NCPA Opera Festival 2016
Venue
Dates
Duration
Approximate 180 mins (Intermission Included)About
Synopsis
Artist
Presenter
80 years ago, the Chinese Worker’s and Peasants’ Red Army completed the Long March attracting the worldwide attention under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. In the 25,000 journey, the soldiers of the Red Army experienced the complications and overcame many difficulties and obstacles to open up the Chinese revolution’s bright road continuing with the past and opening up the future and establish the important foundation for the Chinese revolution to march onward victoriously.
In order to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Red Army’s Long March, National Centre for the Performing Arts spared no effort to invite the domestic first-class artists including Yin Qing, Zou Jingzhi and Tian Qinxin to constitute the creative group to grandly launch the Chinese opera commission The Long March. The opera The Long March has lasted four year since its creation preparations. This operation loyally reproduces the hard process of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasant’s Red Army’s Long March with the realism technique, eulogizes the Red Army’s sublime faith to struggle and sacrifice for the ideal and faith and cherishes the memory of the Long March such a great miracle in the human history on this account. The famous librettist Zou Jingzhi has fully respected the historical facts, reproduced the spirit of the Long March by portraying the figures such as Commander Zeng, Commissar Peng and Boy Ping, and eulogized this history needing to be remembered from the contemporary perspective. The renowned composer Yin Qing has fully given play to his specialty of melody creation, combined the Chinese and Western music by integrating the bel canto with the folk style singing and portrayed the distinctive characters of the soldiers participating in the Long March with the wonderful arias. In terms of the music means, the composer has expressed the progress of the Red Army’s Long March with the folk music style such as Tibet Xianzi and Guizhou folk song and expressed the Red Army’s epic quality in the Western music forms such as symphony chorus and aria.
The whole opera has six screens of nine scenes in total, with over 30 dramatic personages and the chorus of hundreds of people, which has been a piece of opera commissions with the largest performance scale in NCPA till now. The great history of Long March ensures our today’s peaceful life, and each note of the spirit of the Long March contains the era factor and has the inspiring and shocking spiritual strength. Let’s walk into NCPA and review this period of sufferings and glory through the artistic charm of the opera.
Credits
Composer: Yin Qing
Librettist: Zou Jingzhi
Conductor: Lü Jia
Directors: Tian Qinxin, Yang Xiaoyang
Set Designer: Ma Yansong
Costume Designer: Song Li
Projection Designer: Hu Tianji
Style Designer: Chen Minzheng
Acoustic Designer: Wang Danrong
Sound Designer: Cai Jun
Props Designer: Jin Jifeng
Chorus Master: Meng Huan
Cast
Commissar Peng: Yan Weiwen / Chi Liming
Commander Zeng: Wang Haitao / Liu Songhu
Boy Ping: Wang Hongwei / Liang Yufeng
Doctor Hong: Wang Zhe / Zhang Xin
Wan Xia: Gong Shuang / Wang Yifeng
Army Commander: Guan Zhijing
Li Wenhua: Zhang Long
Liu Pingquan: Liu Naiqi / Huang Xunguo
Related Lecture: Please join in the lecture 'Creators Talk about Those Extraordinary Years' on Jun. 18 at Press Room. Learn More
After the failure of the 5th counter-campaign against encirclement and suppression in October 1934, the Red Army is about to depart from Ruijin, the capital of the Chinese Soviet Republic. After receiving the transfer order, Commander Zeng and Commissar Peng from a regiment of the Central Red Army cannot bear to abandon the sick and wounded to the enemy. Doctor Hong, the wife of Commissar Peng who has come to persuade the wounded soldiers to stay behind, tells him about the instructions she received to stay and look after the sick and wounded. Representing the revolutionary comrades, whether they are about to leave Ruijin or stay there, the couple about to part forever sing the aria I don’t know what to say. As the bugle signals their departure, the Red Army soldiers depart from Ruijin full of determination in the pursuit of their ideals, singing Victory is upon us, and the Red Army will come back.
In the Xiangjiang River Campaign, the Long March's deadliest campaign, the Red Army loses heavily to its enemy.
After the Campaign, Commissar Peng stares at the soldiers fast asleep and sings In the cold night. He is determined to gather up the troops in low morale to bravely march forward for their ideals. Upon reflection, the soldiers join in the chorus.
The Red Army, after entering Zunyi during the night, gains a hard-won opportunity for conservation and consolidation. The troops deal fairly with the merchants, and the soldiers and publicity officials organize a slogan-writing competition. As the warm atmosphere dies down, the Zunyi Meeting announcement is proclaimed late that night, stating that Committee Member Mao Zedong has joined the central leadership, which marks a historic turning point in the Chinese revolution.
Following many episodes of encirclement, pursuit, obstruction and interception by the enemy, the Red Army is at a critical juncture. Commander Zeng and Commissar Peng lead the troops on an astonishing long-range raid of 120 km over the course of an entire day. After the chorus Song of the long-range raid, the soldiers successfully seize Luding Bridge in a single assault, marking the successful breakout of the Red Army's main force.
Facing difficulties and hardships in snowy mountains and grasslands, the Red Army soldiers show their indomitable courage to fight for their ideals with the support of compatriots from various nations. For the safety of his comrades-in-arms, Soldier Ping Yazi bravely tastes the wild plants but is poisoned as a result. After falling behind, he gets lost in a swamp, and dies a heroic death after singing the aria I am so reluctant to leave you in his last breath, expressing his great attachment to the Red Army.
