Concert held to pay salute to 'oriental nightingale'
Fang Shouen (left), Party chief of Tongji University, presents a replica of Zhu Fengbo's registration card 60 years ago to the soprano.
A concert was held on Friday night at Tongji University to pay salute to famous Chinese soprano Zhu Fengbo, an alumna of the university.
About 20 of Zhu’s classic songs, such as North Wind Blows from the opera the White-Haired Girl, were performed by Shanghai Light Music Troupe and students and teachers from Tongji.
Zhu was admitted into Tongji in 1955 to study architecture but landed a job with Shanghai Opera House in 1960 with outstanding singing talents and studied at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, kicking off her splendid artistic career.
She had starred in many famous operas, including Red Coral and Liu Sanjie.
The aria in the opera the White-Haired Girl was one of the most famous song sung by Zhu between 1960s and 1970s.
She traveled abroad with China’s leaders between 1974 and 1976 to perform in various countries and became known as the “oriental nightingale.”
Later, she worked in Shanghai Ballet Troupe, Shanghai Song and Dance Ensemble as a solo singer, participating in several thousand performances.
She also founded the Shanghai Light Music Troupe in 1985 and an artistic school later.
On Friday, Zhu donated a collection of her classic songs to the university, including one song specially created to celebrate its 110th birthday, while the university presented her a replica of her registration card about 60 years ago.
