The “NCPA GUAN Zhijing Young Artist Program” was held from February 24^th to March 11^th at the Beijing Performing Arts Centre (BPAC). This program, a national-level initiative approved and funded by the Publicity Department of the CPC, and guided and supported by the Publicity Department of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPC, is organized by the NCPA. It was initiated by NCPA bass GUAN Zhijing who was selected as a “young elite for ideological and cultural publicity” by the Publicity Department of the CPC in 2019. This program is the first high-level, high-quality artist incubation project to be implemented by the BPAC since its opening.

On February 25^th, a press conference was held for the program at the Multi-functional Theatre of the BPAC. The press conference was attended by MA Rongguo, Vice President of the NCPA, LI Jin, a leader of the NCPA and Director of the NCPA Art Creation Centre, LÜ Jia, Music and Artistic Director of the NCPA and Music Director of the China NCPA Orchestra, HUANG Xiaoman, former Vice President of the China National Opera House, former Directing Manager of the China NCPA Orchestra and an honourary fellow of the NCPA, GUAN Zhijing, NCPA bass singer and the initiator of the program, JIN Zhengjian, a tenor and Leader of NCPA Resident Singers, Massimo Guidetti, a Professor and Vocal Art Director at the Conservatorio di Musica Giovan Battista Martini Bologna, persons in charge of the related NCPA departments, NCPA resident singers ZHOU Xiaolin, LI Xintong, ZHANG Wenqin, WANG Chong, KOU Jing, WANG Hexiang and ZHANG Yang, and NIU Shasha, a mezzo-soprano from the China National Opera House, as well as 17 students of program.

During the conference, several guests shared their insights and thoughts about the cultivation of opera talents and the development of the opera industry, while also expressing their congratulations and expectations for the implementation of the program. The students also delivered a captivating performance of “Libiamo ne lieti calici”, a well-known aria from Verdi’s opera La Traviata.

The “NCPA GUAN Zhijing Young Artist Program” boasts a faculty team of members from the NCPA Resident Singers, while also inviting renowned Chinese and foreign conductors, directors, singers and opera music directors to participate. Through high-level, intensive, and systematic teaching and training, the program aims to enhance the comprehensive abilities of the trainees and cultivate future opera artist for China’s opera art. The program is open to outstanding young people majoring in “opera performance” and “opera music directing”. Courses include opera singing, music directing, vocal language training, theatre rehearsal and music theory. Additionally, master lectures and opera singer sharing sessions are integrated into the courses. Over the course of two weeks, the program encourages comprehensive improvements of the students, culminating in a final report-back performance of classic arias from NCPA operas at the BPAC Concert Hall on March 11^th.

Notably, the program also offers four public art classes to opera professionals and enthusiasts in related fields. Upon successful registration, art lovers have the opportunity to attend the classes and observe the interactions between the students and four artists including HUANG Xiaoman, CHEN Xinyi, SHI Yijie and Hui He.

Photo by GONG Xuedong