After numerous difficulties and obstacles, the Central Red Army, the Second Red Army, the Fourth Red Army and the Northern Shaanxi Red Army eventually join forces triumphantly in Huining County at the border of Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. Unfortunately, after the soldiers sing in chorus celebrating their reunion, Commissar Peng receives the last letter written by his wife Doctor Hong before she was executed. This final letter significantly motivates the soldiers. The opera ends with the chorus Long live the Long March.
Jul. 1 (Nazionale cantanti) |
Jul. 2 (bel canto) |
Jul. 3 (Nazionale cantanti) |
Jul. 4 (bel canto) |
Jul. 5 |
Jul. 6 (bel canto) | |
Commissar Peng | Yan Weiwen | Chi Liming | Yan Weiwen | Chi Liming | Yan Weiwen | Chi Liming |
Commander Zeng | Wang Haitao | Liu Songhu | Wang Haitao | Liu Songhu | Wang Haitao | Liu Songhu |
Boy Ping | Wang Hongwei | Liang Yufeng | Wang Hongwei | Liang Yufeng | Wang Hongwei | Liang Yufeng |
Doctor Hong | Wang Zhe | Zhang Xin | Wang Zhe | Zhang Xin | Wang Zhe | Zhang Xin |
Wan Xia | Gong Shuang | Wang Yifeng | Gong Shuang | Wang Yifeng | Gong Shuang | Wang Yifeng |
Army Commander | Guan Zhijing | Guan Zhijing | Guan Zhijing | Guan Zhijing | Guan Zhijing | Guan Zhijing |
Li Wenhua | Zhang Long | Zhang Long | Zhang Long | Zhang Long | Zhang Long | Zhang Long |
Liu Pingquan | Liu Naiqi | Liu Naiqi | Liu Naiqi | Liu Naiqi | Liu Naiqi | Liu Naiqi |
As famous contemporary composer, first-class composer for the General Political Department Song and Dance Ensemble, Yin serves as Vice Chairman of the Chinese Musicians Association, Eighth, Ninth Plenary Member of the China Federation of Literary, member of the PLA Conducting Art Committee, expert enjoying the special allowance of the State Council and the former Director of the General Political Department Song and Dance Ensemble.
Yin's representative works include songs: Into a New Era, Western Singing, Road to Heaven and Road to Revival with nationwide influence; operas: Daughter of the Party (cooperation with others), ballet music Matsu and The New Fourth Army, The Last Cavalry, Love between the Sea and the Sky, Make a Promise and Village Official Pu Faxing, which are widely acclaimed. He has won the Best Works Award by the Central Publicity Department, the Wenhua Award by the Ministry of Culture, Literature and Art Award of the People's Liberation Army, Gold Works Medal of the Chinese Music Golden Bell Award, China Golden Record Creation Award and other national and PLA awards for over three hundred times. He has served as the music director and art director on several important cultural activities around the country and for the PLA.
Zou Jingzhi is a member of Chinese Writers Association and resident writer of Beijing Writers Association. Zou is also a poet and a playwright, whose poems exerted extensive influence over society in 1980s and has published over 20 poems, essays and novels, which are translated into several foreign languages.
Zou dabbles in film and TV series creation in 1990s, with influential works covering TV play Kangxi Incognito Travel (IV), The Fragrance of Chinese Scholar Tree Flowers in May, Love in A Fallen City and The Eloquent Ji Xiaolan (cooperated with others) and film Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles (directed by Zhang Yimou), winning many awards.
In late 1990s, Zou Jingzhi started dance play creation, with representative works including opera The Banquet, (Composed by Guo Wenjing, The Banquet has been performed in France, Great Britain, America and Australia, wining rave review), stage play I Love Peach Blossom (Directed By Ren Ming from Beijing People's Art Theater, the play has been staged at drama festivals in Japan and Italy, and performed by many troupes for about 300 times), The Lotus Flower (directed by Ren Ming and Xu Ang from Beijing People's Art Theater), The Playground (Directed by Xu Ang and produced by Dragon & Horse Group), Opera Xi Shi (Produced by the NCPA, composed by Lei Lei and directed by Cao Qijing) and Children's play Hi Cute.
Director of National Theater of China, deputy director of Institute of Film, TV and Theatre in Peking University, art director of Hangzhou Culture Radio and TV Group and national Level 1 director, TianQinxin enjoys the special allowances of the State Council.
In China’s stage play, she has always insisted on the cultural quality and humanistic feelings and has been a banner not falling. The new explorations of Chinese traditional themes and the world’s masterworks and the captures of the sensitive topics in the modern and contemporary age are contained in her works. She combines the contemporary artistic concepts with the oriental aesthetics when presenting the stage and she emphasizes the performances integrated with physical expressions and poetic language, complex space-time structure and strong visual impact. Her works have established her own school and they also have aprofound influence on the international theater field.
Before and after World Theater Day on March 27, 2014, the dramas of Green Snake and Unique Beauty directed and written by her were performed in the U.S. at the same time. Green Snake, jointly commissioned by the 41st Hong Kong Arts Festival and the 15th Shanghai International Arts Festival and jointly produced by National Theater of China and National Theatre of Scotland, attended World Stage: 2014 International Theater Festival as the only representative repertoire of China at the invitation of John F. Kennedy Arts Center. Green Snake was one of the most sensational works in the performing market of Greater China Region in 2013, and it was also invited to appear in 2014 Edinburgh Arts Festival and was rated as the first of “mystery plays”. The drama Unique Beauty directed by TianQinxin was on tour in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Houston. She was also invited to rehearse three dramas in South Korea.
Her representative works include drama, such as The Field of Life and Death, Wild Whirlwind, Chinese Orphan, Red Rose and White Rose, Matters in Ming Dynasty, The Yellow Storm, Green Snake, Beijing Fayuan Temple, Kunqu opera including 1699 · The Peach Blossom Fan, and musical The Song of the Film (2010).
