Name: Liao Changyong

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: October 25, 1968

Place of Place: Chengdu City, Sichuan Province People from Pixian County

Nationality: Han.

Occupation: Baritone singer

Societies: Jiusan Society (joined in 1988), Position: Director of the Vocal Music Department of Shanghai Conservatory of Music, professor. Director of the China Music Association and vice chairman of the Shanghai Music Association. Member of the All-China Youth Federation and member of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Youth Federation. Member of Shanghai Municipal People's Political Consultative Conference. Member of the 10th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Member of the 14th Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Jiusan Society, the first contracted artist of the Shanghai Grand Theater, a contracted artist of the National Center for the Performing Arts in Washington and the Michigan Opera House

School of study: graduated from Pixian No. 4 Middle School in 1988, and graduated from Pixian No. 4 Middle School in 1995 Graduated from the postgraduate course of the Vocal Music Department of Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

Highest academic qualification: Master's degree. On October 25, 1968, Liao Changyong was born into an ordinary peasant family in Pi County, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province. It is a small county in the middle of the Chengdu Plain famous for its Douban Chili Sauce. It is far away from the bustle and hustle and bustle of the city. Although it has a long history (there was a county in the Qin Dynasty), the artistic atmosphere is very indifferent, not to mention the Western music from foreign countries. . Liao Changyong's first understanding of music probably came from the large wired speakers that are widely distributed in rural China. Every morning, as he went to school along the muddy path, he often listened to the loudspeaker on the telephone pole at the head of the village. Along with the mountain wind and rain, the gurgling water of the creek, and the fragrance of rice in the fields, the singing from the big speaker quietly blended into his young heart, as if drizzle moistened things, so natural. And continuous. But this became Liao Changyong’s initial musical enlightenment.

In 1975, Liao Changyong was seven years old. That year, his father, the backbone of the family, left his wife, three daughters and son due to illness and passed away. This is undoubtedly adding insult to injury to a family that is already increasingly poor. After his father passed away, his second sister, who taught in a rural primary school, took Liao Changyong to school. One is to take care of his younger brother for his mother; the other is to expose Liao Changyong to a reading environment. Therefore, the precocious Liao Changyong started his primary school career after paying a tuition fee of three yuan. After graduating from elementary school, Liao Changyong turned to join his third sister and third brother-in-law, who were already working, and went to study at Maowen County Middle School, more than 300 kilometers away from his hometown.

The No. 1 Middle School of Maowen Qiang Autonomous County, located deep in the Minshan Mountains, did not pay more attention to Liao Changyong, who had transferred from other counties to study. Coupled with language exchange reasons, he seemed a little aloof. Introspective and unsociable. Most of the classmates are Qiang people. They often sing in their own language and dance to their own music. Liao Changyong, who did not understand Qiang language, could only admire, listen and think quietly from the sidelines. So he started looking for music he could understand. Until one day, he heard a female solo song on the school radio. By the third time of the song, Liao Changyong could basically sing it. Afterwards, after asking the teacher, I found out that the song was called "When the Golden Wind Blows" and was sung by a mezzo-soprano named Guan Mucun. Although Liao Changyong has never had the opportunity to meet Guan Mucun once, the song "When the Golden Wind Blows" just in time opened up Liao Changyong's deep love for singing and music.

The classrooms and dormitories of Maowen County Middle School are separated by the rolling Min River, and the two sides are connected by a cable bridge. Liao Changyong carries his schoolbag and walks back and forth on the swaying chain bridge every day. Looking at the stacks of mountains on both sides of the bank, listening to the roaring river beneath my feet. Fifteen years later, when Liao Changyong set foot on this chain bridge again, he recalled: "Standing on this chain bridge, I will have a particularly warm feeling in my heart. Because when I was studying here, I would pass this bridge every day. When I stand on this bridge and look at the river, you will feel that you are very small. So when you stand in this place, you will feel the urge to face the river. Shouting”. Perhaps it was God's will. After a while, Liao Changyong felt that his voice was brighter and wider than before, and his breathing became smoother. This may be Liao Changyong's initial vocal training method. My love for singing started in my childhood, and it wasn’t until I met a music teacher who had just graduated from a normal college that I really started to think about applying to a music school. The teacher, who was only three and a half years older than Liao Changyong, told him: "Your voice is good, you should try the music conservatory." After graduating from high school, Liao Changyong applied for the local music conservatory, but was not admitted. But that didn't deter him. After several months of review, Liao Changyong applied for the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, the oldest music school in China. To everyone's surprise, Liao Changyong passed the exam. Today, Liao Changyong still remembers Mr. Ni Chengfeng who took the Chengdu admissions exam. Although Liao Changyong had a poor foundation in sight-singing and ear-training music theory at that time, and had never even learned piano, Ni Chengfeng relied on his many years of teaching experience to believe that Liao Changyong had good potential and must be a good candidate for learning vocal music. It's that simple. The famous Shanghai Conservatory of Music opened its doors to Liao Changyong in 1988. And the subsequent facts have proved that Mr. Ni Chengfeng was not wrong!

