Chi Xiaoqiu
Chi Xiaoqiu is a National Class One Performer, a famous Peking Opera artist, a successor of the Cheng stylistic school, and currently the Director of Youth Troupe of the Peking Opera Theatre of Beijing. In 1983 she was taught by Wang Yinqiu who was the heir of Cheng Yanqiu. A year after, at the age of 19, she won the 2nd Plum Blossom Award for Chinese Theatre; to date, she remains the youngest winner of the Plum Blossom Award for Peking Opera. Her accolades include the championship for Nomination Award in Female Lead Roles Section in China’s 1st Mei Lanfang Gold Awards Competition in 1993, the 7th Wenhua Performance Award presented by the Ministry of Culture in 1997, and the Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award of the Lincoln Centre for the Performing Arts in 2011.
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Li Baochun (Guest)
Li Baochun was born into a family of great theatrical heritage. His grandfather is Li Guichun (also known as Xiao Dazi); his father is Li Shaochun, and his mother is Hou Yulan. Li began his opera training with his grandfather since he was nine, and was admitted to Beijing Peking Opera School at ten. Following his father’s style, Li specialises in wenwu laosheng (old male in both civil and military styles) roles. He received formal opera training for eight years and was personally taught by the school’s principal Ma Lianliang and Wang Shaolou, Yang Jufen, Xu Yuanshan. A strong foundation of civil and martial skills was built during these years. Li was conferred an Honorary Doctoral Degree by the Northern Pontifical Academy in Nantes, France in 1983. He received the Award for Outstanding Asian Artist from the Lincoln Centre, New York in 1987. Recognition from a list of art festivals followed, including the White Magnolia Award from the Shanghai China International Arts Festival; the Special Jury Prize and Excellent Performance Prize at the China Peking Opera Festival, etc. Li joined the Peking Opera Promotion Group of the C. F. Koo Foundation in Taiwan in 1990. He later founded Taipei Li-yuan Peking Opera Theatre in 1998 and about 50 productions of new and classic titles have been performed since then. In addition to reorganising a repertoire of traditional plays, Li is also actively touring around Europe, the United States, Japan, etc. as a world-renowned performing artist.
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Zhu Qiang
Zhu Qiang is a National Class One Performer, a famous laosheng actor of the Ma (Lianliang) stylistic school and a lead actor of the Mei Lanfang Company of the Peking Opera Theatre of Beijing. He is a Bearer of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Beijing City and was among the first batch of trainees of the postgraduate course for Chinese outstanding young Peking Opera performers. He has learnt from such famous artists of the Ma stylistic school as Yin Yueqiao, Chi Jinsheng and Ma Chongren. In 1987, he became a disciple of famous Peking Opera artist, Zhang Xuejin. His appearance is handsome and charming, his voice is pure while his charm is intense and lingering. He is best at playing traditional repertoires as well as revived historical repertoires, and he pioneered in creating the performance of an experimental Peking Opera What Is Done Cannot Be Undone in small theatre.
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Wang Yi
Wang Yi is a National Class One Performer specialised in qingyi and daomadan (sword-wielding and horse-riding female) roles. She was among the fourth batch of trainees of the postgraduate course for Chinese outstanding young Peking Opera performers and follows the artistic schools of Wang (Yaoqing) and Mei (Lanfang). She was trained under Hua Shixiang, Yan Shishan, Li Jinhong, Jiang Fengshan, Li Yufu, Xie Ruiqing, Wu Suqiu, Liu Xiurong, Yu Yuheng and Yang Qiuling. She won the Outstanding Performance Award at the All China Television Grand Prix for Young to Middle-aged Peking Opera Performers in 1991, the Beijing City Young Performers Class One Award in 1993, the Wenhua Performance Class One Award at Henan Province 11th Drama Competition and a Silver Award at the 5th Peking Opera Festival of China.
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Zhang Shujing
Zhang Shujing is a National Class One Performer specialised in wudan and daomadan roles. She graduated from National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts and was among the fourth batch of trainees of the postgraduate course for Chinese outstanding young Peking Opera performers. Her teachers included Li Jinhong, Li Xihong, Ye Hongzhu, Liu Qi, Wang Yuzhen, Qiao Cuirong, Zhang Xunpeng, Yan Guixiang, Wang Xiuyun and Li Yufu. She became a disciple of famous performing artist, Liu Xiurong, in 2003. She was the winner of the Gold Award at the All China Television Grand Prix for Young Peking Opera Performers in 2001, the Silver Award for the Military Actors’ Arena at the 4th Peking Opera Festival of China in 2004 and the champion of Military Female Roles at Charming Spring National Young Peking Opera Performers (Beijing) Challenge Cup in 2011.
