I mean we're gonna ask you about your
life and career but I think first of all
I mean watching this what does that feel
like oh you you mean on stage stage
alone the spotlight the emotion what
does it feel like it is about energy
passion emotion love everything in my in
my life on stage I think you thinking of
the audience do you think of the
audience when you're on the stage are
you thinking of the people in the
audience or aware of them oh especially
I think about onstage I the main things
I think about the wing of myself to give
the the best of myself so especially I
think about one person only for the
audience and I think for for one for
Xena and this is also for everybody but
this is my key for my way to sing to
keep my emotion for one person Melanie
tells you your life story
it's called Johnny to the West and I
mean basically your life and music began
by chance it was your maths teacher
singing yeah when I was 17 years old I
was a student in high school my I sing
one song in my in my school my
mathematic teacher heard my voice and
she said oh wow you have beautiful voice
why you don't study singing because her
neighbour is a voice teacher and she
said I heard your voice it's better than
what I heard of my neighborhood
and when you come to come to me with me
III showed him your voice oh it is a
because before I never think about I can
I can serious to start him to sing I I
love singing when I was young they're
very very young but then I see really
think about this is my because I well I
think every time when I seen in my my
home I always cry with the tears I did
you during singing and and I I went to
my first teacher just one month I I
studied a lot and I remember I was woke
up every morning at 5 o'clock either
wrong to the river
in my city and I make the book lies in
the morning in in the dark of the
morning and 7:00 I have to be in in
school with the the hair is spread and
just one month I I learn music and then
I went to the Chien consumption music I
I I win the audition I entered the
college of music to really serous to
learn opera to learn music for me is a
miracle of my life too I can sing I can
have this passion I had this war this
voice where does this music come from in
inside you where does the music come
from where does the voice come from you
don't come from a musical family do you
oh no I'm my family is not a music
family my father I'm I come from a very
tradition family my father is a doctor
my mother is a teacher when I
but I like singing I my father in the
firm beginning my parents did not agree
with my decision but I was very strong
and I was very the soul I was so strong
of my decision and the they accept my
decision and they helped me and they
give me a lot of love it is my voice is
from from God from my parents it's a
very something special for me I think
and I think another turning point was
when you heard La Boheme when you were
18 I think and you didn't understand a
word of it oh of course when I was 18
years old when I entered the concept of
music the first time I heard the Opera
is in CD and I heard something very
parchment very give me a big emotion
it's a La Boheme of Giacomo peach
Puccini I heard the voice I feel that
sound give me something very special
give me a big emotion I can I come the
tears even I don't don't understand the
word I don't and send the Italian I
don't understand even the story but I
heard the voice of mera laugh rainy I
think III comes to tears and then I I I
was the the the hardest I I learned a
lot of and I heard every day like Alice
about the the big singer I go I went to
every day I I heard also with the with
with a Chitty I this this is open my my
mind of the of the world and I think the
your first big professional breakthrough
was the when you sang I either at the
Shanghai Grand Theatre 1998 I think oh
it is my first time when I was very
young when I was 22 years old because
I'm always the top of the the class in
console for music
when I was 22 years old I was the the
concept for music leave me as a teacher
prefer a professional teacher Wako
teacher in xi'an console music and then
i was have i in six years i make a lot
of competition in China but I never win
and then in 1998 there the Shanghai
Grand Theater the label - Aida in
Shanghai and they invited the forints
Opera House the director to have audio
we have you a lot of singer make
audition for him and he choose me as
Aida I was very young I don't I I would
never think about I came to opera oh
it's easy for me it's a big dream so she
he took a he shell he shot me as Aida
and I remember it is a a big big emotion
for me I sing every day one time also
Warren listen me when I in Shanghai it
is a my Aida is a until now I did more
than yesternight is 156 performance of
my Aida I did thank you
I did all of the world the many big
stage of I did my I either but I either
always one of my lovely and greatest
emotion force in this opera and in 2000
due to power in paseo of Domingo's
operalia competition and angeles and at
that point you developed a close
relationship with them can you talk
about your relationship with them in
your professional you
sang with them I think right oh yeah
thank you
in 2000 I I went to Los Angeles is for
the proceeded amigo competition and I
win the second prize and Priscilla
Domingo competition is a open world for
me I begin my main career things since
this over Aria Meister Domingo is the
one of the biggest greatest artists of
our time he's so generous for the young
people young singer I was when I was
very young
they take me as immediately after the