With more than 100 yuan, several well-thumbed music books, his mother’s entrustment and hope, and his desire and pursuit of music, Liao Chang left his relatives forever and came to Shanghai. , began his new study life. It truly took his first step to explore and pursue the art of music.

No one would have thought that Liao Changyong’s first step into Shanghai and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music would be barefoot. On the day he went to Shanghai to report, it was raining heavily. From the time the train entered the station at around 12 noon until 6 pm, it rained non-stop. Liao Changyong looked at the water all over the street and felt sorry for the new leather shoes his mother had just bought. He took off the leather shoes resolutely and walked barefoot into the Shanghai Conservatory of Music step by step.

No. 20 Fenyang Road, Shanghai, Shanghai Conservatory of Music is the earliest institution of higher learning in modern China. Its history is almost a condensed history of modern Chinese music. Since the school was founded in 1927, it has cultivated generations of Chinese musicians who have made outstanding achievements and are well-known at home and abroad. The good art and learning atmosphere here infected and inspired Liao Changyong. He knew that his foundation was poor, so he spent all his time and energy on studying. He gave up all entertainment, lived a hard life, and pursued the true meaning of art. This is a perfect fit: "When heaven is about to entrust a great responsibility to a person, he must first strain his mind, strain his muscles and bones, starve his body and skin, deplete his body, and mess up his actions, so tempting his heart and forbearance will benefit him beyond his ability." ancient sayings.

Liao Changyong’s mother, a hard-working and ordinary Chinese rural woman, did not have more money to fund her son’s college education. Liao Changyong relied on his three sisters to take turns sending him 60 yuan a month for living expenses. of. At that time, he was often one of the last people to go to the canteen, and he was only willing to buy a piece of meat when he had an exam or a performance the next day. Even the porcelain jar used for eating was given to him by a janitor at the college and was used for three years. Although life is hard, study is practical. In the first year of school, Liao Changyong studied with tenor Luo Wei, who had returned from Italy for further study, and learned vocal techniques and breath management. At the same time, he also learned pure Italian from Luo Wei. Luo Wei commented that his student had "miraculous comprehension ability and talent for mastering language." A year later, Liao Changyong transferred to Professor Zhou Xiaoyan again, which was an opportunity for Liao Changyong.

Professor Zhou Xiaoyan is a famous soprano singer and vocal educator in China. He studied in France in his early years and was the vice president of Shanghai Conservatory of Music at that time. She has trained a number of outstanding singers such as Zhang Jianyi, Gao Manhua and Liu Jie. The highly respected Mr. Zhou, like many teachers at Shanghai Conservatory of Music, cares and nurtures students as if they were his own children. They are both strict teachers and loving mothers. From Mr. Zhou, Liao Changyong not only learned a more scientific vocal method that is more in line with his own personality, but also more importantly realized the artistic accomplishment and temperament required to be an excellent singer. Of course, he also learned pure French from Mr. Zhou. In 1994, Liao Changyong went abroad for the first time to participate in the "Paris International Vocal Competition" and won the French Prize. This is both a reward and a starting point for him. The pursuit of art is arduous and long-term. The artist's cultivation and temperament not only need to be cultivated and accumulated, but also require the understanding of personality. As time goes by, Liao Changyong has entered a higher realm, moving from the only path of art to the path of freedom. He is mature and he understands that art requires soul and emotion!

In September 1996, Liao Changyong went to France to participate in the "41st Toulouse International Vocal Competition". In the three rounds of the competition, he fully demonstrated his good artistic accomplishment and confident tone, and won the first prize in the competition. This is also the highest honor won by a Chinese player in this competition for ten years. Alain Launcelon, manager of the classical department of the world-famous EMT record company, commented: "He sang so touchingly because the singing came from the depths of his heart. Over the past 25 years, I have watched every competition, and I still sing. I have never heard a baritone as good as his." After that, Liao Changyong participated in the "Domingo World Opera Competition" and the "Queen Sonja International Vocal Competition" and won the first prize. This set a record of winning three consecutive first-class international competition awards within one year, which also laid a solid foundation for him to enter the international vocal music stage.