She has won plenty of honours and awards. She is the winner of “‘four of a batch’ talents for National Propaganda and Culture system” of the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the CPC. She has won gold award of performance in China Arts Festival, National Stage Art Excellent Project Award, Annual Drama and Annual Best Director Awards of Yi Theater Awards, Wenhua Award of Ministry of Culture, Director Award, Screenwriting Award, Golden Lion Director Award, Screenwriting Award of Cao Yu Literary Award, Excellent Drama Art Worker of Ministry of Culture at 100 Anniversary of Chinese Drama, Hall of Fame Figure of One-hundred Chinese Drama and so on. The works published include theatre collection The Collected Plays of TianQinxin (Drama) (DVD),as well as books including I Act in Play Because I’m Sad, TianQinxin’s Drama Field, TianQinxin’s Play Scripts and TianQinxin’s Rehearsals – The Yellow Storm.
Vice chairman of Chinese Dancers Association, current deputy head of the Central Military Commission Political Work Department Song and Dance Ensemble, national Level 1 scenarist, Yang Xiaoyang enjoys the special allowances of the State Council.
He is the winner of “‘four of a batch’ talents for National Propaganda and Culture system” of the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the CPC, the Best Works Award of the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the CPC, Lotus Award of Chinese Dance, Wenhua Director Award of Ministry of Culture, Top 10 Excellent Repertoire Awardof National Stage Art and multiple Wenhua Repertoire Awards.
His representative works include the national dance drama Railway Guerrillas, the historical dance drama of the Hui People Helan on Moon, the national dance drama The Lvliang Heroes, the group dance Cross and Dress, Dress. He served as the chief director of three consecutive Army Veteran Cadre Parties from 2014 to 2016. He was also the executive director and scenarist for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies in 2008 Olympic Games and the parties such as The Road to Revival, Victory and Peace and Army.
Honored as the most important voice and representative of the new generation of international architects, he is the first Chinese architect winning the important landmarks overseas. He is devoted to exploring the future road of architecture, advocating the combination of the urban density, function and the landscape prospect to create a brand-new urban civilization age with human spirit as the core by rebuilding the emotional connection between human and nature. Since designing Flowing Island in 2002, Ma Yansong has practiced this declaration of the future habitation dream worldwide with the works full of imagination such as Absolute Tower, Harbin Theatre, Hutong Bubble 32, Erdos Museum and Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.
Fast Company selected him as “Top 10 Most Creative Persons in Global Architecture Circles 2009” and “Top 100 Most Creative Persons in Global Business Circles 2014” successively. In 2010, RIBA awarded him with the international honorary member. In 2014, he was selected as “Young Global Leaders 2014” by the World Economic Forum. Ma Yansong studied in Beijing Institute of Civil Engineering and Architecture, and later graduated from Yale University and got the Master’s degree. Currently, he is a professor of Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture and a visiting professor of Tsinghua University.
Song Li served as costume designer of the new large-scale epic Peking opera Red Cliff and the new historical Peking opera Zheng Kaofu of National Centre for the Performing Arts.
She is currently the costume designer of Central Military Commission Political Work Department Stage Art Team.
She is the costume designer of various activities, including national large-scale performances such as the large-scale musical and dancing epic The Road to Revival celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the Opening Ceremony and the Closing Ceremony of Beijing Paralympic Games, the Opening Ceremony of Shanghai Special Olympics, dances including Thousand-Hand Kwan-yin, Soldiers with Guns, Tashi Delek, Cross, Horses Neighing, The Ode of Peony, Swallow; repertories National Spirit, Military Spirit, A Soldier’s Diary and the 20th Double Support Party, acrobatics including Beautiful Hua Dan, Concerto - Black and White Fantasy, Ballet on Shoulders, Pagoda of Bowls, and Splendid of China National Acrobatic Troupe, dance dramas including Thousand-Hand Kwan-yin, Wilde Jujubes, Wild Zebra, Hua Mulan, Red Clouds in the Sky, Dream of Red Mansions, Red River Valley, Xi Shi, Jasmine, Farewell to My Concubine and Stage Sisters, ballets like The Moon Over a Fountain and Eight Woman Fighters the large-scale live-action performances such as Impressions of Lijiang and Impressions of the West Lake, as well as new large-scale epic Peking opera Red Cliff of National Centre for the Performing Arts.
Hu Yaohui served as the lighting designer of the original operas includingThe Ballad of Canal and Sunrise and drama Yangshi Lei of National Centre for the Performing Arts.
He is the professor and masters’ instructor of Stage Art Department in the Central Academy of Drama Academy, deputy director of Stage Lighting Professional Committee of the Chinese Artists Society, member of China Entertainment Technology Association. His design style is emotionally delicate, restraining and elegant.
He has won Annual Drama Golden Lion Stage Art Award three times from 2004 to 2007, Wenhua Stage Lighting Design Award for 6 times and the Repertoire Award of National Stage Art Excellent Project for many times. His representative works include dramas such as Thunderstorm, Wilderness and Qin’s Emperor Zheng, operas such as Turandot, The Ballad of Canal and Sunrise, traditional Chinese operas such as Champion Singer and Guan Hanqing, musicals such as Princess Wenchengand Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, child plays Red Scarf and The Child Wanting to Fly, Meihu opera Late Blooms of Roses, Guangxi opera The Learned Man Returns, Peking opera Tibetan Antelope, Hunan operas such as Li Zhen Returns, the large-scale live-action performances Zhuge Liang from the Thatched Cottage and World · Love Mountain, TV sitcom I Love My Family and other hundreds of works. He wrote multiple academic papers such as Visual Form and Reconstruction of Stage Art, Visual Illusions of Stage Art and Lighting and modeling of Opera Stage Lighting.