competition I stay in Los Angeles as
cover of Aida for Deborah Voigt it's one
of the greatest soprano of a in America
and I stayed there one month I have
started I worked with my storming go and
one night I remember in Los Angeles
Opera I was I stay in in in a plethora
of the of the seal I stay in a theater
to see the Opera of Aida in during the
the pawza a sister of my sister Mingo
told me am i starving I want to I want
to tell you something and I went to his
room he said I would like I want to take
you go we could we have concert together
in Shanghai I agree I said well I'm so
happy about this and after the in 2001 I
did a concert with maestro Mingo in
Shanghai I think I remember is the 5th
of January 2001 and after I made my
storming go in another place also we did
smoking Agora in Beijing in 2000
I think 13 or 15 with it smokin Agora
and I was in Opera I was his daughter
and he's my father and we made when we
made and he all everytime he made he met
me he always tell me I'm a proud of you
of you and congratulating of your your
big career he's really he also told me
don't stop to learn don't think above
you so you will have already arrived
continue to study and she always give me
a very good advice and this year I I did
butterfly in Madrid Madrid in Spain and
he did the Macbeth
I was so exciting to to saw him on stage
and he was almost 80 years old but he
sing beautifully the voice is very very
beautiful very young voice I'm I'm so
and he's a grand great maestro for me
for to to learn as a great artist that
is a stories my terming eyes thanks very
much of him yeah and can you tell me
what it was like being a Chinese opera
singer how how were you accepted in the
world of Western or Pro did you have any
prejudice to overcome was the resistance
we accepted were people's reactions to
you as Chinese in this in this in this
world of opera in the West oh yes in 30
before the 30 years ago the the Western
theatre there have very few they don't
don't accept
Asian singer but in after now there have
a lot of Asian singer I think the music
is a one word is a very special word
all of the world the the big ability of
music
the God give you very special voice
special way special feeling of the music
is not only for the best in people
also for so for the Eastern people they
have a lot of eastern singer singing in
opera I think we maybe the way is
different but emotion of the of the
music emotion of the the life the
everybody have the love the different
feeling this is the the same same
situation so the music is the language
to transfer the emotion so I think when
I beginning to sing my voice is a give
some something special for the people so
they accept me at as opera singer I
think but to be an opera singer you had
to learn Italian
of course you said the I think the first
time you sang and it's how you learned
the meaning of all the words so you
could sing and you could understand what
you were saying but you can actually
speak the language oh yeah when I was
Mehta Butte in in Italy is 2002 as Tosca
in the tragedy Parma I will I cannot
speak Italian I but I learned every word
from dictionary for the the every word
of what I sing I remember I met the
greatest one of the greatest the Tosca
all of she's a Reineke by banská and
she taught well she when first time I
met her and she told me she speak very
slowly and she told me you gentes 2dr
italiano and she said it's urgent we'll
learn Italian
so I from there
and I beginning very hard to learn
Italian and during my job and because
after Tosca successful in Parma I got a
lot of contract I remember in the
beginning of my career I learned opera
in one month a new opera from here the
big a lot of things to learn
I remember when I was Italy I slipped
only four hours a day I saw a lot of
video every day I just wanted to learn
and it's like a sore but the the many
new things for me so and until now I I
can speak Italian
more better than my English sorry for my
English I mean Oprah you sing but you
also backed so how do you you have to
act on stages an opera singer that is
not just singing your views I think in
expression emotion so so how much of
being an opera singer is singing and how
much of it is being a performer an actor
opera is for for opera singer is a to
since the important singing and acting
because we are we are acting during the
music so one part is a music as the
opera singer you have we have to have we
have to a lot of control of mind of
heart on stage you in in the same moment
you have to think about international
the boys the the press your body
language the risk conductor with
colleague the light the shoes the the
skirt costume the many many different
personality emotion a lot of things
together in during the music you know if
you won one second you you forgot to
enter you will keep trouble for food
conductor you give a give trouble for
your colleagues so this is a music part
you have to we have learned many years
to can be a professional singer another
part is acting the acting is a very
important especially for now because now
the time of the opera is changed the is
that in old fashion the the most
important the boys but now the acting is
really important because the people want
to see the they would like to see the
story the the drum the the the really
happened the actors now in I think is
better than before sometimes something
is like a film you should be very touch
of the of the people so that it's very
important I mean you've been described
as a Verdi soprano and I learned in
Melanie's book that's a very rare event
in the Opera world so can you explain to
