Back at home, soprano is living on an aria
Print Edition
FOR Huang Ying, being an opera singer is more than just a profession — it’s a religion she lives by.
Born and raised in Shanghai, Huang graduated from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in 1992 and won the limelight when she ranked second at the 19th Concours International de Chant de Paris. Two years later, French director Frederic Mitterrand and American conductor James Conlon cast her as the lead for the film “Madam Butterfly”, which marked the beginning of Huang’s international soprano career.
Now, Huang is back in her hometown Shanghai where she is teaching soprano students at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. “I’m re-organizing what I’ve learned over the past two decades as an opera singer, which also gives me more confidence on the stage and I find my singing is more stable,” Huang said.
Every year, Huang returns to the United States to continue her study with opera professors and vocal coaches at the Metropolitan Opera and the Manhattan School of Music.
“I love learning. I don’t learn for the sake of learning — art is a religion that cannot tolerate what’s not real.
“I believe talent is the most important thing in achieving success. Seventy percent is talent while the other 30 percent are hard work, meeting great teachers and going for every opportunity,” she said.
As an educator, Huang not only teaches her students singing techniques, but also helps with their career plans.
“The students now are more eager to sing major works, but without proper basics and practice, it’s not realistic for a first- or second-year student to sing an aria that’s beyond their ability. It could ruin their voices, and it’s a teacher’s responsibility to lead the students on the right path and help them to choose suitable compositions,” she said.
On April 30, the soprano will host a vocal recital concert at Shanghai Oriental Art Center featuring 19 songs in five languages. The program is chronologically arranged from Handel and Mozart to Ravel and Gershwin as well as Chinese compositions by Huang Zi, Zou Difan and Fan Xiaobin.
“It’s very different from what I usually sing in concerts, the songs have different styles and Chinese pieces are a must, especially Fan’s song ‘The Bird Singing in the Wind,’ which really touches me every time I perform it. It’s a very dramatic song that tells a story,” she said.
Pianist and conductor Zhang Liang will accompany Huang on the stage.
Building bridges
For Huang, music is like a flowing painting. Opera singers not only need to perfect their singing techniques, but also improve the acting on stage to take different roles.
Huang has a prolific international career and repertoire in both Western and Chinese operas. As a keen advocate of original and contemporary Chinese opera works, Huang has sung the lead roles in the world premieres of Tan Dun’s “Peony Pavilion” in 1998 and Zhou Long’s “Madame White Snake” in 2010.
“I think I’m very lucky to be able to perform so many great classic and contemporary Chinese masterpieces. It’s also a calling to build the bridge between Chinese and Western cultures, bringing excellent opera works by Chinese composers to the international stage,” Huang said.
“Madam White Snake”, which is based on the legend of the White Snake was premiered at the Boston Opera with music by Zhou and a libretto by Cerise Lim Jacobs. The opera won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Music.
“It’s an honor to be a part of the original cast of such great work. Making good opera is not about making money — it’s a passion and love for the art that keeps us working to achieve more,” Huang said.
Huang now performs in operas and gives vocal recitals several times a year across China.
“I hope Shanghai will have more opera productions and performances in the future,” she said.
Soprano Huang Ying Vocal Recital
Time: April 30, 7:30 pm
Tickets: 80-580 yuan
Venue: Shanghai Oriental Art Center
Address: 425 Dingxiang Rd
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