In June 1997, Liao Changyong went alone to participate in the opera competition named after the famous tenor singer Domingo. In the fierce competition among experts, Liao Changyong was calm and confident, especially when he sang the farewell aria "My Last Days" by Drigo in G. Verdi's opera "Don Carlos" "Perme giantoeil suprcmo" (Perme giantoeil suprcmo), the calm temperament and appropriate handling of the music touched the hearts of every audience present, and the entire performance hall seemed to be enveloped in this holy artistic aura. Mr. Domingo was very excited about Liao Changyong's singing. Not only did he personally present him with the first prize, but he also called him "a world-class singer trained in China, with first-class technology and musical perception. He touches people with the music in his heart... and is an outstanding talent of the new generation." ". In addition to praise, Domingo also invited Liao Changyong to Japan in early 1998 to participate in his own New Year's concert.

1997. Liao Chang went to Norway, Northern Europe, to participate in the "Queen Sonja International Vocal Competition". His enchanting singing voice once again impressed the judges and the audience, and even Queen Sonja was amazed. The Queen not only awarded him the first place medal in person, but also called that day "China Day". In the days that followed, Liao Changyong seemed to become the queen's designated actor and was invited to perform in Norway many times.

In 1998, Liao Changyong also went to Norway to hold a special concert with the famous violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and the mezzo-soprano Bartoli. Queen Song Ya also met with Liao Changyong many times. In this way, with the support of his teachers and his own efforts, Liao Changyong stepped onto the international music stage step by step.

On February 20, 2000, when Chinese people were still immersed in the traditional joy of the Lunar New Year, the Shanghai Grand Theater in China and the Sydney Opera House in Australia, across the Pacific Ocean, used satellite two-way transmission technology to hold a An unprecedented classic concert showed the world the contribution of Chinese artists to music culture and the brilliance of Chinese musicians. When Liao Changyong, a baritone singer from Shanghai, China, sang "Make way for the busy man" (from Rossini's opera "The Barber of Seville") ["Largo al factotum dclla citta" from "Il Barbieredi Sivigia", Rossini] At the end of the sound, applause broke out in the Sydney Opera House, and the well-informed Sydney audience gave him cheers without hesitation. While the Australian audience marveled at this artist from China's ability to interpret Western classic music works, they were even more impressed by his velvety tone and music that came from the heart. This is a touchstone work for baritone in European operas, and it was sung brilliantly by Liao Changyong in both nature and spirit. So people remembered him again - Liao Changyong, the son of an ordinary Chinese farmer. In September 1988, he was admitted to the Vocal Music Department of Shanghai Conservatory of Music and studied with Mr. Luo Wei, and later studied with the famous vocal educator Professor Zhou Xiaoyan.

In 1992, he won the "American Pacific Voice" International Vocal Competition Award.

In April 1993, he participated in North Korea's "April Spring" International Art Festival and won the gold medal for performance.

In 1993, he won the Grand Prize of the "National Song and Singer Double Competition" and the second place in the "Asia International Vocal Competition".

In July 1993, he graduated from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music with a bachelor's degree. At the same time, due to his excellent performance, he was directly admitted to the master's degree program of Professor Zhou Xiaoyan of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music without taking the examination, and continued to study with Professor Zhou Xiaoyan.

In 1994, he won the first place in the national selection competition of the "International Vocal Competition".

In 1994, he won the Best French Award at the Paris International Vocal Competition in France.

In July 1995, he graduated from the Vocal Music Department of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and received his master's degree with the thesis "Schumann and the Vocal Suite "Poet's Love" in the Development Process of German and Austrian Art Songs".

In September 1996, he participated in the "41 French Intornational Toulousc Singing Compctition" in France and won the first prize.

In 1996, he was the main actor in the opera "Carmen" performed at the Shanghai Grand Theater in cooperation with the French Opera.

In June 1997, he participated in the "Placido Domingo Opera Compctition tho World" and won the first prize.

In April 1997, he won the "1995-1996 Baosteel High Art Foundation Performance Award."

