Xiao Sheng is good at Kunqu Opera, studying under the famous performing artists Cai Zhengren, Yue Meiti and Zhou Zhigang, and under the master Yu Zhenfei. Over the past 30 years, he has starred in many major dramas such as Peony Pavilion, Palace of Eternal Life, Peach Blossom Fan, The Jade Hairpin, Legend of the White Snake and so on. And created many characters with different styles on the Kunqu Opera stage. He has won the 24th China Plum Blossom Award for Drama Performance, the1Magnolia Award for Leading Role in Shanghai Drama Performance, the 2002 United Nations Award for Promoting the Art Development of Kunqu Opera, the "Top Ten Actors" of National Outstanding Young and Middle-aged Kunqu Opera Actors and other awards, and won the 1999 "Top Ten Cultural Newcomers" in Shanghai and the 2004 Top Ten Outstanding Young People in Shanghai. He was a member of the 11th CPPCC in Shanghai, and now he is a member of the Standing Committee of Shanghai Youth Federation, vice chairman of Shanghai Youth Federation, director of Shanghai Dramatists Association and vice chairman of Shanghai Performing Artists Federation.
Zhang Jun has also been committed to the popularization and promotion of Kunqu Opera for a long time: since 1998, the interactive performance "Kunqu Opera Approaching Youth" and the interactive lecture "I am a Primary School Student" planned and hosted by Zhang Jun have been held in universities at home and abroad, including Harvard University. In addition, he also expanded the communication channels of Kunqu Opera through cross-border cooperation with various art categories, and successively cooperated with internationally renowned musicians Tan Dun, conductor Tang Muhai, Japanese kabuki actor Ishikawa Xiaoye, Taiwan Province singer Wang Leehom, British violinist Charlie Siem, and American fats waller Bobby McFerrin, creating the possibility for Kunqu Opera to gain young audiences and spread around the world. Among them, Tan Dun's opera "Kyle Poirot" produced by the Royal Dutch Opera House and starring Zhang Jun was nominated for the Grammy Award of 20 10.
20 1 1 In May, UNESCO Director-General Bokova appointed Zhang Jun as "peace artist" in recognition of Zhang Jun's profound accomplishments in the performing arts of Kunqu Opera and his long-term positive contribution to promoting the intangible cultural heritage, especially in promoting the spread of Kunqu Opera. He is also the third China artist to win this award after China movie star Gong Li and China Disabled Art Troupe. 20 12 After watching the real-life garden Kunqu Opera Peony Pavilion in May, irina bokova highly appreciated it and happily wrote an inscription: "The modernity of art needs to draw inspiration and nutrients from tradition".
Young people stand out and are determined to stick to the Kunqu stage.
From 65438 to 0986, Zhang Jun stood out from more than 20,000 people and became one of the 60 lucky ones, studying in Class 3, Kunsan, Shanghai Theatre Academy. Life in drama academy is hard and boring. The vocals and figures displayed on the actors' stage seem elegant and subtle, but in fact, behind this beauty, solid basic skills are needed year after year. Holding a top, twisting a spinning machine, using a blanket, bending over and kicking are all old friends, and musk tiger bone paste and analgesic spray are commonplace. There is a motto in Kun Class 3: "Unhappy" is right. Only discomfort is the right way, and there will be good results. Conversely, laziness is the most comfortable, but laziness will never produce a good Kunqu actor.
Because the enrollment and graduation coincided with the depression of opera, only half of the 60 people left their jobs after graduation, and the other half switched to other industries. Zhang Jun, who just turned 20 when she graduated, is as curious and enthusiastic about new things as other peers. He and two other friends formed a pop band, singing RAP and dancing HIP HOP, which became famous in Shanghai for a while, and even attracted record companies to invite them to sign up for ten years to help them embark on the road of professional pop singers. At this time, Zhang Jun hesitated. Although Kunqu opera and pop music gave him completely opposite compensation ratios, when he really faced leaving the Kunqu opera stage forever, he clearly found that Kunqu opera had already been integrated into his blood and became an emotion that he could not give up all his life. He can't help feeling that there are not many pop musicians now, and there may be fewer Kunqu students without him. In the end, only Zhang Jun and another student were left among the eight students in the Theatre Academy.
