When Yuma Kagiyama launches into his free program under the Olympic lights at the Milano Cortina Games next month, the sweep of “Nessun dorma” is sure to strike a chord with the Italian crowd — a return to the city of Turandot’s premiere on its 100th anniversary.
In figure skating, music is not simply accompaniment — it is the emotional engine of the program, shaped by pacing and physical timing of every element with the potential of electrifying an arena.
Kagiyama, a medal favorite in men’s singles, will skate to composer Christopher Tin’s bespoke four-minute edit of his own Turandot ending, a version tailored in collaboration with choreographer Lori Nichol to meet ​the precise rises, rests and crescendos the sport demands.