people who don't understand the term
what is a why would they call you up
Verdi soprano oh I'm very surprised
because my voice is his feet for where
the opera this is not dependable of me
it's depend of my voice the god give me
this voice is kind of voice because
Verdi soprano is means powerful it means
technique this means a lot of the color
of the voice I'm very lucky I have this
this very special voice for singing of
it opera also Puccini operation well I
was gonna takes us to Puccini and Madame
Butterfly you have a very special
relationship with that with that Oprah
why do you like that role so much bye do
you like that Madame Butterfly you've
done it more than 150 times I think also
yeah almost 160 performance of mine
Madame Butterfly I think I can
singing I can understand the world well
Madame Butterfly because this row is it
happened of two different culture and I
said as a Chinese I understand very
deeply how to feel this Madame Butterfly
she she's think about love
she's pure love and she think about one
man for all of the life and the love
when love is finished she has to die and
but in the Western people is they have
different feeling of the of in Pinkerton
the he if he was just a joke or
something different he don't think she
will give you love and one woman for all
of life so what did that what happened
of the story of Madame Butterfly and my
way to acting is very Asian
very Japanese a way I think because I I
was in Japan I saw a lot of girl very
pure very the the the the the special
language of body language is very shine
where many scenes I take from from this
but my voice is totally very Italian
voice so the music of Puccini is a full
of passion so my voice is a very Italian
way so I see I think that is my special
for for Madame Butterfly thank you
so you performed in Hong Kong last night
you fly to Verona tonight I think and
then you're off to the met in New York
so what's the life of an opera singer is
it fun is it is it yeah opera singers
life is very special because we are
always in travel and tonight I fly to
Verona I stay in Verona two days to
change my luggage and then I will be in
New York we always be the luggage always
in different City
[Music]
sometime to two months sometimes ten
days sometimes three days in different
place sometime in Asia some time in
Europe sometime in America travel a lot
but I think the world is interesting
life is dream life but with a lot of
sacrifice so I just want to actually one
more question then I'll open it for
questions to the to the floor how do you
see the we talked before this lunch and
you say the Opera is is becoming Western
Opera is becoming increasingly popular
in in China why do you why do you why do
you think that is why why do you think
the Western Opera in mainland China is
becoming popular I don't think it will
be popular
I think opera always all the time even
in the West and even Italian the Opera
is not so popular but it is for growing
in popularity yeah hahaha sorry I think
because the people now China the is grew
up so strong of economic economic and in
10 10 years we have so many concert
house Opera House is grew up as building
as acoustic is a is a very good high
quality I think the in the field also in
China there have lot of contract concept
from music a lot of young singer the the
love this art the learn very hard to
learn this beautiful singing so I think
there have still a lot of people love
opera in the future I think in China
they're happy they have a lot of very
good future
in China thank you so can we have some
questions do we have the microphones
ready okay
please florals and please say you give
your name and see who you you're from
okay and don't please not in Italian
yeah giorgia vice president of the club
and reporter for Harlem and first of all
thank you so much I think it's a real
privilege for all of us and for the club
to host you today
since you've explained a little bit what
it is to be a Chinese singer singing
western tunes and music can you comment
on your relationship with Chinese music
and possibly I mean have you have you
ever tried Chinese opera Oh
unfortunately until now I never seen
Chinese opera because my my my study
learned from him even when I in concert
from music my main study always is a
area or leader or opera vest and opera I
I Chinese opera is a very I think you
mean Chinese traditional opera or
Chinese modern opera I mean both but I
was thinking of the traditional Chinese
traditional opera is an hour another
kind of sinning I I can never do that
because the this is another way to sing
it's not our voice our voice is
confirmed by canto is a another way a
different way of the singing thank you
thank you over here
I miss her so they please give your name
and I'm ki Wang a person a amateur
singer working for opera Hong Kong as a
volunteer okay suppose I'm a ethnic
Chinese or thirty years old and
passionate in making opera singing as my
career I want to be as successful as you
so what advice would you give to me a
[Music]
lot of practice a lot of study I think I
need to find a mentor like Domingo I
think the music is passion if you have
passion every time I read everyone to
touch this world is different it's like
our finger everybody is different the
voice also the voice every everybody has
a very special voice of different for
another people so also the people
everybody feel the music is different
that's why every everyone sing on stage
is different so I think the the the
study is practice is the most important
because that's you can understand
