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From Folk in the Field to Opera's Grand Stage

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From Folk in the Field to Opera's Grand Stage ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT BEIJING SPECIAL CHINAWATCH C H INA D AIL Y From folk in the field to opera’s grand stage By CHEN NAN Trovatore, in Chinese. “When I heard myself singing opera, I Dai Yuqiang is the country’s most was stunned,” he recalled. “My classmates famous opera singer and gives around joked that it was a God-given gift.” 200 concerts a year, at home and abroad. During that time, China’s Western At 50, he looks just like the photo on the operatic training put little emphasis on cover of his debut solo recording released style and there were no vocal teachers to in 2004, with smooth skin, pouty lips and help singers understand the roles and how curly hair. to express emotions. Dai voice astonished producer Tibor Dai taught himself Italian and recited Rudas, the man behind the Three Tenors, the lyrics day and night because he was so much that he quickly arranged Dai’s curious about what the lyrics mean. operatic debut in the United States. He The tenor said that though he studied even described Dai as the world’s “fourth operatic singing academically, he was still tenor”. at an entry-level. The turning point in his Luciano Pavarotti invited Dai to his operatic career was in 2001, when he met home in Pesaro, Italy, as his first and only Tibor Rudas. Chinese student. Covent Garden, La Scala “What happened next helped me know and the most prestigious opera houses my voice better and become a professional offered him roles. operatic singer,” he said. In 2011, Dai, together with two of the In June 2001, Beijing hosted the Three country’s top opera singers, Wei Song Tenors — Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Warren Mok, formed China’s Three and Jose Carreras — at the Forbidden Tenors. They opened City. The Central their world tour in Opera House, which Beijing’s Great Hall of Dai belonged to the People, and have then, worked with since performed at the Rudas to provide Lincoln Center, New an orchestra and York, and the Hong offered Dai the Kong Cultural Centre chance to do a solo. Concert Hall. They After the Three PhotoS ProvIDED to CHINA DAILY are also scheduled Te n o r s ’ B e i j i n g Under the baton of Tan Lihua, Beijing Symphony Orchestra will perform at the Royal Festival Hall of London’s Southbank Centre on July 29. to perform at Usher c o n c e r t , Ru d a s Hall, Edinburgh, with started working the Royal Scottish with Dai and sent National Orchestra. him to Pesaro for six During the 2012 weeks to work with O l y m p i c G a m e s , Pavarotti. China’s Three Tenors “I not only studied c o n c e r t w i l l b e with Pavarotti but performed as part of also with Pavarotti’s Beijing Culture Week teacher,” Dai said. Let the in London, presenting “Both of them would a traditional opera stand up and clap repertoire — including when I sang in Italian works from Rigoletto, China’s Three Tenors (from left: Wei because it was rare Pagliacci and Tosca — Song, Warren Mok and Dai Yuqiang) for a Chinese to along with well-known sing at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre sing opera in Italian. Chinese songs. in April. One of the most “The Three Tenors important things have their own distinctive singing styles. they taught me was that opera singing When they come together, their voices requires constant passion and proper music play go together harmoniously,” said Zhang control of the voice, depending on the Shurong, director of China’s Three Tenors roles’ personalities.” It will be a prolific season for the Beijing Symphony Orchestra in 2012, with a concert. “Opera in China is booming. More He says that one of his most memorable original opera productions have taken show will always be his appearance with crowded program that will also see it travelling to place during the past few years. China’s Maria Guleghina and Samuel Ramey in Three Tenors represents the country’s Puccini’s Tosca at Covent Garden. the London Olympics, Mu Qian reports. best operatic talent.” “The boots and robe I wore were decades Dai agrees and says he has experienced or even 100 years old. The co-stars were China’s passion for opera on his tours of all world-class operatic singers. You can his will be the year of 100 concerts, Games in 2008, a project that involved the that is more lyrical and Oriental,” Guo said. His the country. imagine how nervous I was,” he said. and the busiest year in the recording of 212 works. work brings goodwill and best wishes to the He grew up in Wen’an, a small town in “However when I stood on the stage and orchestra’s history. Apart