NCPA Opera Festival 2015
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Dates
Duration
Approximate 180 mins (Intermission Included)About
Synopsis
Conductor
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Presenter
The Sunrise is the seventh Chinese Opera Commission of NCPA. As a classical repertoire of Drama Maestro Cao Yu, the opera is listed among the best works of Cao Yu with its distinct epochal character and profound historic background. It has many different versions in the past decades and has had profound impact in society. 2015 marks the 80th anniversary of publication of The Sunrise, and NCPA works together with China's leading creative team including composer Jin Xiang, playwright Wan Fang, and director Li Liuyi to create this opera to pay tribute to Mr. Cao Yu and his work. The playwright Wan Fang is Cao Yu's daughter, who has a unique understandings of the work, probes profoundly into the tragic theme of the original, to enrich the characters and fully display the social status. The composer Jin Xiang uses fluent and concise music, clear and evident clues and abundant colors which has distinct epochal character; besides, he especially pays attention to the dramatic conflict of music in the creative process, which adds the accuracy to the image.
Credits
Composer: Jin Xiang
Libretto: Wan Fang
Conductor: Lü Jia
Director: Li Liuyi
Set Design: Liu Xingiln
Costume Design: Zou You
Choreography: Zeng Huanxing
Make-up Design: Liu Hongman
Cast
Chen Bailu by Song Yuanming / Ke Lyuwa
The Poet by Dai Yuqiang / Xue Haoyin
Pan Yueting by Liu Songhu
The Little Thing by Wang Yifeng
Li Shiqing by Xing Like / Su Dawei
Cui Xi by Zhang Zhuo / Zhang Qingqing
Hu Si by Xiao Ma
Mrs. Gu by Liu Yuanmeng
Wang Fusheng by Zhu Fengjia
The Sunrise is a classic work on the theatre stage of China, and it has been performed for decades since 1930s. In the 1980s I have adapted it into movie; together with my father Cao Yu, later I re-adapted it into TV series. Those two experiences make me very familiar with the figures in the drama. I can understand their characters, their feelings, their thoughts, and every one of them is like a mirror, reflecting the bizarre and morbid society.
Chen Bailu is the soul of The Sunrise, who used to be a na?ve girl and once was ardently loved; falls into corruption step by step after her love dream was broken. However, she has an aloof and pure heart that has not died. No matter how deep she despises her surrounding people, she dwells in them all day long. She sees through the material-oriented and ugly society, but on the other hand is absorbed in the luxury life. The foul smell of life makes her uncomfortable; however she cannot get rid of it. She struggles as well as corrupts, despises as well as enjoys, loves as well as hates. The human nature is always contradictory and complicated. The death of Chen Bailu is kind of an elegy for life.
- Wan Fang
In the 1930s of China's metropolis lived a popular social butterfly Ms. Chen Bailu, who is young, beautiful, clever and full of charm. A banker named Pan Yueting, who was as old as Chen's father, is deeply obsessed with Chen and hires her with a large amount of money.
Living in a luxury hotel, Chen kills her time by receiving guests, hosting balls, playing cards and all kinds of entertainment. However, she still feels empty and lonely in the heart.
One day, Chen's former lover, a poet comes to the hotel to see her. Chen used to love the poet very much and was attracted by his passion and romance, and even went to countryside with him hoping to live a simple life. However, dismayed by the difficulties in the reality, he secretly left Chen and abandoned her. Now he comes back to save their relations and wants to make a new start.
Chen declined the poet because she has seen through the society despite her love for the poet. In the hotel also detained a little poor girl whose parents were died. The girl was sold to a rich villain, she refused to marry him and escaped from his home to Chen's apartment. Chen shows strong sympathy towards her. She tries to help her for a better life and regards the girls as her daughter. However, the gangdom snatches the girl from Chen and sells her to brothel. The girl hangs herself in despair.
Requested by Chen, the poet looks for the girl everywhere and happened to see her commit suicide finally. Shattered by the scene, he feels pessimistic about the future.
Chen's patron Mr. Pan Yueting suffers from business downturn and goes bankruptcy after several strives. He cannot afford Chen's luxury life any longer and left in a haste. Tiring the current corrupt life and finding no way out, Chen ends her young life with a bottle of sleeping pills.
Lü Jia has been conductor of NCPA's productions including Turandot, La Boheme, The Village Teacher, The Chinese Orphan, L'elisir d'Amore, Tosca, Der Fliegende Hollander, Un Ballo in Maschera and The Ballad of Canal.
