He Hui: China’s first Western diva
O
pera soprano He Hui was guest speaker at a Club lunch on 11 October. Former FCC President Eric Wishart was in the chair and asked He about
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her life. She was in Hong Kong to sing on the opening night of Opera Hong Kong’s new production of Verdi’s “Aida” before performing in “Madame Butterfly” at New York’s Metropolitan Opera. She is the leading Chinese singer on the Western opera stage and is known for her rare “Verdi soprano” or lirico-spinto voice which, as the name suggests, lends itself to parts in Verdi operas. He’s first break came at Shanghai’s Grand Theatre as Aida, a role she clearly still loves to perform. In 2000 she was won second place in Placido Domingo’s “Operalia” competition in Los Angeles, beginning a long friendship with the opera star who has since performed with He in Beijing and Shanghai. He’s journey into the world of opera began in Xi’an where at eighteen she was admitted to the prestigious Conservatory of Music. Her parents, a doctor and a teacher, were unhappy with her choice of career but nevertheless gave their full support. He has worked hard to be where she is today, “I think it is one of the most difficult and interesting jobs in the world. There are a lot of sacrifices – you’re always travelling, living out of a suitcase and in hotel rooms. There’s a lot of work, a lot of study. But I get a lot of joy from singing and then I try to transmit this joy to the audiences when I’m on stage.” Language was initially a problem. Early in her career a recording of Puccini’s”La Boheme” had brought He to tears despite having no idea what the words meant. “I didn’t understand the music, the words or the story but the tears came and I felt a deep connection,” she says. However, when He realised her life was going to revolve around Verdi, Puccini and Italy she knew she would have to learn the language. Initially, she began by translating each opera word by word, but eventually realised she would have to learn Italian properly and immersed herself in life in Verona, her adopted home. He maintains close ties with her home town in Xi’an and says that opera is growing in popularity as new opera houses with good acoustics are being built and young people are keen to learn how to sing Westernstyle opera. When asked whether she had ever sung Chinese opera, He admitted that she had never tried
Soprano He Hui talked about her rise to fame as an opera singer.
and that her voice was completely wrong for that style of singing. He is the subject of new documentary entitled “Soprano from the Silk Road” and is currently cooperating on a new biography entitled “Journey to the West” by Melanie Ho.
Upcoming Speakers Our FCC Speakers Series is a unique opportunity for our members and their guests to listen, engage and discuss the latest local and international events and trends in the comfort of the Main Dining Room. This is where minds meet ideas. Please visit: http://www.fcchk.org/speakers-upcoming/
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