In 1997, he won the Norwegian "Queen Songja International Vocal Competition" (Queen Songja Intcrnational) Music Competition)

Won the "Magnolia" Theater Performing Arts Award in 1998 and the title of "Shanghai Art and Arts Double Talent"

September 1997 in Norway. Tour, *** held ten concerts.

In January 1998, he was invited by the famous tenor Placido Domingo to hold a New Year's concert in Japan.

In January 1998, at the invitation of Queen Sonja, she went to Norway to participate in the New Year Concert.

In May 1998, she held a solo concert at the Shanghai Mall Theater.

In May 1998, at the invitation of the Bergen Art Festival, she went to the Bergen Festival with the famous female violinist Anne-Sophie-Mutter and the mezzo-soprano singer C. Bartoll. Held a special concert in Norway

In June 1998, he collaborated with the famous conductor David Collins to perform the opera "Carmen" in the UK.

August 1998. Participated in a special concert for European and American winners in Berlin, Germany.

In September 1998, he was invited as a special guest by the famous tenor Jose Carrcras, and performed with Carreras and the female singer. Soprano singer Huang Ying held a special concert at the Shanghai Grand Theater.

In 1998, she cooperated with the Opéra Comique and played the main role in Gounod's opera "Faust" at the Shanghai Grand Theater.

In March 1999, he signed a contract with the Shanghai Grand Theater and became one of the first actors signed by the Shanghai Grand Theater.

In March 1999, he was invited to the United States to perform a special concert at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

In September 1999, he held a solo concert at the Shanghai Grand Theater.

In November 1999, he participated in the performance of the opera "Adelia" in New York, USA.

In November 1999, a solo concert of Chinese and foreign classic songs was held in his hometown of Chengdu Art Center.

In December 1999, he performed the opera "La Traviata" in Taiwan.

In January 2000, he was invited by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr. Tung Chee-hwa, and his wife to participate in the Hong Kong "Charity Fundraising" concert. He is the most outstanding singer active on the domestic and foreign music stages in recent years, and one of the few outstanding Asian singers currently active on the world opera stage. He has won many awards in major domestic and international vocal competitions; especially from 1996 to 1997, he won the "41st Toulouse International Vocal Competition" and the "Domingo World Opera Competition" three times in a row within one year. ", first place in "Norwegian Queen Sonja International Vocal Competition". Queen Sonja of Norway once said excitedly: "Liao Changyong is a great singer among all previous contestants. I designate today as China Day." His outstanding talent was highly valued by Master Domingo, one of the three great tenors in the world.

His footprints have spread all over the world, and he has successfully collaborated with more than a dozen world-famous symphony orchestras and many opera masters such as Domingo, Carreras, and Ruth Ann Swenson. More than a dozen operas and concerts were performed.

From 1998 to 2004, he successively won the "Art Star" of the first Shanghai International Art Festival, Shanghai's New Long March Commando, Shanghai's first "Top Ten Cultural Newcomers", Shanghai Model Worker, and National " Winner of the May 1st Medal, the national "Artist with Virtue and Art", the "Outstanding Artistic Achievement Award" of the American Committee of 100, the "Outstanding Artist Award" in New York, etc.

He has the reputation of "Asia's No. 1 Baritone". He once won the first place in three world-famous vocal competitions within one year, which shocked the world music world. In the world of Chinese classical music, it is difficult to find an artist that can be praised and described by everyone with top-notch words. Liao Changyong is one of the few artists who can convince everyone. Those words to describe him would be suffocating when used on ordinary people, but Liao Changyong can afford it, because he is indeed excellent, and his achievements in the world music scene are worthy of the word outstanding.

He is easy-going and not arrogant. He never shows off his achievements too much, especially his teacher-student relationship with Domingo. If he does that, he will be in the eyes of the Chinese public. , his reputation will definitely be higher. But I often hear people in the industry talking about how he transformed from a farmer in rural Sichuan to a dazzling star on par with the world's masters, and almost everyone says that Liao Changyong is a particularly good person. A humble good man, a rising star in the world. Both sides are Liao Changyong. If he doesn't show off, it doesn't mean that he is not wonderful.

