 1997, a 2008 staging by De Nederlandse Opera in Amsterdam (issued on DVD/Blu‑ray), and a 2013 production for the Bergen International Festival.