After graduation, Zhang Jun successfully entered the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe. Handsome temperament and solid singing posture made him quickly become the key training object of the troupe.
Tell Kunqu opera to college students
Starting from 1998, Zhang Jun and his partners began to perform various versions of Peony Pavilion and Palace of Eternal Life. After rehearsing and acting, Zhang Jun did not forget to think: Why is Kunqu Opera so beautiful with few audiences? Why don't young audiences like excellent traditional culture? In order to popularize Kunqu opera, they went to all universities in Shanghai. In addition, they also tried to promote Kunqu opera through new channels. For example, places where young people gather, such as Starbucks and Popular Bookstore, have become their positions, and they do not forget to cultivate the audience while performing. Under the guidance of Zhang Jun, they also established the "Orchid Elegant Collection" Shang Kun Member Club.
On the stage is romantic Liu Mengmei, and under the stage is fashionable hipsters. He chose to tell Kunqu opera to college students in a fashionable and humorous way. Take the Peony Pavilion, a treasure of Kunqu Opera by Tang Xianzu as an example. "At that time, it will be a youth idol drama, just like Korean dramas, which can perform 55 episodes at a time." Having said that, the elegant Kunqu opera seems to have become a lot more cordial.
For a long time, Zhang Jun has gained considerable popularity and appeal among young people, especially college students, through unremitting efforts. Zhang Jun, who has been involved in pop music, combines elegant classical temperament with unrestrained modern vitality, and interprets and deduces the ancient Kunqu art with the unique perspective and experience of young people.
Published an autobiographical video essay collection "I am a primary school student"
Zhang Jun, Prince of Kunqu Opera, published his first collection of autobiographical image essays, I am Xiao Sheng, during the Shanghai Book Fair in August 2008. Through this collection of essays, Zhang Junyong describes his personal dramatic life in words, and the famous scholar Professor Yu Dan prefaces the book.
I am Xiao Sheng takes sharing as the main theme, and through the development of four families of Kunqu Opera Xiao Sheng, including silk scarf life, poor life, official life and pheasant life, it corresponds to four parts of Zhang Jun's stage and ideal, hesitation and reality, life and ambition, feelings and pursuit. It depicts the accumulation and changes of Shanghai Kunqu Opera stage after the turn of the century, tells the story of a young student of Kunqu Opera's growth process with perseverance, and also shows readers a brilliant young man's understanding of life, ideals and self, which is inspiring, touching and unhurried.
Shanghai Zhang Jun Kunqu Opera Art Center was established.
Zhang Jun, Prince of Kunqu Opera, has accumulated considerable popularity among young people through ten years of unremitting activities of "Kunqu Opera Approaching Youth". In 2009, he gave up the post of deputy head of Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe and established Shanghai Zhang Jun Kunqu Opera Art Center. Under the historical background of advocating the diversified development of cultural system, Zhang Jun thinks that he only dares to raise his hand when this wave comes, echoing the needs of the times.
Shanghai Zhang Jun Kunqu Opera Art Center is the only private professional Kunqu Opera Troupe in China, which was established on September 22nd, 2009. The center aims at revitalizing and prospering the cause of Kunqu opera, exploring diversified artistic production and communication modes, and positioning its functions from four aspects: creation and performance center, education and research center, communication and promotion center and cultural exchange center. Shanghai Cultural Development Foundation Zhang Jun Kunqu Opera Art Special Fund was also established. The performances produced by the center include the Peony Pavilion, a realistic garden Kunqu Opera, a concert by Zhang Junxin's Kunqu Opera, Kunsai in New Tone of Ink and Wash, and an exhibition in Cai Zhengren commemorating the 20th anniversary of Yu Zhenfei's death. He was also invited to perform in the United States, Germany, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, Norway and other places, which was well received by overseas audiences and the media.