He is one of the few outstanding Asian singers currently active on the world opera stage. He has the reputation of "Asia's No. 1 Baritone". He is one of the "three great tenors in the world" and the most admired disciple of the famous opera master Domingo. He shocked the world music world by winning first place in three world-famous vocal competitions within one year, including the Domingo World Opera Competition, which is considered the most difficult and has never been entered by an Asian in the finals. He was praised by the critical "Washington Post" and "New York Times" as "this talented artist will become a treasure in the world music scene" and "this is the most beautiful baritone we have heard in recent years." . He is Liao Changyong, my country's young baritone singer and director of the Vocal Music Department of Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

I don’t know how much the general public knows about Liao Changyong’s name, his voice, and his worldwide reputation. I only know that he is easy-going and not arrogant. He never shows off his achievements too much, especially It is important not to show off his teacher-student relationship with Domingo - if he does that, his reputation will definitely be higher in the minds of the Chinese public. But I often hear people in the industry talking about Liao Changyong, about his good singing and acting, and about how he transformed from a farmer in rural Sichuan to a dazzling star on par with the world's masters. And, almost everyone said, Liao Changyong is a very nice person. A humble good man, a rising star in the world. Both sides are Liao Changyong. If he doesn't show off, it doesn't mean that he is not wonderful. Do all artists have to have a weird temper?

One of my colleagues who interviewed Liao Changyong was very confused. She said that as long as Liao Changyong stood on the stage and opened his mouth to sing, it would be absolutely wonderful. But off the stage, he was so nice and special. Modesty, and just - so normal. What she means is, among the big-name artists we know, who has no temper, no character, no neurosis? As we know, Pavarotti must find a nail on the stage before going on stage, Carreras avoids the media, Sarah Brightman never allows others to enter her dressing room, and that Catherine Bartle, who sang the theme song for Zhang Yimou's new film "House of Flying Daggers", was well-known for her wayward behavior at the Beijing International Music Festival, where she burst into tears and laughed.

These have been passed down as anecdotes about artists, and people have become accustomed to using them as signs of artists. It seems that the more famous an artist is, the more he or she should have a different temperament from ordinary people. You may even wonder, is it related to the artist’s extraordinary artistic creativity?

"However, Liao Changyong is so normal. More than normal, he is simply great! How can a good person be an artist?" she said. Of course a good person can be an artist, she is just surprised. Artists always focus on sensibility and often indulge in their emotions. Liao Changyong is so "normal". Where do his unconventional artistic performances and artistic passion on the stage come from?

When I conveyed her doubts to Liao Changyong, Liao Changyong smiled: "Artists are also human beings. Once they are famous, people will notice that they have some weird tempers. In fact, I have met many Artists, they are all very nice." He also felt that as an artist, there is no need to be angry just because people like you.

He said: "I don't think those big artists have weird tempers. Carreras avoids the media because of his illness. Singers are a bit nervous and don't want to be disturbed before a performance. , It cannot be said that this is a strange trait. I am always nervous before going on stage, like Pavarotti looking for nails. It is to find a psychological support and a way to vent my nervousness. I want to express my nervousness by not speaking. Let’s vent on the stage.” Everyone in the family is surprised that Liao Changyong, who is relatively introverted in life, has a different kind of passionate appearance on stage, which can sometimes shock people.

“Good guy” Liao Changyong said: “I am a person who is easily depressed and bored, so I always have to have an outlet for my emotions, right? The outlet for my emotions is at On the stage." In life, he is a very rule-abiding person. He said: "No matter what you do, you must first have rules and develop a habit. Once you have this, you can do other things." I asked him, Artistic imagination is originally unfettered. If it is too disciplined, will it affect the expression of creativity? He said: "If it's like a wild horse running wild at the beginning, and then you rein it in later, I'm afraid you won't be able to regain it. Because music itself is created within a norm, and you can't let go of those things for the sake of so-called creativity." < /p>

First put yourself within a certain norm, and then unleash your creativity. It sounds nothing special, but this is the first time I have heard an artist talk about the relationship between art and passion. This is Liao Changyong's secret to success: "My teacher Zhou Xiaoyan once asked me to summarize my learning experience to everyone. I said that I had nothing to summarize, just 'obedience'. Whatever the teacher asked me to do, I really followed it. Fulfill that requirement." In fact, why Liao Changyong is able to perform roles that are completely different from his own personality and gain him reputation on the opera stage, is it not because of norms? He will think about every action, look, and turn that fits the character's personality, and he will also make the actions conform to the character's psychological rhythm and music rhythm. That is a standard and a creation, and the key is to really put your heart into it.

However, if we just tell the story of an obedient and good student who can succeed, we can stop here. Liao Changyong is not such a simple artist.