from These recordings, approved by the London Olympics. Hebei province, and never even saw a listened to my voice, I became confident a concert in London during the International Olympic Committee and its Another Chinese work to be performed at piano until he was 18. His parents, both and relaxed.” Olympics, the Beijing Symphony member states and regions, were played at the concert will be Tang Jianping’s Sacred farmers, loved singing folk songs while His successful debut led him to more Orchestra will also be performing victory ceremonies in Beijing during the 2008 Fire 2008 — Concerto for Percussion and they worked and this shaped their son’s singing dates around the world, but Dai atT the Antalya Music Festival in Turkey Games and will be played again at the 2012 Orchestra, which was dedicated to the Beijing early interest in singing. was keen to return to his roots in China. and appear with the Kolner Philharmonie Olympic Games in London. Olympic Games. It will feature percussionist “Singing made my parents happy, so I “I love performing for Chinese audiences and Berliner Philharmonie in Germany in The orchestra will also be in London during Li Biao, who premiered the work with Beijing guessed the main function of singing was and watching their expressions. Their September. the Olympic Games, and perform with the Symphony Orchestra in 2008. to bring fun and happiness,” Dai said. sharing attitude makes me excited on On home ground, the orchestra has invited a London Philharmonic Orchestra at a special The concert will culminate with a He first heard opera on the radio. Though stage,” he said. cast of world-class musicians to visit, including gala concert at the Royal Festival Hall of performance of Beethoven’s Symphony he couldn’t understand the lyrics in Today, Dai lives with his wife, Liu Yan, maestros Christoph Eschenbach and Daniel London’s Southbank Centre on July 29. No 9, Choral, with soprano Rebecca Evans, Italian, he studied it by singing along. And and their 16-year-old daughter, who has Barenboim. The orchestra has also invited “The London Philharmonic Orchestra mezzo soprano Ning Liang, tenor Andrew though he dreamed of becoming a singer, studied piano from an early age. He also celebrity soloists, and both Herbie Hancock is delighted to be working with the Beijing Kennedy, bass Matthew Rose, and the London he started work at 22 as an engineer in has a few students, who are rising stars in and Lang Lang will be star attractions. Symphony Orchestra for this unique Philharmonic Choir. Taiyuan, Shanxi province. the opera world. “Compared with the world’s leading collaborative gala concert to celebrate this “The world knows more about China’s In 1984, he got into a drama school in He says his dream now is simply to orchestras, we are still young,” the orchestra’s international summer and momentous year, traditional culture, such as Peking Opera and Beijing, where he was taught to sing in perform, which is a real and inspiring music director and principal conductor Tan and the passing of the musical baton from kung fu,” Tan said. “We hope to show the UK a Chinese style. The first time Dai sang idea, rather than becoming an operatic Lihua said. “And collaborating with world-class Beijing to London,” said Timothy Walker, chief audience another part of Chinese culture opera was age 30, when he sang Verdi’s Il celebrity. musicians will help us grow mature.” executive and artistic director of the London through our concert — Chinese symphonic Behind the ambitious new season of the Philharmonic. music.” Beijing Symphony Orchestra is support from At the gala concert, the Beijing Symphony As the program for London shows, the the Beijing municipal government with a Orchestra will bring a gift to the London Beijing Symphony Orchestra takes Chinese generous subsidy of 50 million yuan ($7.85 Olympic Games — the specially works as an important part of its repertoire million). The support is mainly driven by commissioned symphonic and it has premiered many works by Chinese the new appreciation for Western music poem Lotus by Chinese composers, including Wang Xilin, Xu as the country develops and parents composer Guo Wenjing. Zhenmin and Huang Anlun. become more eager to round off their “The easy way out was children’s education. to create a magnificent China now has the world’s third largest piece with a lot of bugles. number of symphony orchestras, after the I also considered using United States and Germany, according to cultural symbols from the China Symphony Development Foundation. host country. In the end, I The Association of Chinese Symphony decided to compose a work Orchestras under the foundation has 58 member orchestras around the country.
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