Peking Opera diva is pitch perfect for role

Throughout her illustrious career, 53-year-old Shanghai native Shi Yihong has remained dedicated to the timeless art of Peking Opera, also known as Jingju. Regaled as a diva singer, she is celebrated for her masterful performances.

Not only does she uphold the values of this ancient art form, but the most prominent woman in Shanghai Jingju Theatre Company skillfully bridges the gap between tradition and modernity while attempting bold experiments to captivate contemporary audiences.

Shi is a Peking Opera performer of female characters portrayed in Mei Lanfang style. Born in Shanghai in 1972, she joined the company in 1990, winning many national awards.

While she is known nationwide for her performances in classical repertoire, Shi is recognized for performing different Peking Opera styles. She even made a Kunqu Opera production in 2013. She had French novelist Victor Hugo's Notre-Dame de Paris adapted into a Peking Opera production in 2008, and played the role of Esmeralda. In 2021, she adapted the 1990s martial arts movie New Dragon Gate Inn into a Peking Opera.

Farewell My Concubine, one of the most celebrated Peking Opera repertoires, was created by Mei Lanfang (1894-1961) and Yang Xiaolou (1878-1938) in the 1920s. It tells the story of Xiang Yu, a warlord in the 3rd century BC, and features the evening before his final battle for the throne, which he has no chance of winning. Shi plays the heroine Yuji, a beloved consort of Xiang, who dies by suicide as a gesture of devotion and unwavering loyalty to her hero.

Today, Farewell My Concubine is widely popular as a representative piece of Mei Lanfang-style Peking Opera recognized for its arias and the heroine's sword dance. Shi has performed the opera for decades, though her performance is not a faithful copy of Mei's version.

"I first learned the opera from Maestro Zhang Meijuan, then picked some characteristics and details I found in other artists' performances. I then put together my own version based on Maestro Mei's interpretation," she says.