Renowned Chinese soprano Guanqun Yu has firmly established herself as a frequent guest performer on the grand stages of opera houses across Europe and America. Her remarkable journey from studying the accordion and aspiring to become a music teacher in her homeland of China to gracing the world’s most prestigious opera venues is nothing short of inspiring.
It was a pivotal moment in 2007 when Yu attended a live performance of Puccini’s Turandot in Shanghai that her destiny took an unexpected turn. The sheer magic of that evening ignited her passion for opera, leading her to set her sights on pursuing this challenging art form. Her dedication eventually led her to Italy, where she honed her craft and embarked on her operatic journey.
Her professional debut came as an associate artist at the Bologna Opera, where she undertook the role of Elettra in Mozart’s Idomeneo. However, her career trajectory took a momentous leap when she clinched the second prize at the Operalia competition in 2012. It was this achievement that opened the doors to a dream she had never dared to dream: performing at the Metropolitan Opera House. At the Met, Yu realized her aspirations by taking on the role of Leonora in Verdi’s Il Trovatore. For a singer who had once yearned just to witness an opera at the Met, this was an extraordinary achievement. (She would go on to play the role at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna.)
Yu’s repertoire is a testament to her versatility and vocal prowess. Apart from conquering major Mozart roles such as Vitellia, Contessa, Fiordiligi, Donna Anna, and Donna Elvira, she has also delved deep into the Italian opera repertoire. Her talents have been on display as Amelia in Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra in Valencia, Hamburg, and Frankfurt, and as Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello at the Palau de les Arts Valencia, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, and the Hamburg State Opera.
La Bohème at Opernhaus Zürich 2015 (Judith Schlosser)
Her artistry extends to the character of Mimì in Puccini’s La Bohème, where she has shone in new productions at the Zurich Opera House and the Bavarian State Opera in Munich. Additionally, she has embodied the role of Liù in Puccini’s Turandot at The Met, as well as in Zurich, Cologne, Bregenz, and is poised for a forthcoming performance in Los Angeles.
In Los Angeles, Guanqun Yu has become a beloved figure to local audiences. Her repertoire at LA Opera has included memorable portrayals of Rosina in The Ghosts of Versailles (2015, debut), the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro (2015), Vitellia in The Clemency of Titus (2019), Leonora in Il Trovatore (2021), and now she graces the stage as Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni.
Stage and Cinema‘s review stated, “International star Soprano Guanqun Yu beautifully interpreted Donna Anna’s emotional journey. Her portrayal captures the conflicting emotions of anger, grief, and determination that define Donna Anna’s quest for justice and revenge following the tragic events of the opera’s prologue. Yu’s ability to convey the complexity of these emotions through her voice and body language is truly remarkable, making her character’s struggles and motivations palpable to the audience. In the aria “Or sai chi l’onore rapier a me volse,” (“Now you know who wanted to dishonor me”), Guanqun Yu’s voice trembled with the raw intensity of Donna Anna’s anguish, while her nuanced phrasing and dynamic control revealed the character’s inner turmoil.”
Stage and Cinema writer Michael M. Landman-Karny chatted with Guanqun Yu during a non-performance day from Don Giovanni in LA.
Guanqun Yu as Donna Anna in LA Opera's 2023 production of Don Giovanni
Michael M. Landman-Karny: Let’s begin with your operatic training in Italy. What did your training in Italy give you that you don’t think you received in China?
GY: First, I had the opportunity to work with some great “old school” directors and conductors in Italy. When I came to Italy, I had to make my way in English at first and then I learned Italian. Working with Italians taught me the importance of good diction and understanding what you’re singing about. I was early on in a production of Don Giovanni as Donna Elvira and the Italian tenor literally swore at me and told me he didn’t understand what I was singing. Italians take the pronunciation of their language very seriously when it comes to opera. It took a lot of hard work but I became fluent in Italian. That has been the success to singing Italian roles in Italy as well as in Europe and the US.
Even in America, when most people don’t understand what I’m singing [because it’s a foreign language], it is important to pronounce everything properly. We are acting a role and there is truth in pronouncing and understanding what we are singing. I tell my students that the words are as important as the music.
In Rossini's Guillaume Tell at Staatsoper Hamburg
MLK: You received raves for your French roles including Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen and Mathilde in Rossini’s Guillaume Tell. How did you learn French diction since you don’t speak French?
GY: I relied on the IPA [international phonetic alphabet] as well as language coaches to learn my French roles. I worked very hard at making sure I understood what every word meant and how every word should sound. Before singing Micaëla at The Met I had worked intensively with a diction coach for two weeks on getting it right. I love singing in French and I want to take on more of the French repertoire. I am now taking intensive French lessons. To get cast in French roles, I would be competing with native French speakers who will have a built-in advantage. I would love to sing the lead soprano roles in Roméo et Juliette and Faust, to mention just two, but I plan on mastering the language before tackling those roles. As a Chinese singer, I need to overcome the common perception that Chinese singers are not good at singing European languages.
La Clemenza di Tito, LA Opera (Cory Weaver)
MLK: What recommendations do you have for young opera singers who may not be able to afford a diction coach?
GY: They should first read the libretto out loud and make sure to understand what every word is saying and what the sentence is conveying. Nico Castel’s complete libretti series should be their ultimate reference. It is the definitive reference for diction, pronunciation and translation for the main operatic repertoire.
MLK: What non-French roles would you like to tackle in the future?
GY: There are quite a few. I am planning to eventually sing Norma [editor’s note: the most difficult Soprano role in the Italian-language repertoire]. Also at the top of my wish list are Donizetti’s three [Tudor] Queens [Anna Bolena, Maria Stuarda, and Roberto Devereux].
Anthony León in LA Opera's 2023 production of Don Giovanni
(Cory Weaver)
MLK: You are singing in Don Giovanni with two impressive young up-and-coming singers: Anthony León who plays Don Ottavio and Meigui Zhang who plays Zerlina. As a veteran singer, do you have any advice to give them?
GY: <smiling> None! They are both pros who sing at the highest level.
Meigui Zhang (center) as Zerlina in LA Opera's Don Giovanni
(Cory Weaver)
MLK: You have sung in more than a few very non-traditional stagings, some of which are on raked stages and other uncomfortable and maybe even dangerous settings. Have you ever had to tell a director that you wouldn’t follow his stage directions?
GY: Regietheater in German Opera houses tends to be mordant. I had one performance where they wanted me to sing while hanging from an industrial crane. I had to tell the director that I couldn’t do it due to fears for my safety. I have slippery hands and they literally wanted me to hold the crane with my hands with no support. Aside from safety, I want to connect with my audience and not be encumbered by complicated staging that may interfere with that connection. I did have good experiences with Regietheater. In one production I was a prisoner in a paper cage and the hero had to cut the cage to release me. As odd as it may seem, that production really made an emotional impact on the audience.
Guanqun Yu (Elvira) and Saimir Pirgu (Ernani)
© Bregenzer Festspiele (Karl Forster)
MLK: What performances do you have coming up?
GY: In December I will be at the Frankfurt Opera to sing my first Aida. In March I will be singing Leonora in Il Trovatore in Hamburg. I will be coming back to Los Angeles in May to sing Liu in [the David Hockney-designed] Turandot.
MLK: Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. Good luck with the rest of the run of Don Giovanni and I look forward to seeing you in May in Turandot.