Central memorabilia:
On September 22nd, 2009, Zhang Jun Kunqu Art Center was established.
On February 4th, 20 10, the Center was invited to perform the Peony Pavilion, the grand finale of Shanghai Art Festival, in Hamburg Concert Hall, Germany.
On April 20 10, Zhang Jun made a speech on "Give Kunqu a Future" at Harvard University, spreading Kunqu culture.
On June 20 10, the peony pavilion, a real-life garden Kunqu opera, officially opened in Zhujiajiao, Shanghai, and became a cultural performance outside the 20 10 Shanghai World Expo.
On August 28th, 20 10, a solo concert was successfully held in Nanjing.
2010165438+1October 18, 19 "neoclassicism" series special "Know Your Gains and Losses" was staged in He Luting Concert Hall.
On 2011May 14 15, the Kunqu comedy "My Lady's Secret" was jointly staged with the outstanding actors of the Brothers Troupe.
20 1 1 was awarded the title of "UNESCO Peace Artist" on May 26th.
2065438+01July, China's first public bank card with the theme of intangible cultural heritage-"Zhang Jun Kunqu Art Fund" was held in Shanghai World Financial Center.
On 20 11September1day, Zhang Jun Kunqu Art Center entrusted the "Liu Kunban" students trained by the Opera School affiliated to Shanghai Theatre Academy to formally enter the school.
20 1 1 September, Life and Life-Zhang Jun Kunqu Art Exhibition was held on the Bund 18.
20 1 1 In September, the documentary short film "Yu Lu" with Zhang Jun as the leading role was released.
20111February, Zhang Junxin's Kunqu Opera Concert premiered, and "Kunliu Class 6" students made their debut.
On June 1, 2065438, 20 12, the sketch edition and Peony Pavilion jointly created by the famous Peking Opera actor Shi premiered at the Oriental Art Center.
20 12 On September 22nd, in order to celebrate the third anniversary of the establishment of the Center, the real-life garden Kunqu Opera Peony Pavilion 100 performed, and the film documentary peony pavilion premiered in Shanghai.
20 12 10 10 The Peony Pavilion, a real-life garden Kunqu Opera, successfully premiered in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, the birthplace of Kunqu Opera, and settled in Lin Ting Garden, becoming the second regular performance base in China.
20 12 1 1, A New Tune of Kunsai in Water Mill -20 12 Zhang Junxin's Kunqu Campus Concert was staged in Tongji University Auditorium.
2012165438+1October 29th-65438+February 2nd, the first stop of the world tour of the live-action Kunqu Opera Peony Pavilion was successfully staged for six times at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
201March 15, Zhang Ran, an outstanding young actor of our center, successfully held the first solo performance of Kunqu Opera in Chenzhou, Hunan.
20 13 In May, Zhang Jun adapted and starred in Tan Dun's opera Kelpolo as the opening performance of the internationally renowned Norwegian Bergen Art Festival.
Zhang Jun led 1 17 -20, July 2003, 1 1 Excellent students from all over the country gathered in Shanghai for the first time to participate in the exhibition "Endless Life"-the 20th anniversary of Yu Zhenfei's death in Cai Zhengren.
2065438+03101On October 25th and 26th, the 3D holographic concert of "Water Mill's New Tune and Kuncha" was staged in Shanghai Conservatory of Music, which was the first time that the "3D holographic sound" technology was combined with stage art in China.
June, 2065438 12 and June 13, as an important performance activity of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, the second stop of the world tour of the real-life garden Kunqu Opera Peony Pavilion was successfully staged in Domaine de la Celle Saint-Cloud Castle in Paris, France.