NEW YORK, June 14, 2019 — The story of how Buddhism came to Japan, Voyage to the East is a new opera by composer Tang Jianping. The Metropolitan Opera's Tian Hao Jiang stars as Jiazhen, the Chinese monk credited with introducing both Buddhism and aspects of Tang dynasty Chinese culture to Japan, which laid the groundwork for subsequent exchange between the two countries. In this special preview and discussion, Tian, Tang, and the rest of the creative team shared musical excerpts and conversations about the work prior to its Lincoln Center début later this year. (1 hr., 23 min.)