Lü Jia is the opera director of NCPA, principal conductor of NCPA Orchestra, music director & chief conductor of the Macao Orchestra, and artistic director of Santa Cruz de Tenerife Symphony Orchestra, Spain. Mr. Lü has been the Music Director of the Arena di Verona, the world's largest open-air opera theater, and principal conductor for the Trieste Opera, Tuscany Regional Orchestra in Florence, Lazio Chamber Orchestra in Rome, and Sweden's Norrkoping Symphony Orchestra. He has also been a frequent guest conductor with the Hallé Orchestra and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in England, the Dortmund Opera House in Germany, and the Milan Giuseppe Verdi Symphony Orchestra in Italy.
Mr. Lü has conducted two thousand concerts and operas in Europe and the Americas, and has cooperated with more than one hundred opera houses and orchestras, including the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, and La Scala in Milan, as well as opera houses in Lausanne, Turin, Rome, Naples, Verona, Venice, Florence, Frankfurt and Stuttgart. He has also worked with the Berlin Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra, Hamburg Radio Symphony Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, Bamberg Symphony, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Italy's RAI National Symphony Orchestra, Rome's Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, England's City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Norway's Oslo Philharmonic, Lyon National Orchestra in France, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, all the major orchestras in Australia, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.
Opera has always played a special role in Lü Jia's career. In Italy and Germany, homelands of the European opera tradition, he has directed nearly fifty operas. As the first Asian conductor to serve as director of a nationally-recognized opera company in Italy, he was praised by one Italian music critic as 'a conductor who understands Italian opera even better than Italians do'. In September of 1989, he won First Prize and the Judges' Prize in the 'Antonio Perdrotti' International Conducting Competition in Italy, which is his entrée into a conducting career. In 1998, he conducted Giuseppe Verdi's classic opera La Traviata, which was recognized as the best conducting performance in Italy's Macerata Opera Festival. In 2005, in recognition of Lü Jia's prominent contribution to Italy's music culture, he was awarded the President's Cup by the President of the Italia, Giorgio Napolitano. In 2008, the La Gazza Ladra conducted by Lü Jia was named Best Opera of the Year in the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro in Italy.
Jun. 17 |
Jun. 18 |
Jun. 19 |
Jun. 20 |
Jun. 21 | |
Chen Bailu |
Song Yuanming |
Ke Lyuwa |
Song Yuanming |
Ke Lyuwa |
Song Yuanming |
The Poet |
Dai Yuqiang |
Xue Haoyin |
Dai Yuqiang |
Xue Haoyin |
Dai Yuqiang |
Pan Yueting |
Liu Songhu |
Liu Songhu |
Liu Songhu |
Liu Songhu |
Liu Songhu |
Little Thing |
Wang Yifeng |
Wang Yifeng |
Wang Yifeng |
Wang Yifeng |
Wang Yifeng |
Li Shiqing |
Xing Like |
Su Dawei |
Xing Like |
Su Dawei |
Xing Like |
Cuixi |
Zhang Zhuo |
Zhang Qingqing |
Zhang Zhuo |
Zhang Qingqing |
Zhang Zhuo |
Hu Si |
Xiao Ma |
Xiao Ma |
Xiao Ma |
Xiao Ma |
Xiao Ma |
Mrs. Gu |
Liu Yuanmeng |
Liu Yuanmeng |
Liu Yuanmeng |
Liu Yuanmeng |
Liu Yuanmeng |
Wang Fusheng |
Zhu Fengjia |
Zhu Fengjia |
Zhu Fengjia |
Zhu Fengjia |
Zhu Fengjia |
Jin Xiang is composer, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor of Music Composition Department of China Conservatory of Music, Director of the Chinese Musicians Association, Invited Director of China Film Music Society, jury of National Wenhua Award, jury of National Stage Art Masterpiece Project and Winner of special government allowance. He is included in "Outstanding Figures in the World" and "Who's Who in America 2000".
His works are praised by the masses of domestic and foreign audiences and listeners by virtue of distinct personality, strong contemporary aesthetic sense and various combinations between oriental excellent aesthetics traditions and modern Western composition techniques. His representative opera Wilderness is one of the most influential contemporary opera repertoires in China, which was appraised as "Chinese Classics of the 20th Century" in 1993 and was conferred with Wenhua Award in 1999.
Mr. Jin Xiang's works present widely genres and diverse styles. Nearly 100 works cover large-scale operas, symphonies, concertos, cantatas, a variety of chamber music and TV and film music, including the main representative works as follows: operas Wilderness, King of Chu, and Rewap Love Song; symphonic chorus Nanjing Lament; symphonic suite Five Songs from Book of Songs; sinfonietta Witch; symphonic multimedia A Glimpse of Taklimakan; tone poem Cao Xueqin; pipa concerto Qin Se Po, and symphonic trilogy Sky. He has published music paper collections Confusion and Exploration - A Composer's Thoughts and Boundless Exploration.
