Intensive Western Opera Training With an Introduction to Chinese Modern Opera And Mandarin as a Lyric Language

I SING BEIJING Hanyu Academy of Vocal Arts

Beijing, China July 26 – August 31, 2012

F O U N D E D B Y

Hanban /Confucius Institute Headquarters ( China )

P R O D U C E D B Y

Asian Performing Arts Council ( USA )

H O S T E D A T

The University of International Business and Economics, Beijing, China

Major funding provided by Hanban

I SING BEIJING is the first-ever program to offer a combination of essential training in Western-style opera and a unique opportunity for Western singers to be exposed to the vibrantly developing opera scene in China. Designed for young professionals and graduate level singers, I SING BEIJING’s innovative concept of introducing Mandarin as a lyr ic language in the contex t of Western-style opera has captured the at tention of major international media such as the Associated Press, NBC and BBC, and reached the hearts of viewers and readers from all corners of the world in over 1,000 media outlets.

In the summer of 2011, the I SING BEIJING artists made musical history by singing modern Chinese operatic repertoire in Mandarin on the stage of the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, accompanied by the China National Symphony Orchestra.

In 2012, this historical program will continue its pioneering mission to provide a meeting point for East and West through song under the artistic directorship of Hao Jiang Tian, with a distinguished international faculty of experts including coaches from the Metropolitan Opera. The full-scholarship program will offer classes in interpretation of mainstream Western repertoire, Mandarin diction, stagecraft with a focus on performance style of Chinese modern operas, as well as classes in Chinese language and culture over the course of one month, culminating in a concert at the National Centre for the Performing Arts.

Further information and application details are available online at :

www.isingbeijing.org December 2011 Volume 62 No 12

Editor John Allison Deputy Editors Erica Jeal Amanda Holloway Subscriptions Manager Megan Jackson Publishing Manager Andrew Miles

Editorial Board Martin Bernheimer Hugh Canning Rupert Christiansen Andrew Clark Andrew Clements Richard Fairman George Hall Michael Kennedy Fiona Maddocks Rodney Milnes (Chairman) Roger Parker Andrew Porter

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Front cover: Mariusz Kwiecień as Count Almaviva at Santa Fe in 2008 (see pp. 1428-34) (photo: Ken Howard)

1427 Prize fights

Founded in 1950 by the Earl of Harewood

Past Editors Harold Rosenthal and Rodney Milnes

By the Editor 1428 People 396: Mariusz Kwiecień

David Shengold 1435 Readers’ letters 1436 Too hot for the Bolshoy

Martin Anderson on Shostakovich’s ‘Orango’ 1443 Newsdesk 1446 Composer of two worlds

Rebecca Paller revisits the operas of Gian Carlo Menotti 1452 Obituary 1455 Opera around the world

1485 Opera in Britain

1513 Opera on DVD and Blu-ray 1521 Opera on CD 1532 Opera books 1538 Coming events including plans for the UK houses, Melbourne, Rome, San Diego, Valencia; ‘We hear that …’; Opera calendar home and abroad 1551 Classified advertisements 1552 Wish I’d been there …

John Allison

Opera, December 2011

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