Composer capitalizes on the popularity of the Olympic skater’s routine to his music

American composer Christopher Tin said he planned to release the special adaptation of his completion of Puccini’s Turandot opera, which will accompany Yuma Kagiyama’s free skate at the Milan Cortina Olympics, on streaming services after strong demand from fans.

Tin, a two-time Grammy Award winner, developed the four-minute, 17-second competition for the Japanese skater with choreographer Lori Nichol, condensing his 18-minute final with jumps, footwork and built-in rest periods to meet the requirements and pace of an elite program.

“Due to the response from the figure skating community, I have decided to release Yuma’s special figure skating adaptation of my completion of Turandot on streaming services,” Tin, who has come to Milan to see Kagiyama perform, said on X.

Kagiyama, a medal favorite, was scheduled to perform his free program later on Friday.

Tin’s move stands in stark contrast to a series of recent disputes, including at the Olympics, in which musicians have challenged skaters over permission to use their work, leading to last-minute program changes and public rows.

Spanish figure skater Tomas-Llorenc Guarino Sabate was almost unable to perform his Minions-themed short program at the Olympics due to a rights dispute. American skater Amber Glenn was also involved in a dispute with Canadian artist Seb McKinnon over music rights.

In both cases, concerns were ultimately addressed.

Kagiyama’s program has attracted attention both for its timing – coinciding with the centenary of Turandot’s premiere at Milan’s La Scala opera house – and for its compelling operatic arrangement, and will undoubtedly resonate strongly with a home audience steeped in the history of opera.

Tin made sure to visit La Scala as part of his visit to Milan.

The arrangement was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the English National Opera Chorus and soloists Christine Goerke and Clay Hilley.

Giacomo Puccini died in 1924 before completing Turandot and since then there have been five different endings, including Tin’s.

Kagiyama’s isn’t the only custom score to be heard during Friday’s free men’s singles program.

Gold medal favorite Ilia Malinin has opted for a very different free skate, using his own spoken lines over his chosen soundtrack, making it sound like a meditation on pressure and possibility.