Wan Fang started writing novels since the 1980s. She also creates stage plays, film scripts and TV drama scripts.
Her main novels include: full-length novels Paper Restaurant, As Clear As Noonday, Charming Fragrance, etc; medium-length novels Fly with the Angel, No Bullets, You Are An Apple and I Am A Pear, etc.. She was awarded Second Prize for 4th Shanghai Full-length and Medium-length Excellent Works Selection, Hundred Flowers Awards of 13th Novel Monthly, Extreme Prize of October Periodical Office, and Nomination Award of Lao She Literary Award.
Her main cinematographic works include: film Sunrise adapted from her father's drama, which was awarded Best Scenarist Award in 1986 China Golden Rooster Awards; film Dark Eye, which was awarded Huabiao Award, the Government Awards for Chinese Excellent Films. Her main television works include: Niu Yuqin's Tree, which was awarded Special Award of 33rd Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, and First Prize of "Flying Goddess Award" for Excellent Chinese TV Series in 1996; TV play series The Empty Mirror was awarded China "Golden Eagle" TV Art Awards and "Flying Goddess Award" in 2002. The TV play series created by her also include Walking by Happiness, The Empty House, Voice of the Feminine Spirit, etc. Her main stage plays include: opera Wilderness, adapted from her father's drama, which was awarded Best Scenarist Prize in "Wen Hua Awards" for Excellent Dramas by the Chinese Ministry of Culture.
Her drama The Poison, staged in Beijing People's Art Theatre, was enrolled in 100-year Selected Chinese Dramas, and awarded Cao Yu Script Prize in 2nd China Theater Awards, as well as Best Script Prize in Shanghai "Drama One" Awards. Drama Relationship, staged in Beijing People's Art Theatre, was awarded Excellent Work Prize for Literary Works of 60th Anniversary of the Founding of the New China in Beijing. Drama Reporter, staged in NCPA by the Dragon Club, was awarded Best Scenarist Prize in 2012 Golden Lion Awards. Drama Confession (later renamed as Journey of Winter) was published in New Playbook and awarded Excellent Script Prize in 2014 Lao She Literary Awards.
She was elected as Vice President of Beijing Municipal Dramatist Association in 2009.
Li Liuyi is director and screenwriter of Beijing People's Art Theatre. His theory of "Pure Drama" and drama explorations are hailed as "Li Liuyi Method" which is widely praised and researched. Li Liuyi continues cooperation with outstanding artists in many fields. He made debut with his works at invitation of numerous international festivals, and he is commissioned to create works. He is known as Asia’s leading modernist director.
Li Liuyi is the most influential contemporary drama director in China. According to Japanese modern drama master Tadashi Suzuki, "Li Liuyi is Asia's most influential stage artist in the new century". The Japanese scholars respect him as "a leading figure of the Chinese drama in the next two decades and representative of the Asian drama". Mr. Tong Daoming, a drama critic, hails Li Liuyi as "a drama director with profound understanding of the traditional Chinese opera art”. Directed by Li Liuyi, the drama Beijinger is the third milestone work of Beijing People's Art Theater following Teahouse and Uncle Doggie's Nirvana. Li Liuyi has directed nearly 50 works in the field of traditional Chinese opera, drama, opera, musical drama, ballet dance drama and modern dance drama. He is invited to perform and be commissioned for creation at numerous international festivals. At the invitation of “2009 European Capital of Culture", he directed opera The Land of Smiles in Opera House Linz Austria, and became the first Chinese drama director marching towards the European mainstream opera community. He directed "New Drama" Women Trilogy at Opening Ceremony for the Holland Art Festival, who was interviewed by the Queen of the Netherlands.
Liu Xinglin is Professor of the Central Academy of Drama and Vice President of China Stage Art Academy.
His primary stage design works include as follows: Drama Wilderness, Sound of Wind and Brothers; symphonic drama poem Uncle Tom’s Cabin; small-theater drama Love Drill and Love Ants; children’s drama Young Pioneers; opera The Ballad of Canal, The Chinese Orphan, Song of Youth; dance drama Sister Drum; Peking Opera symphonic drama poem Mei Lanfang; Huai Opera Maling Path; Cantonese Opera Lingdingyang Estuary; Huangmei Opera Jade of He Family; Shaoxing Opera Lu You and Tang Wan; Kunqu Opera Dream of Red Mansions and The Follow-up Story of Pipa; Fujian Opera The Story of Red Skirt; Wuxi Opera The Moon Over a Fountain; Guangxi Opera Confucians Return to his Native Place; Pingju Opera Widow Ma Runs a Shop; Shanxi Opera Raise the Red Lantern; lantern song and dance drama Rippling Brook; musical drama Hua Mulan; dance series China’s Top Ten Classical Music Works. Soul of the Chinese Nation and Marching toward a New Century were presented at Opening Ceremony of 1995 and 1997 China International Fashion Fair, respectively. City was presented at Opening Ceremony of 2000 Nanjing International Fashion Festival.