He served as multi-media designer of the opera The Dawns Here Are Quiet produced by National Centre for the Performing Arts.
Graduating from Mural Painting Department of Central Academy of Fine Arts, he later leaved for France for further study and graduated from Lissa Animation School majoring in Film and TV Animation. He founded Zhengyue Image Studio after returning in 2007 and engaged in the work of CG later effects of film and TV and stage and multi-media interaction image.
His main works include Li Yugang’s song and dance drama Portrait of Four Beauties, large-scale operas including The Dawns Here Are Quiet, The Legend of a Patriot, The Grand Canal, Death Mourning and Red River Valley; large-scale musicals including Jasmine, Fleeting Clouds, the Splendid Library and Maybe Tomorrow Belongs to Me, large-scale child musical The Legend of Beijing, large-scale dance dramas including Shuiyue Luoshen, Wang Xizhi, Dance Together, The 24 Solar Terms and its rehearsal tour in Europe, dramas including Peer Gynt, Qiujin and Man in the Mirror, large-scale acrobatic show Ghost Stories and the puppet show Fly, Red-crowned Crane.
Graduating from Recording Arts Major of Beijing Film Academy, he is the sound art director of China Film Production Base and a member of China Film Association. As the national Level 1 sound engineer, he enjoys the special allowances of the State Council.
He cooperated with many well-known directors such as Feng Xiaogang, Chen Kaige, Chen Guofu, XuKe, Han Sanping, Huang Jianxin and Zhao Baogang. In addition, he has won various awards, including Best Recording Award of the 28th China Golden Rooster Awards (The Founding of A Republic), Best Sound Effect Award of the 30th Hong Kong Film Awards (Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame). He has won the nomination of sound professional award for many times in various film festivals such as China Golden Rooster Awards, Hong Kong Film Awards and Golden Horse Award, and served as judge of the 30th China Golden Rooster Awards.
He has participated in over 50 films such as Endless, A sigh, Big Shot, Together, Handphone, A World Without Thieves, The Promise, The Banquet, Assembly, Mei Lanfang, If You Are the One, The Message, Chinese Orphan, Beginning of the Great Revival, Big Film of Dad, Where Are We Going, The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom, The Intouchables, Running to Love and Skiptrace.
Cai Jun devotes to stage sound performance and design for many years. He ever worked at China Children’s Art Theatre, and then he joined NCPA. During this period, he pursued advanced studies of opera stage sound production at Opéra Bastille Paris and New National Theatre of Japan, applied in Rigoletto, Tosca and other operas, and achieved favorable performance effects.
In recent years, he serves as sound designer in inaugurating performance of International Folk Festival, Peking Opera Red Cliff (Children’s Version), Meeting under Five-ring Olympic Flag and other operas. He participates in stage sound design of the large-scale song and dance epic drama The Road to Revival as NCPA production. Meanwhile, he is also an expert panelist for construction and reconstruction of many domestic theatres, providing advice for sound system solutions of newly built theatres.
Jin Jifeng graduated from Stage Art Department of the Central Academy of Drama, majoring in Stage Design. Now he works in NCPA, and takes charge of props design for over 40 operas, dramas and dance dramas produced by NCPA.
He is the props designer of such repertoires as dance drama Marco Polo, operas The Ballad of Canal and The Fisherman and the Goldfish and drama Desire under the Elms. He is also props producer, coordinator and, manager of such repertoires as operas Un Ballo in Maschera, Der Rosenkavalier, Il Trovatore, Samson et Dalila, Carmen, Tosca, Turandot, Fang Zhimin, The Red Guards on Honghu Lake, Il barbiere di Siviglia, The Dawns Here Are quiet, Lohengrin and Rusalka; dramas Massage, Wangfujing, A Doll’s House and The Lei Family, the Royal Architects, and dance dramas The Road to Revival and Marco Polo.
Meng Huan graduated from Conducting Department, China Conservatory of Music. He studied under the tutelage of both conductors Professor Wu Lingfen and Associate Professor Wang Yan. He was personally instructed by Yan Liangkun, Vijay Upadhyaya (Professor of Conducting, Arts Department, Universitat Wien), Boris Tevlin (Professor and Dean of Conducting Department, Moscow Music Conservatory) and Mats Nilsson (Professor of Kungl. Musikhoegskolan).
During his study, Meng Huan cooperated with the visiting Carl Orff Chorus of Germany, Really Big Chorus of the UK, Oxford University Chorus and Taipei Philharmonic Chamber Choir in the concerts. He was invited to perform with the National Chorus of Korea and National Youth Choir of France. In opera commissions The Ballad of Canal, The Chinese Orphan and Xi Shi unveiled by NCPA, he served as assistant conductor for Lü Jia (Opera Director) and both conductors Chen Zuohuang and Zhang Guoyong.
Meng Huan also serves as a guest conductor in cooperation with other troupes for many important works as follows: in 2009, he was a conductor for Chamber Opera Good-bye Again Cambridge at Multi-functional Theatre, NCPA. In 2010, he was a conductor for the opera Song of Youth co-produced by China National Opera & Dance Drama Theatre and Academy of Opera, Peking University, which participated in Joint Performance of Excellent Dramas organized by Ministry of Culture. Also in 2010, the Tianjin version of Song of Youth, performed by Tianjin Opera House, was under the baton of Meng Huan. In 2012, he served as conductor in tour of “Yue Opera Master Li Min's Classic Works & Excerpts Touring Concert” (held by Fujian Song and Dance Theatre Orchestra) in Fujian and Hangzhou. In 2014, he served as conductor in premiere of original opera Diaochan created by Gansu Opera House.
