Peking University holds the first Chinese Opera Gala
May 29, 2019
Peking University, May 27, 2019: The first PKU Chinese Opera Gala was held at Peking University Hall on May 24. As the closing ceremony of PKU Chinese Opera Festival, which lasted for a couple of weeks, the gala attracted opera enthusiasts of all ages.
At the Chinese Opera Gala
The gala commenced with a Peking Opera excerpt performed by students from the Peking University Elementary School. Altogether 14 wonderful performances were put on the stage, including Peking Opera, Kunqu Opera, Shaoxing Opera as well as other traditional forms of art. The variety of the entire show and the superb skills of every artist won enthusiastic applause and cheers. Two students from the Guanghua School of Management performed a hilarious stand-up comedy, which was not only humorous but also closely related to the development and modernization of Chinese opera.
In addition to the featured performers including teachers and students from PKU and its affiliated schools, several exchange students from different countries also dressed up in Chinese costumes and sang songs to convey their affection with Peking Opera. Besides, many professional Chinese opera artists were invited to the gala to give wonderful performances. He Saifei, a performing artist of Shaoxing Opera, impressed every audience with her beautiful voice. After singing, she chatted cordially with her fans and expressed her expectation to popularize the opera further on campus.
Peking University has close ties with Chinese opera for decades. In the 1990s the Association of Kunqu and Peking Opera was founded. Since then, courses, lectures and stage performances on Chinese opera have attracted and influenced many teachers and students of Peking University. The Chinese Opera Gala demonstrated the efforts and achievements of all Chinese opera amateurs at Peking University. Several alumni, who used to be core members of the Association of Kunqu and Peking Opera, reconstructed on the stage how they used to exercise their voice and body posture every morning. Wang Jian, the first president of the association, appreciated this opportunity to witness the development of Chinese opera at Peking University. "It feels so good to be home," he said.
The gala ended with the song I Love You, China, which was sung in the manner of Peking opera, to express the patriotism of everyone present.
Reported by: Liu Chang
Edited by: Huang Weijian