He is winner of Outstanding Stage Design Award of the First Chinese Opera Festival, Grand Prix of the Second Chinese Stage Art Exhibition, Golden Lion Award of the Third Chinese Drama Appraisal, Outstanding Stage Design Award of the Third China Peking Opera Festival, 2001 and 2003 China Stage Art Academy Award, Outstanding Stage Art Design Award of 2004 Stage Art Symposium & Choreography Exhibition, Gold Prize of WSD2009 and Best Finalists of WSD2013, etc. Shaoxing Opera Lu You and Tang Wan, children's drama Young Pioneers, Guangxi Opera Confucians Return to his Native Place and Kunqu Opera Dream of Red Mansions were selected as annual repertoires of National Stage Art Masterpiece Project in 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2012, respectively.
Zou You is Professor and Vice President in School of Clothing Art and Engineering in Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology. He is doctor in Central Academy of Fine Arts, member in Council of Art of Chinese Costume Designer Association, council member in Costume Designer Branch of Beijing Costume Association, and founder of fashion brand "YOUZ".
He won gold award in 8th "Brothers Cup" - Chinese International Young Designer Competition in 2008 and was conferred the title of “Top Ten Fashion Designers of the Country” by Chinese Costume Designer Association in November, 2004. He won Creativity Award in "Xu Hua Cheng" Chinese Costume Designer Contest in March, 2007 and the title of "Professional Expert Designer for Costume" conferred by Olympic Beijing, the Capital of Fashion in July, 2007. In January, 2008, he obtained Gold Award for Annual Young Talent in Beijing Creativity and Design. In December, 2008, he got the Most Influential Costume Designer Award conferred by Asian Fashion Event on Anhui Satellite TV.
He was the special invited costume designer for Sunrise staged by Beijing People's Art Theatre in August, 2000. In March, 2003, he served as costume designer and supervisor for new-edition Swan Lake; in July, he served as costume designer (in Guangxi) for large-scale live show Impression of Liu Sanjie; in October, he served as costume designer and supervisor for operas A Madman's Diary, The Banquet in 6th Beijing International Music Festival. In November, 2005, he was invited by NOKIA and launched "Adore" Fashion Show with NOKIA during China International Fashion Week. In November, 2006, his design work Time and Temperature was displayed in the 2nd International Art and Science Exhibition. In February, 2007, he served as costume designer and supervisor for Lao She's drama Review of Chang'an; in October, he participated in the Sino-Korea Fashion Art Exchange Show. In July, 2010, his design work Glass/Paste was introduced in Design 10 International Design and Practice Seminar in Taiwan. In January, 2012, he participated in The Vogue Talent Design Show in Milan, Italy; in September, his design work Three Variations with No Side Seams was displayed in International Exhibition Park of Beijing Fashion Art. In March, 2013, he attended Asia Fashion Union on behalf of Chinese designers and launches works in Singapore. In October, 2014, he attended "The Wind Sings Me a Song" Fashion Show during China International Fashion Week.
He is professor and master mentor in the Department of Stage Design in the Central Academy of Drama. He is a member in Stage Art Society of China, member in Dramatist Society of China, and member in Entertainment Technical Equipment Society of China. He is familiar with lamplight creation for various dramas and creates hundreds of works. His style of lighting design is exquisite, restraining and elegant. He has won many awards: “Gold Lion Award for Stage Art” in 2004-2007 Annual Dramas, and six 'Wen Hua Lighting Design Awards' conferred by the Ministry of Culture. His representative works include: dramas Thunderstorm, Wildness, Wedding and Funeral, Zheng - Emperor of Qin,The Sound of Wind; operas Turandot, The Chinese Orphan, Die Fledermaus, Ballad of Canal, Song of Youth, Snowfield; Chinese traditional operas Vocal King, Tang Wan, Guan Hanqing, The Story of Pipa, Pipa Continued, The Peach Blossom Fan; musicals Wen Cheng Princess, Really Big Pet Show, Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, Into the Woods, etc.. The plays awarded Excellent Projects of National Stage Art include: child plays Red Scarf, Child Wanting to Fly; Mei and Hu County play Late Blooms of Roses; Guangxi opera Scholar Returning to Hometown; Peking opera Tibetan Antelope; Hunan opera Li Zhen Returning to Hometown, etc..He has served as lighting designer for large-scale live shows Thatched Cottage and Chu-Ko Liang, Mountain of Love under the Sun and television scene play I Love My Family. His professional papers include Visual Modality and Reengineering of Stage Art, Optical Illusion Actions of Stage Art, Enlightenment of Monet Paintings on Lighting Design, Illumination and Modeling of Opera Lighting, etc.