He has performed in NCPA-produced operas of Carmen, Pagliacci and La Gioconda, etc.
Chi Liming is one of the most outstanding tenors in China. His frequent appearances on the operatic stage in Europe and the United States won him the title from Western media 'the most promising tenor in the world'. Chi has already performed in countries and regions including the US, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau. As a member of 'Group of Chinese Musicians', together with Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Chi participated in the performance in Kennedy Center in Washington DC. in December 2010. He also worked with Russian artists in 2009 in the Great Hall of People, performing for China Premier Wen Jiabao and President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. He has worked with many conductors, among them are John Nelson, Alberto Zedda, Bruno Dal Bon, Peter Mark, Patrick Summers, Pascal Verrot, Paolo Olmi, Lu Jia, Zhang Guoyong, Yu Long, Chen Xieyang, Hu Yongyan and Chen Zuohuang.
He has performed in NCPA rpoductions of A Village Teacher, Xi Shi, Turandot, Die Fledermaus, Un Ballo in Maschera, Lohengrin, Les Contes d'Hoffmann, L'italiana in Algeri, La Traviata, Rigoletto, Pagliacci, Der Rosenkavalier, The Sunrise, L'elisir D'amore, The Dawns Here Are Quiet and Fang Zhimin, etc.
Liu Songhu, a tenor and an associate professor of the Academy of Opera, Peking University, had been the resident solo of Nurnberg State Opera and visiting lecturer of Nurnberg Academy of Music. So far, he has starred in over 500 operas, with The Fall of The House of Usher been elected as the annual 'Best Opera' by the German Ministry of Culture. In addition, he won a series of awards at German 'New Voice' International Voice Competition, Toulouse International Voice Competition and other competitions. In 2007, he, as the first Chinese singer, won the top award at the Germany 'La Voce' International Artistic Songs Competition.
He is the baritone singer of China National Opera House and national Level 1 actor.
He is the winner of the Excellent Performance Award of China’s First Opera Festival and Ministry of Culture Excellent Repertoire Performance as well as the Karajan Prize of Karajan Centre in Vienna, Austria. He was invited by the former president of Wiener Staatsoper Ioan Holender to sign with this theater. And he also received invitations from the director of Bregenzer Festspiele to sign with this music festival and to sign with Opera and Ballet Theatre of Czech Republic. He won the first place in the 7th International Operation Competition with Joan Sutherland as chairman of the jury. He has also won many awards in the international and domestic vocal music competitions such as Neue Stimmen in 1997, the 30th Dr. Luis Sigall as well as the first National Vocal Music Competition and the 7th National Young Singer TV Competition.
Wang Hongwei has starred in NCPA-originated opera of The Ballad of Canal (Qin Xiaosheng).
As one of the most outstanding contemporary Chinese music tenors and national first-class actor, Wang serves as member of the Standing Committee of the National Youth Federation. He is graduated as a Vocal Master from the People's Liberation Army Art Institute.
He won the Gold Medal for professional folklore group and the Audience's Favorite Singer Award in the 9th BBK National Young Singer TV Grand Prix; Best Male Folk Singer Award for the China Golden Record Award; Folk Songs Album Award and Folk Song Class Actor Award at the 4th China Golden Record Award; Special Jury Award for the 10th Global Chinese Music Award, the Best Mainland Folk Male Artist Award at the 6th CCTV-MTV Music Festival.
In recent years, Wang has sung Western Singing, Children Traveling Thousands of Miles, Reputation, Homeland Feeling, The Great South, All Dedicated to the CPC, Kashgar Girl and many more outstanding works. He starred in the northern Shaanxi opera Women from Mizhi and Men from Suide, Qinghai huaer drama White Dove and folk opera Xiao Erhei's Marriage. His solo concert was successfully held in Beijing, Ningbo, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Guiyang, Jinan, the Philippines, Singapore, Vienna and a number of cities at home and abroad and has visited the United States, Canada, Japan, Singapore, Philippines, Italy, Austria, Russia, France, Spain, Australia, Belgium, Sweden, Portugal, Brazil, Korea, Indonesia and Hong Kong, Macao and other countries and regions.
Liang Yufeng has performed in NCPA productions of Le Nozze di Figaro, La Traviata, Xi Shi, Red Guards on the Honghu Lake, Carmen, Rockshaw Boy, Visitors on the Snow Mountain, Fan Zhiming, and Rusalka, etc.
He graduated from University of Electronic Science and Technology of China under famous tenor Liu Weiwei. He was enrolled in NCPA Chorus in 2009 and now serves as the tenor section leader in the chorus. Ever since he joined the chorus, he has performed in more than twenty domestic and overseas operas and served as a tenor cantor more than once in the concerts.
She has performed in NCPA-originated opera of The Ballad of Canal (Shui Honglian).
As a member of the Chinese Musicians Association and young singer at the Second Artillery Corps Art Troupe of Political Department of PLA, Wang graduated from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in Vocal Performance major, a graduate student, under the tutelage of the famous young singer of Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Professor Fang Qiong; and she also received guidance of the top artists including Zhou Xiaoyan, Li Guyi and Liao Changyong. Wang's singing has a broad range and expressiveness and she outstands in singing Chinese songs and Chinese folk operas. With her tall posture on the stage, solid vocals and beautiful and noble temperament, she is blessed with unique and extraordinary potentials, as one of the young singers of considerable strength and potential of the folklore music scene today.