yourself your body your mind your way to
see me and your your muscle how to
building the voice I think this is as
Oprah single is the it some see some
sometimes the life is very close because
you have to always concentrate to to
this art because I'm on the stage nobody
can help you you are long you on stage
you you open your mouth you you
beginning to sing this is a way to touch
the people
this is a way to touch the world thank
you how much practice do I need to do
how much a lot press the press and too
important to listen to a lot of the the
big oh oh the singer as LA Carla's
lebesgue on zeal upon Tebaldi a lot of
beautiful record and first time first to
think about how how their technique or
to singing and then practice to yourself
and try to use your way to see me
I think thank you and the Consul General
of Italy my question connects with the
one of the opera Hong Kong friends of
course you are now very well focused and
you have to own your wonderful career
and I wish for several years to come but
in the perspective do you think being
Chinese born and so that you can
transmit also the the values and also
let the Chinese people to understand
that at the Western Opera do you think
in the perspective to start sort of
teaching anyway opening a school in your
in your native country of course I in
recently some years I always I beginning
to when I have very short time I
beginning to teach some young singers
even in in Western in in Oslo in Italy
also in China I mean I'm still as
professor in science or consult for
music before Hong Kong I was in Xi'an
for three weeks I teach
young singers I heard I found a lot of
beautiful singing I would like in the
future I give my experience of singing
of this very special international
career it's pairings for young singer
this is sure to do is my responsibility
to do that because my life is a very
special dream life for many young young
people they would like to be as
professional singers I will have many
good advice for them I think thank you
this year I'm tention wall I'm a dentist
when a great admirer of opera and I was
at the Aida performance last night and I
want to tell you when you sing la patria
Mia and you were singing pianissimo the
whole audience heard you clearly and all
our hearts
wondered how did she do that so now
we're forming a fan club trying to
follow you over the world
thank you knew you always a little bit
late for us maybe we try hey you have
conquered all the rows of the Verdi
heroines and the Puccini heroines and I
read from the internet that you're
starting on Wagner no I don't I just
Rossini in in concert some area but I
never seen Wagner opera do you ever
think you will go into that I I will not
refuse if this some theater give me a
chance to sing Bachna because I love
Tristan his old I like different
Hollander and also the house maybe I
would like to in the future to try but
in the international theater do you
think about me as Italian repertoire as
Puccini Verdi this repertoire they gave
me always this role
Madame Butterfly ie the Tusk smoker
negra territory on body mascara this is
this is my repertoire because they are
fixed me as Italian opera singer yeah
thank you congratulations thank you very
much
continue to follow you thank you thank
you very much
so we have time for one more question
anybody over yes gentlemen
thank you very much for your talk and
your performance last night which I
thank you my name is John an Twila I'm
retired it's me too
I have one question when you talked
about your your life it sounds like a
lot of it is on airplanes and we know
that the quality of the air on airplanes
the dryness the altitude all of these
things affect a person's throat yeah I
don't really rely on my voice like you
do how do you take care of your voice oh
yeah it's very good question I'm very
lucky because my mother gave me a house
it's very strong that's why I can
continues to sing since nineteen years
of international career I was I think in
this nineteen years maybe I can sir for
the health problem is less than
less than five performance
I once time I got sick on the plane
because the air condition is so strong
and it's why once year I remember it's
arena de Baron I call me as Madame
Butterfly because the soprano is sick
and I flied from from Chien because my I
was they and my with my parents and I
fly to to Italy on the plane I I feel
very cold I feel not comfortable when I
arrived my friends invite me go - went
to the Venice and in his car the
ignition is so strong even though
Italian people did like very cold but
but I feel cold but I didn't see nothing
but when I ride a rival Venice after I
have no voice I begin I ever see the
fine but I lost my voice this that that
from that time I I know the air
condition is really dangerous for the
boys so when I in in a taxi or in in the
room I always close at condition but I'm
not that the kind of singer - so take
pay attention because I'm still strong
of health but I before one day the the
performance I I don't don't speak I stay
along I I need to concentrate
I need very think about the performance
this is a since many years like this
also I think - to save the voice is
important to the position of of speaking
if you speak in the right position your
voice is has good position also it's
easy for the singer singing is something
together with visa singing thank you and
with that but safe journey bank look
after your throat hope we see you back
here soon thank you very much thank you
very much thank you thank you very nice
to to share the beautiful time with with
everybody thank you very much thank you