Mr. Zeng studied modern dance in the Department of Choreography in Beijing Dance Academy in 1993, and now serves as teacher in the Department of Choreography in Beijing Dance Academy.
In 1994, he participated in the 6th Paris International Dance Competition with Two Bodies and Red Fan choreographed by Wang Mei, and won Silver Award for modern dance performance with his dancing partner Wang Yuanyuan.
In 1997, his Pull co-created with Wang Yuanyuan was awarded Creation Prize among all modern dance performances in the Moscow International Dance Competition in 1997.
In 2009, he received his Master's Degree for Choreography Art by Graduate Faculty of Beijing Dance Academy.
In 2012, as a visiting scholar of "Special Program of State Artistic Talent Cultivation", he visited University at Purchas, the State University of New York, for the study of Choreography and Education of Modern Dance.
Liu Hongman is Associate Professor of Make-up Design in the Department of Stage Design in the China Central Academy of Drama, and member in Stage Artist Society of China. She graduated from the Central Academy of Drama in 1992 and engaged in teaching work for 20 years or more, mainly in professional courses such as Stage Make-up Design and Technology and others.
Her main works include: dramas Othello, Three Sisters, Blue Bird, Legend of Concubine Zhen Huan, Deadly Entertainment, Red Rock, Absolute Beauty, Xiao Jing Alley, Charles III, Tiger-shaped Tally, Optional Topic, Duck Hunt, Everybody Is Happy, In the Bottom, Wangfujing (make-up and modeling), etc.; musicals Nie Xiaoqian and Ning Caichen, Jiao Yulu, Long March of Wang Er, The Piano in a Factory, The Winter of There Hairs, Black and White Sacrifice, etc.; operas Don Pasquale (executive make-up and design), L'italiana in Algeri (executive of make-up and design), Rigoletto (make-up and costume), Turandot, L'elisir D'amore (make-up and costume), Carmen (make-up and costume), Aida (make-up and costume), etc.; films CEO (directed by Wu Tianming, awarded Splendid Prize in 9th Chinese Films in 2003), I Do Care (directed by Huang Jianxin, starred by Feng Gong, Lu Liping, Wang Zhiwen), Warriors of Heaven and Earth (directed by He Ping and starred by Jiang Wen and Zhao Wei), The Tokyo Trial (directed by Gao Qunshu and awarded “Special Prize of Judging Panel” in 2006 Changchun Film Festival), Hang by a Thread (directed by Gao Qunshu, awarded five prizes in 11th Shanghai International Film Festival in 2008, "Prize of Special Review Board" and "Prize of Film Certifying Commission" in Tanabe Film Festival in Japan), Mad Detective Hunter Zhang (directed by Gao Qunshu, and awarded Golden Horse Prize in 49th Taiwan Films), Big Picture, Crimes of Passion (directed by Gao Qunshu), etc.; costume design and character modeling for telefilm City of Love-Laiwu of Shandong Province.
Song Yuanming has performed in NCPA's productions including Die Fledermaus, Turandot, La Bohème, L'italian in Algeri, Rickshaw Boy and Willam Tell.
Song Yuanming graduates from Specialty of Opera & Light Opera and Art Song & Oratorio n University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. She was instructed by Professor Franz Lukasovsky and obtains the highest degree of Excellent Artist Performing Major in Specialty of Sound and Opera. Meanwhile, she completed courses of Flute and graduates from Prayner Konservatorium Vienna. She served as Vocal Music Professor in School of Music in Shandong College of Arts. She won six international awards, including the First Prize in Toulouse International Vocal Music Contest in France, First Prize and Best Singer Prize in Dvorak International Vocal Music Contest in Czech. She played in Salzburg International Art Festival, Schoenbrunn Schlosstheater, Glaeserner SaalMagna Auditorium, Graz Opera in Austria, Seoul and Busan Art Center, and Karlovy Vary Opera House in Czech. She cooperated with famous conductors like Wiener Phiharmoniker, Moody, Barenboim, and Valery Gergiev. She played in Don Juan, Le Nozze di Figaro, etc. She will star Hu Ling’er in the original opera Yongle, and Leonora in opera Il Trovatore staged in Hong Kong this year.
Medias in Vienna commented her as 'her voice, tender and powerful, has a high plasticity, and is qualified for both lyric and coloratura opera characters'.