She has performed NCPA-produced operas of Il Trovatore (Ines), Rigoletto (Madam Ceprano), Norma (Clotilde), Simon Boccanegra (Amelia's Maid), Tannhauser (Shepherd), Visitors on the Snow Mountain (Gurandam) and The Dawns Here Are Quiet (Lisa), etc.
Zhang Xin is a resident soprano of the National Centre for the Performing Arts. She has sung many soprano roles in NCPA's opera productions and commissions, such as Il Trovatore, Rigoletto, Visitors on the Snow Mountain and Simon Boccanegra.
Zhang Xin took her master degree in vocal music in Conservatorio Arrigo Boito di Parma. Her singing was highly praised by world-known soprano Mirella Freni as having plenty of power and expression. Her repertoire includes Verdi's and Puccini's works and often appears in productions and concerts del Teatro Regio di Parm, Luciano Pavarotti' opera house of Modena and other major opera houses around the world.
Young soprano Gong Shuang has performed in the NCPA Opera Festival, and sang I’ll See the Day All Those Who Are Suffering Are Liberated in Chinese opera lecture of Red Guards on Honghu Lake.
She has performed in CCTV Spring Concert, Countdown Party, Straight through Spring Festival Gala, CETV Spring Festival Gala, CFLAC “All Flowers Are in Bloom” Spring Festival Gala and NCPA Opera Festival. She has toured around the country for performances of Road to Revival, Flowers of Spring and Fruits of Autumn, Classics is Popular and How Many Folk Songs Do You Know, etc. Her performing style is unhurried, bright and smart, gaining unanimous praise from people inside and outside the circle.
She has performed in NCPA productions of The Sunrise (The Little Thing).
Ms. Wang Yifeng is the guest lyric soprano of China Opera and Dance-Drama Theatre. She is a postgraduate of vocal music under Professor Lang Yinong.
Since 2008, Ms. Wang has been awarded the 2nd Prize of the Extract Group in the 3rd China National Art Colleges Opera Competition, the 1st Prizes of Liaoning Province in the 14th&15th CCTV Young Singers Competition (2009&2013), the Young Musician Scholarship in the 13th International Vocal Competition in Italy (2010), the 1st Prize of Chuncheon International Vocal Competition in Korea (2012), and the Excellence Award of the Bel Canto Group in the 11th China National Vocal Competition. She is also a triple winner of the Scholarship of Ministry of Education, China (2010-2013). Her opera title roles include Danzhu in Red River Valley and Zijun in Mourning. Ms. Wang has been invited to be guest vocalist for the academic exchange of the International Music Festival in Taiwan. Her appearance also includes in the Nine China National Conservatories of Music Gala in Shanghai Spring International Music Festival.
He has performed in NCPA productions of Rickshaw Boy (Master Liu), La Bohème (Colline), A Village Teacher (Zhou Wushan), La Traviata (The Doctor), L'Elisir d'Amore (Dr. Dulcamara), Turandot (Timur), The Chinese Orphan (Gongsun Chujiu), Rigoletto (the Killer), Xi Shi (Wu Zixu), Lohengrin (Heinrich der Vogler), Le Nozze di Figaro (Bartolo), Il Trovatore (Ferrando), Guillaume Tell (Gessler) and Visitors on the Snow Mountain (Uncle Niazi).
As a bass, Guan Zhijing is active on both domestic and overseas opera stages with complete singing skills, proper vocal flexibility and complex performance features. He is the winner of Wenhua Award in the 8th National Vocal Music Competition, the Award of Merit in the first 'Voice from the Golden Shore' New Singers & Songs Competition and the Crystal Award in the 3rd CCTV Foreign Song Competition for Chinese Singers. He was recruited in 2005 to the international master class organized by reputable Italian tenor Carlo Bergonzi.
He has performed in NCPA-produced opera The Drawns Here Are Quiet (Lenski).
In 2015, Zhang Long graduated from Department of Vocal Music and Opera in Shanghai Conservatory of Music with excellent scores, and in the same year he entered Academy of Opera, Peking University, following Professor Chen Xing and the tenor Mr. Dai Yuqiang.
He sang Don Jose in Carmen in China-France Comic Opera Festival in 2012, and was widely recognized by Beijing and Shanghai audience. China Music News commented that 'he was such an exceptional and talented tenor'. He was awarded a silver award for People's Website division of the 15th CCTV Youth Singer Competition in February 2013. He was invited to Brittany Comic Opera Festival in France in August 2013, to play the leading role of Nemorino in L'elisir D'amore, and received serious greeting and high appraisal from the mayor of Carnac City. In October 2013, he was invited to play the role of Chiang Kai-shek in the original opera of Soong Ching-ling in Guangzhou Opera House. He played the role of Nestor in Don Pasquale for Sands Macau International Opera Festival in 2014. He played the role of Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi in Shanghai Orchid Heart Theatre in 2014. He won the silver award in BMA (Beijing Musician Association) Division of the China Golden Bell Award for Music in 2015. He also sang Rudolph in La Bohème in Peyris Opera Italy in July 2015.
Huang Xunguo is a young tenor, graduating from China Conservatory of Music under the guidance of Wang shikui who is a famous professor of vocal music. Huang Xunguo is Member of Chinese Musicians Associations and Jiangxi Youth Federation. He won the gold metals of both Golden Bell Award and Wenhua Award of folk vocal group of China National Vocal Competition. Also, Huang Xunguo is working at the China Railway Art Troupe as a soloist.
