Li Yugang, is a National Level First Class performer in China Opera and Dancing Drama Company, a member of the National Youth Federation, and one of the most exciting and colorful young artists on the Chinese stage. A specialist in nan dan performance (males who play young female roles in Peking opera), Li is a hypnotic and beautiful master of illusion. Born into a farming family in Jilin Province in 1978, Li was the first person in his hometown to pass the National College Entrance Examinations. A year later, however, he had to drop out because his family could not afford the fees. He chose to pursue his dream of performing and became a club singer. Success evaded Li until one night he volunteered to fill in for a female singer who was absent. “It was a duet and I sang both the male and female parts. That’s how I started with female roles,” he recalls. His performance was a local success and in 2006, Li was encouraged to compete on the popular TV show Avenue of Stars (星光大道), a show similar to Britains Got Talent or American Idol. He became an overnight sensation and was a fan favorite. The following year, Li was an unprecedented success when he gave his first solo performance in Beijing, Where Flowers Are Unbounded (凡花无界). In 2009, Li was invited to perform at the Sydney Opera House in Australia, the second Chinese artist to do so, and was awarded Southern Cross Cultural Gold Prize for Culture by the Australian government. His Australian appearance led to an 11 country tour. In 2012, Li was a featured performer on the Spring Festival Gala broadcast, the most widely watched television show in the world, performing his famous interpretation of the New Drunken Beauty. Today, the scope of Li Yus influence extends far beyond the entertainment world, opening up new dialogues among critics of contemporary music, theater, and aesthetics and has become an iconic figure in Chinas contemporary culture scene. Beyond his professional accolades, Li is known as a celebrity in his hometown and is respected for his generous work with local charities. A deeply modest man, aware that he has not had the rigorous training of traditional Peking opera performers, he is constantly studying and is passionately committed to making the beauty of Chinas rich cultural heritage accessible both to young Chinese and to audiences around the world. (translated from Chinese by Joshua Creek)
Posted on: Mon, 12 Jan 2015 16:07:11 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015