Ke Lyuwa, winner of the First Prize of the Second 'Madama Butterfly' International Vocal Competition in Nagasaki, Japan 2006, and the Gold Prize winner of the Fourth China International Vocal Competition.
She studied at the Central Conservatory of Music from 1998 to 2006, and earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Voice and Opera Department. Her tutor was Professor Guo Shuzhen, one of China's best sopranos and vocal educators.
In 2005, she was invited to cooperate with China Philharmonic Orchestra to sing in the Chinese version of Song of Earth by composer Ye Xiaogang in the first performance in Beijing. And the show was later put on stage in Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in the US, Berlin Philharmonic Concert Hall in Germany, London Barbican Arts Center in Britain and in Italy.
Luwa is often invited to perform in important concert in China. In 2009, she performed in the opening ceremony of the Ninth Beijing Festival. She performed in the great hall when the former Secretary of State of US Hillary Clinton visited China in this year. In 2010, she successfully held her personal concerts in Taiwan and HongKong. In 2012, she was selected as China's top ten soprano by CCTV.
She began to star in a number of operas since 2004. These heroines include: Servilia in Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito, Pamina in The Magic Flute, Violetta in Verdi's La Traviata, Musetta in Puccini's La Bohème, and Tatyana in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin.
Dai Yuqiang starred Turandot in Portland Opera House in USA. in October, 2003. On July 10, 2004, he collaborated with renowned vocalists Maria Gulehina and Samuel Ramey in Tosca in Royal Opera House (Covent Garden), which was widely hailed by local medias and Dai was marked as “the only shining star on the whole stage”. Later he was invited by Royal Opera House to play in Puccini’s opera Turandot, La Boheme in 2004-2005 season. In November, 2004, he starred in Turandot in Pacific Opera House in USA. In December, 2004, he was invited by his teacher Pavarotti to head for Italy and starred in La Boheme. As the first opera directed by Pavarotti, it was staged in Royal Opera House (Covent Garden ) in February, 2005. In April, 2006, he performed in Aida staged in Los Angeles. In July, 2004, EMI published his first album of famous opera arias globally. He has starred in more than thirty operas, including Chinese operas Flying without Wings, Wildfire and Ancient City, Sun Snow, Jade Bird Military Station, western operas Il Trovatore, Rigoletto, La Boheme, Carmen, Turandot, Tosca, and Aida. His achievement is globally and due to his opera performance, the Ministry of Culture granted him “Wenhua Performance Prize”, “Plum Blossom Prize” in Drama, “Five Ones Project Award”, etc. Moreover, with his outstanding performance in various large-scale events, Dai Yuqiang is received favorably by experts, scholars and audience.
Xue Haoyin is tenor of China Broadcasting Arts Troup. In 2005 he joined the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and made his Royal Opera debut as Ruiz in Il Trovatore, followed by Fidelio, and Gianni Schicchi and Thais, Carmen, La Traviata. He successively won Best Singer Award of Professional Bel Canto Group in Shanghai Competition Zone of National Young Singer TV Grand Prix, the sixth place in 'Verviers' International Opera Vocal Music Competition in Belgium and the second place in 'Montreal and Czech Music Competition'. He has been invited as one of judges for CCTV Young Singers Final Competition. As one of the young tenors on Chinese stage, he has sung leading roles in numerous operas, including Su Wu in Han Dynasty, Pathetic Down and The Goddess.
As NCPA's resident baritone, Liu Songhu has sang in NCPA's productions of A Village Teacher, Xi Shi, Turandot, Die Fledermaus, Lohengrin, Un Ballo in Maschera, Les Contes d'Hoffmann, L'italina in Algeri, Pagliacci, Don Pasquale, and Der Rosenkavalier.
He was 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, as the first Chinese singer, he won the top award at the Germany 'La Voce' International Artistic Songs Competition.
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.
Xing Like, a young Chinese tenor based in Italy, is teacher of Vocal Music Department of Xi'an Conservatory of Music. He started to play violin at the age of five and held out for 13 years and started to learn vocal music when he was 18 years old. In 2006, he was graduated from Vocal Music Department of Shenyang Conservatory of Music, learned from Professor Qu Ge. In April, 2007, he studied in Italy and passed the examination of Yong Training Center of Spoleto Opera House. In 2008, he entered the Conservatorio Francesco Morlacchi di Perugia majoring in opera performance and learned from professor Pittavini and got his master degree in 2012. He signed up with Romania Timisoara State Opera House in September, 2010, Luisa Petrov Opera Performance Agency in 2012 and Nicoletta Opera Performance Agency in 2013, during which period his works include Rigoletto, L'elisir d'Amore, La Traviata, La Boheme, Faust, Madame Butterfly, Attila, Lucia di Lammermoor, Gianni Schicchi, among other, and a large amount of religious music, mass, requiem and Carmina Burana.
