(Shanghai Daily)
Updated: 2008-06-16 14:02

Last month, students of Fudan University enjoyed traditional Chinese opera "Romance of the West Chamber" given by visiting students from the National University of Singapore. The familiar tunes of English pop music, from Christina Aguilera's "Genie in a Bottle" to Pussycat Dolls' "Don't Cha," were applied to classic Chinese operas.

According to Associate Professor Grant Shen, director of the performance of the Singaporean university, traditional operas were never meant to be "museum pieces." The music was always contemporary - in-synch with the era in which it was performed. The opera was very much like a rock concert is today.

"Unfortunately, with the passage of time, the opera seems to many today to be just a lot of screaming and noise," Shen says.

He was proud that when the show was staged in Singapore, it traversed boundaries of age, with 85 percent of the audience made up of young people.

Professor Sun Huizhu from Shanghai Theater Academy is in favor of this new trend of combining traditional Chinese opera with modern music.

"We need a way to connect with the younger generation, even though it can be quite hard work," he says. "This new performing style will make the form more attractive to the young and reduce their prejudice against traditional operas."

Maljean and Zhang's concert will also be filmed. All proceeds from the sale of the film will go to the Sichuan earthquake relief work. The DVD will be released all over the world.

"When Jazz Meets Kunqu Opera"

Date: July 11-12, 7:30pm

Venue: He Luting Concert Hall, Shanghai Conservatory of Music, 20 Fenyang Rd

Tickets: 80-580 yuan

Tel: 5258-3600

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