Huang Xunguo has starred in many musical works including Zhang Qianyi’s opera work Snowflake, Window Papercuts and Jacobinia Carnea, Wei Mengdong’s musical Platform amd Wang Zujie’s opera work Daughter of the Party and musical and dance drama Jinggangshan etc. Moreover, he not only positively participates in public benefit activities but also organizes a series of such activities by himself. He won the golden award in folk group of the 13th China Music Golden Bell Award held by Chinese Musicians Associations in 2013. In the same year, he was awarded the first prize of the 15th China CCTV Young Singer’s Competition of male folk music group. In 2014, he won the golden award of Wenhua Award for the 11th China National Vocal Competition sponsored by the Ministry of Culture.
Representative works: Ending song Ode to Jinggang Mountain of TV series Mao Zedong, Hope, Next wish, Poyang Lake and Fortune China, etc. Composition works: Juhong, and Life and Peace, etc.
Liu played The Emperor in Turandot and Geraldo in Gianni Schicchi produced by NCPA. Other works includes NCPA-produced operas Carmen (Il Remendado), Le Nozze di Figaro (Don Curzio), Les Contes d'Hoffmann (Andrès/Cochenille/Frantz/Pitichinaccio), Nabucco (Abdallo), Die Fledermaus (Dr. Blind) and Andrea Chenier (Spy).
As a tenor actor from China National Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Liu starred in the operas such as Turandot, Gianni Schicchi, Le Nozze di Figaro, Le Barbier de Séville, Salome, Tosca, Un Ballo in Maschera and Il Trovatore. It is worth mentioning that Liu was in the spotlight for he put in an excellent performance in Gianni Schicchi at NCPA. As the Music Weekly comments: “Young tenor actor Liu Naiqi who played Gerardo stands out from others and his beautiful voice bears comparison with the great Italian tenor Stefano at his early life.
In 2002, Liu won golden prize in National Adolescent Talent Contest and other prizes in national contests such as CCTV Young Singers Contest and Golden Bell Awards.
China NCPA Orchestra is the resident orchestra of the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Beijing. Established in March 2010, the orchestra consists of highly accomplished musicians from around the world, who perform in more than a dozen opera productions presented by its home venue each year as well as in ballets and regular orchestral concerts in its own season. With a notably busy schedule, the young ensemble has fast established itself as one of the most adventurous and dynamic orchestras in the country. Lü Jia took up the post of Chief Conductor in February 2012, succeeding Chen Zuohuang, the current Conductor Laureate, NCPA's Music Director and also one of the founders of the orchestra. Yuan Ding was appointed Assistant Conductor in the same year.
The NCPA Orchestra demonstrates an abiding commitment to the highest levels of artistic excellence and takes pride in its long-term collaborations with the finest musicians of our time. Artists associated with the orchestra in the past two years have included Lorin Maazel, Christoph Eschenbach, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Gunter Herbig, Gilbert Varga, Lang Lang, Stephen Kovacevich, Leo Nucci, Yuja Wang and Han-Na Chang, among many others. Maestro Lorin Maazel praised the orchestra for its 'amazing professionalism and great passion in music'. After working with them in a series of concerts and the NCPA's new production of La Traviata in June 2010. Maestro Christoph Eschenbach also declared it 'one of the finest orchestras in Asia'.
In 2011 alone, the first season after its establishment, China NCPA Orchestra gained critical acclaim for its performances in NCPA's new productions of Tosca (directed by Giancarlo Del Monaco), The Barber of Seville (co-produced with Castleton Festival), Die Fledermaus, and a newly commissioned opera The Chinese Orphan. In addition, the orchestra also played a key part in NCPA's 2011 Gustav Mahler Project, performing his Symphonies No. 1, 2, 3, 8 and 10 under the batons of Christoph Eschenbach, Yoel Levi, Jun Maerkl and Chen Zuohuang respectively. These were followed by performances of two Wagner operas in 2012, in their Chinese premieres, Der Fliegende Hollander and Lohengrin. Most recently in 2013, the orchestra presented varied programmes marking major anniversaries of Wagner, Verdi and Britten, including a performance of the mammoth Ring without Words under the baton of its creator, Lorin Maazel. It continues to build on important partnerships with prominent musicians such as Mehta, Eschenbach, Ashkenazy, Placido Domingo and the pianist Rudolf Buchbinder.
Most recently, the NCPA Orchestra has flexed its wings on the international stage with high-profile touring work, receiving widespread international praise for its performances. In 2012, the orchestra was invited by Kissingen Summer Music Festival and Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, and its first German tour continued with concerts in Nürnberg, Hamburg and Berlin, followed by appearances at the Sydney Opera House. In 2013, the orchestra undertook its first Asian tour with concerts in Singapore, Seoul and Macau. During the 2014/15 season, the orchestra has participated in NCPA's opera productions including Eugene Onegin, Aida and Cavalleria Rusticana, as well as appearing on concert stage with conductors and soloists such as Lü Jia, Zubin Mehta, Christoph Eschenbach, Myun-Whung Chung, Anthony Wit, Lang Lang, Wang Jian and Yuja Wang. The orchestra has completed its very first North American tour in November 2014, under the baton of its Chief Conductor Lü Jia.
Established on December 8, 2009, NCPA Chorus is the resident chorus of the China National Centre for the Performing Arts.
Now the Chorus invites Wu Lingfen as the conductor, with many artists well-known in China and abroad giving instructions. Affiliated to NCPA, the highest palace of performing arts in China, the Chorus adheres to NCPA's guiding principles of 'for the people, for the arts, and for the world' and is recognized as a vigorous and promising professional chorus.