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Zhan Lei
Zhan Lei is an outstanding young wusheng actor and a graduate of National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts. He was a trainee in the fifth batch of the postgraduate course for Chinese outstanding young Peking Opera performers. He was trained under Yang Shaochun, Wang Daicheng, Li Haotian, Li Jingde, Liang Bin, Zhang Baohua, Li Jinsheng, Qian Rongshun, Liu Jingkui, Zhang Qizhong, Zhang Shanlin, Ma Yuzhang, Zhou Long, Xin Yuge, Guan Shizhen, Han Zengxiang and Zhu Jingui. He won the Gold Award at the CCTV All China Television Grand Prix for Young Peking Opera Performers in 2008 and Military Male Roles Class One Award at Charming Spring National Young Peking Opera Performers (Beijing) Challenge Cup in 2011.
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Li Yang
Li Yang is a National Class Two Performer specialised in hualian (painted face) roles. He was trained under Xia Yunlong, Gao Changqing, Xi Yushen, Wang Fulai, Meng Xianda, Yang Zhengang, Zhao Zhenwu and Li Jiqing. He became a disciple of Meng Guanglu in 2009 and is currently learning from famous painted-face artist, Luo Changde. He won the Silver Award in Painted Face Roles at the CCTV 7th All China Television Grand Prix for Young Peking Opera Performers in 2012.
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Hou Yu
Hou Yu is an outstanding laodan (old female) performer, in the stylistic school of Li. She graduated from the Peking Opera performance specialism, Master of Fine Arts and the stylistic school inheritance learning class in the undergraduate programme of the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts. She was a trainee in the sixth batch of the postgraduate course for Chinese outstanding young Peking Opera performers. She is a disciple of Li Mingyan and Zhao Baoxiu, and has learnt from Zheng Ziru for many years. She also received training from Sun Zhenquan, Zhang Jing’ai, Lin Yawen, Zhang Lan, Li Liping and Wang Ziping. She won the Class One Award at Beijing City 4th Jingkun Competition, the Gold Award at Chinese Opera Red Plum Competition in 2009, the Silver Award of Old Female Roles at the 7th All China Television Grand Prix for Young Peking Opera Performers and a championship at Charming Spring National Young Peking Opera Performers (Beijing) Challenge Cup.
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Yu Shuai
Yu Shuai is an outstanding wuhualian actor and a graduate of the Beijing Chinese Opera Art’s College. His teachers included Zhang Dehua, Li Guichen, Zhao Zhenwu, Yang Zhengang, Qu Yongchun and Ding Zhenchun. He was the winner of Gold Flower Number One Scholar Award at the National Young Plum Blossom Competition in 2003, the Class One Award at Shenjian Cup Tournament by National School of Art in 2005, the Outstanding Performance Award in the Highlights from Operas of National Young Peking Opera Performers in 2012 and the Silver Award of Painted Face Roles at the 7th All China Television Grand Prix for Young Peking Opera Performers.
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Chen Yu
Chen Yu is an outstanding young performer specialised in wudan roles and a graduate of National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts. She was trained under Zhang Linna, Hou Wenrui, Guo Jingchun, Ma Shuai, Tian Bing and Li Yali. She became a disciple of famous Peking Opera artist, Song Danju, in 2008. In the same year, she won the Outstanding Performance Award at the All China Television Grand Prix for Young Peking Opera Performers and the Gold Award in the 1st National Opera School Peking Opera Students Television Award.
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Jing Baoqi
Jing Baoqi is a National Class Two Performer specialised in jiazi hualian (a male actor with a painted face who specialises in emotive gestures) roles. His father is the famous Peking Opera artist, Jing Rongqing. His teachers included Xia Yunlong, Yang Ronglou, Zhang Dehua and Xi Yushen. He has visited and performed in France, Germany, Belgium, Austria and Japan with the theatre.
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