The star who bridged two worlds

As the first director of the predecessor of the Chinese National Academy of Arts, Mei was not only an artist but also an educator. His legacy is preserved at the academy in an extensive and complete collection of documents and artifacts, many of which have been brought to the US for the exhibition.

"Many contemporary creators might hesitate to make such bold design choices. But Mei did; and his sense of style still resonates today,"Wang says. "This reflects his vision of beauty and his way of discovering and expressing it."

For example, Wang highlights that some costume designs show the influence of early Western stage lighting, including sequins and reflective details.

"The artistic exchanges of the 1930s left a lasting impact on both Eastern and Western theater," he adds.

"The Peking Opera art form evolved into a transcultural expression under Mei," says Catherine Yeh, curator of the exhibition and professor of Chinese literature and transcultural studies at Boston University.

"His performances drew inspiration from classical Western dance while maintaining their own distinctive style. The art form was crafted so that Western audiences could understand it and be emotionally moved by it, and it also made a significant impact on Western theater. This reflects a form of cultural exchange flowing from the East to the West — and back again."

To help American audiences understand the art form, performances were carefully designed and contextualized for years before the trip. For example, the exhibition also featured explanations of gestures and storylines in English; and certain elements of the staging were adjusted so viewers unfamiliar with the conventions of Peking Opera could better follow the narrative and appreciate the performance.

In addition to the costumes and props required for stage performances, Mei also brought detailed illustrations of traditional Chinese musical instruments during his overseas tours.

"There were numerous drawings of instruments, far more than would typically be used in a Peking Opera orchestra. He wanted to introduce Western audiences to the broader musical system behind Chinese opera," Shao Xiaojie, deputy director of the library at the Chinese National Academy of Arts, tells China Daily.

"There were no recording devices at the time, so musicians had to repeatedly play and sing the melodies to 'transcribe' the music," Shao explains.

She adds that another challenge in translating Chinese notation into Western notation was the fundamental difference between the systems: Chinese notation records fingering techniques and structural rules rather than precise pitches, as some elements, such as vocal inflection, rhythm, and expressive phrasing, cannot be fully captured on paper. Western notation, by contrast, is more precise and standardized. Translating Chinese opera music into Western staff notation was therefore not a simple matter of copying symbols, but required extensive preparation by Mei and composer Liu Tianhua.