The Chorus has cooperated with many well-known artists ever since its establishment, including directors as Francesca Zambello, Giancarlo Del Monaco, Hugo De Ana, Chen Xinyi, Cao Qijing, Liao Xianghong, Yi Liming, Li Liuyi, prominent conductors as Lorin Maazel, Zubin Metha, Daniel Oren, Myung-whun Chung, Yan Liangkun, Yang Hongnian, Lü Jia, Li Xincao, Zheng Jian, Yang Li, outstanding vocalists as Plácido Domingo, Leo Nucci, Inva Mulla, Juan Pons, Brandon Jovanovich, Francesco Meli, Dai Yuqiang, Wei Song, Warren Mok, Yuan Chenye, Liao Changyong, Zhang Yalun, Zhang Liping, Dilbèr, Sun Xiuwei, He Hui, Yang Guang, Li Xiaoliang, to name just a few. Plácido Domingo once said it was his honor to cooperate with these talented young artists; Lorin Maazel ever acclaimed it as 'a chorus full of passion', 'It is the best voice I have ever heard, As young as the chorus was, it's much more excellent than many of European choruses', said Daniel Oren after rehearsal.
As one of the leading Chinese choruses both on stage of operas and concerts, the NCPA Chorus represents the highest artistry of opera chorus in China. By presenting over 100 performances each year, the Chorus has depicted numerous opera characters in an enthusiastic way and contributed actively to the further development of arts production of the NCPA. Ever since its establishment, the Chorus has actively performed in more than 40 operas produced by NCPA, such as NCPA's commission operas Xi Shi, The Chinese Orphan, The Beautiful Blue Danube, The Ballad of Canal, Rickshaw Boy, Visitors on the Snow Mountain, Sunrise, as well as other classic operas in and out of China including The White-haired Girl, The Red Guards on Honghu Lake, Turandot, Carmen, La Traviata, L'élisir d'amore, Tosca, Die Fledermaus, La Cenerentola, Der Fliegende Hollander, Un Ballo in Maschera, Lohengrin, Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Otello, Nabucco, Le Nozze di Figaro, L'italiana in Algeri, Il Trovatore, Der Rosenkavalier, Norma, Don Pasquale, Aida, Rigoletto, Die Zauberflote, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Eugene Onegin, and Andrea Chénier, etc. Its artistic quality receives rave acclaims from both the critics and the audience.
Besides operas, the Chorus has participated in many grand vocal works and themed concerts, such as Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, Mahler's Symphony No.2 and No.8, Verdi's Requiem, Concert Commemorating the 110th Anniversary of the Birth of Huang Zi, opera concertsGuillaume Tell, Don Juan and the grand music and dance epic Road to Revive, etc.
As a resident ensemble of the NCPA, the Chorus also takes part in various cultural communication and arts outreach activities in order to reach and attract more audiences through its weekend concerts, lectures and performances in schools and communities, which have gained lasting popularity among audiences. In addition, the Chorus will continue to travel abroad to perform the NCPA productions and excellent classics. During recent years, it has toured to different countries and regions including Singapore, South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong to engage in arts exchanges, receiving widespread acclaim. In September 2015 the Chorus finished its tour in Italy with the NCPA to perform Rickshaw boy.
Box officeNorth Gate of NCPA, No. 2 West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng District, Beijing, China
Tickets collection hours9:30-19:30 (CST) on performance day
9:30-18:00 (CST) for days without performance
Booking line+86 10 6655 0000
Booking hours9:30-18:00 (CST) Monday to Friday
We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information, however the hours, prices, and program details may vary due to last minute changes.
WHAT'S ON
CALENDAR Full Calendar
GENREOperaConcertDance & BalletTheatreChinese Traditional Opera
Festivals & Series* NCPA Chorus August Festival 2024* NCPA International Theatre Festival 2024* NCPA Percussion Festival 2024* NCPA Piano Virtuosos 2024* Charm of China—Maestros of Chinese Traditional Music
PRODUCTION
ProductionsRepertoireFilmsVideos
Resident CompaniesChina NCPA OrchestraChina NCPA Chorus
VISIT
Explore NCPA Buildings Exhibitions
Visit Info Opening Hours Guided Tours Services Getting Here
Dine&Shop Western Cuisine NCPA Café Arts Gifts
EXCHANGE & EDUCATION
NCPA & The World The Moment Arts Exchange Events World Music Series Co-operative Organizations
Education & Outreach Weekend Concert Classic Arts Lecture Enter the World of Record Taihu Weekly Concert Outreach
ABOUT US
THE NCPA Facilities Membership Philosophy Leadership Contact Us Operation
Tickets and Information:8610-6655 0000
No.2 West Chang'an Avenue,
Xicheng District,
Beijing, P. R. China
© Copyright 2024 China NCPA
Search
Dedicated to the staging of epic operas, ballets and dance dramas, the golden Opera House is considered the centerpiece of the NCPA. Its main tone is golden color, which looks glamorous and splendid. In the auditorium are the stalls and three higher levels of balconies, which can seat an audience of 2,207, including the venue of SRO. It is equipped with a modern stage that can be moved up/down/backward/forward or rotated, a ballet stage that can slant, and a rising orchestra pit for the triple winds orchestra. All the cutting-edge staging mechanism provides artists with enormous possibilities of creative performance.
Dedicated to the staging of epic operas, ballets and dance dramas, the golden Opera House is considered the centerpiece of the NCPA. Its main tone is golden color, which looks glamorous and splendid. In the auditorium are the stalls and three higher levels of balconies, which can seat an audience of 2,207, including the venue of SRO. It is equipped with a modern stage that can be moved up/down/backward/forward or rotated, a ballet stage that can slant, and a rising orchestra pit for the triple winds orchestra. All the cutting-edge staging mechanism provides artists with enormous possibilities of creative performance.