He got the first place in the Sixth Italian Giulio Neri International Vocal Competition in May, 2010 in Italy, the third place in the Second Italian Toscanini International Vocal Competition held in 2011, the first place in the Seventeenth Italian CILEA International Voice Competition and in the First Italian International Verdi Song Competition, the second place in the Sixth International Vocal Music Competition Italian Mediterranean Voice and the first place in the First Italian Lendinara Bonafini-Ronconi International Vocal Competition in 2012. He was qualified for the Beijing final of the 20th Domingo International Vocal Competition, and won a prize for excellence.
Su Dawei's NCPA appearances including Carmen, Die Fledermaus, Xi Shi and Der Rosenkavalier. He has participated the operas of NCPA Summer Season for five years in a row. Mr. Su is a teacher of Music College, Capital Normal University of China and one of the newest ten Chinese tensor singers. In 2010, he studied under the renowned Italian art guider, famous pianist, composer Rolando Nicolosi and got highly praise as 'the best musical, the most beautiful tensor I ever heard.'
Mr. Su was awarded the third place in the Fifth World Chinese Vocal Competition (2005), the third prize in the China Qualification of the Sixth Citta di Alcamo in Italy (2010), and the silver prize in the Bel Canto Group of the Second “Golden Voice” China National University Music Teachers' Competition in September 2011. He has sung in operas La Traviata with Chinese conductor Li Xincao and vocalists Zhang Liping, Zhang Jianyi and Yuan Chenye (2005). In the open ceremony of the 250th Anniversary of Mozart's commemoration, he collaborated with Chinese conductor Lu Jia in La Clemenza di Tito (2006), and with Li Xincao in opera Le Nozze di Figaro (2009). In the Salome's China premiere on July 25th, 2010, he collaborated with the world famous vocalists Natalia Ushakova, Dubravka Musovic and Thomas Moser. He also sang Tamino in Mozart's opera The Magic Flute in Beijing Concert Hall (July 2011), and Ottavio in Don Juan in Shanghai Lycbum Theater (December 2012). On February 7th, 2013, he joined the Ninth Beijing New Year's Concert in Great Hall of the People. In 2013 and 2014, he took part in the concert of CCTV 'Memorial of China Ten Top Composers' and Dai Yuqiang 'Singing with the Future Superstar' national tour separately.
Guest mezzo-soprano of China Opera and Dance-Drama Theatre. Her NCPA appearance include The Chinese Orphan (Maishu), Le Cenerentola (Tisbe), Carmen (Mercedes), Gianni Schicchi (La Ciesca), and Le Nozze di Figaro (Marcellina).
Ms. Zhang received her master's degree in musicology and vocal music. Shi s Member of Youth Association of Chongqing and Youth Association of Hunan Province, and also a special expert of NCPA opera-curious cultivation schools.
Ms. Zhang has been the winner of many national and international prizes and awards, including the Golden Bell Award and the Best Lied Performance Award of the Neue Stimmen International Singing Competition in Germany. She was invited to the summer festival of YLE Finland and was claimed a "rare artist of China" in their coverage. In August 2011, with the appointment of the Central Committee of China Communist Youth League, she went to Japan for a friendly visit with the Chinese youth delegation and received public attention and acclaim. Teresa Berganza, the famous Spanish vocalist praised her as "an artist who sings from the heart and her performance is touching and charming."
Mezzo-soprano Zhang Qingqing, the member of German National Vocal Education Association, graduated from Shanghai Conservatory of Musicunder professor Hu Yiwen in 1997, and in the same year she joined Shanghai Opera House. She received her master's degree of Hochschule für Musik Hans Eisler Berlin in 2004, entered the master class of Hochschule für Musik Hans Eisler Berlin in the same year, and received her master class degree (doctoral degree) in 2006.
In 2000, she was invited by Berliner Philharmoniker to join the Berlin Forest Concert collaborating with Kent Nagano. She was awarded the special prize of Bayreuth Festival and the first place in the European Bel Canto Competition Paris in 2006.
She has collaborated with Berliner Philharmoniker, Das Sinfonie Orchester Berlin, Staatsoper Brandenburger, Manchener Philharmonker, China National Opera House, Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg, the Czech National Symphony Orchestra and Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra of Warsaw.
She ever starred in the operas such as Cosi Fan Tutte, Die Zauberflote and Ariadne auf Naxos, and also performed in the operas Die Fledermaus, Madama Butterfly, etc. In 2008, she was invited to sing in Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde in Concert Hall of Berliner Philharmoniker and Poznan Concert Hall.
Xiao Ma is the first countertenor in China. He is Associate Professor of vocal music and director of vocal music at School of Music, Guizhou Normal University.
Xiao Ma is winner of National Endowment for the Arts Project 2014, Vocal Performance Award of Ministry of Culture and singer included in the first batch of Recommendation List of Chinese Music Overseas Promotion entitled "Eastern Voices" launched by Ministry of Culture. He appears in "Annual CCTV New Ten Tenors of 2015."
As the first countertenor in the Chinese vocal music history, Xiao Ma fills the gaps in this field for China. Sent by Ministry of Culture, he has visited more than 20 countries and regions. He works with many conductors such as Zheng Xiaoying, Ye Cong, Li Xincao and Tang Muhai. He premieres such works as Song Cycle Singing of Yuan Qu, five Maori folk songs, chamber music work Pretty Red Flowers and Sun Shines on White Rock, vocal work Sky from a Window, opera Yongle, chamber music opera Songs and Dances of Desire (New Zealand composer Jack Body, modern chamber music work One Year Later (Polish composer Wojtek Blecharz) and modern chamber music work Quietness · Listening to Qin (New Zealand composer Dylan Lardelli).
He performed in more than 20 works such as operas Le Nozze di Figaro and Songs and Dances of Desire, oratorio Messiah, the German musical Hansel und Gretel and chamber music work Singing of Yuan Qu.
In recent years, Xiao Ma is widely praised by domestic and international media as "he is reviving ancient and excellent high-pitch vocal part of countertenor in China".
As a mezzo-soprano, Liu Yuanmeng graduated from Xi'an Conservatory of Music, where she studied under the tutelage of the Chinese famous bass Lei Keyong. In 2009, she was admitted by NCPA Chorus. She has performed in about 20 operas such as Carmen, La Traviata, L'elisir D'amore, Turandot, Il Trovatore, Rigoletto, Un Ballo in Maschera, Tosca, Der Fliegende Hollander, Lohengrin, Eugene Onegin, Xi Shi, The Chinese Orphan, The Red Guards on Honghu Lake, The Ballad of Canal and Visitors on the Icy Mountain. She often serves as a soloist and leading singers in the concerts.
Baritone Zhu Fengjia was a member of NCPA Chorus from 2009 to 2012. His opera appearance include Chinese operas Xi Shi, The Chinese Orphan, The White-haired Girl and A Village Teache; western operas Carmen, La Traviata, Turandot, Rigoletto, Tosca, Der Fliegende Hollander, Un Ballo in Maschera, Aida, an Die Fledermaus, etc.
He received his master's degree from Vocal Opera Department of China Conservatory of Music with, where he studied under the tutelage of Professor Yu Chenyan. He was also instructed by Dai Yuqiang (famous tenor of Song and Dance Ensemble of the PLA General Political Department), Liao Changyong (tenor of Shanghai Conservatory of Music) and Yang Xiaoyong (tenor of Shanghai Opera House).
NCPA Chorus was established on December 8, 2009, whose members were carefully selected from famous music schools in and out of China. 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'. The Chorus mainly stages operas and concerts, and also takes part in kinds of cultural communication and arts outreach events.
Ever since its establishment, the Chorus has actively performed in more than 20 operas of NCPA production, such as NCPA's commission operas Xi Shi, The Chinese Orphan, and The Ballad of Canal, as well as other classical operas in and out of China: The White-Haired Girl, The Red Guards on Honghu Lake, Le Nozze di Figaro, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, L'italiana in Algeri, Rigoletto, La Traviata, Otello, Der Fliegende Hollander, Lohengrin, Carmen, Turandot andTosca, 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, and the grand music and dance epic Road to Revive, etc. As NCPA's resident chorus, it has been to Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan to participate in performances and arts exchange, both to wide acclaims.
The Chorus has cooperated with many well-known artists ever since its establishment, receiving high praises from them all. Plácido Domingo once said it was his honor to cooperate with these talented young artists; Lorin Maazel ever praised it 'a chorus full of passion', so and so forth. On the stage of NCPA, the Chorus has cooperated with such directors as Francesca Zambello, Giancarlo Del Monaco, Chen Xinyi, Cao Qijing, Liao Xianghong, such conductors as Lorin Maazel, Daniel Oren, Lu Jia, Li Xincao, Zhang Guoyong, such vocalists as Plácido Domingo, Leo Nucci, Inva Mula, Brandon Jovanovich, Dai Yuqiang, Wei Song, Warren Mok, He Hui, Dilbèr, Zhang Liping, to name just a few. With more than a hundred performances each year, the Chorus is surely to play an active role in the further development of NCPA.
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 finestorchestras 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.
Box officeNorth Gate of NCPA, No. 2 West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng District, Beijing, China
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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.