iSING! International Young Artist Festival

The iSING! International Young Artists Festival is the first-ever festival promoting the vocal arts in China. Founded with a mission to introduce Mandarin as a lyric language ad Chinese vocal music as an emerging genre in the mainstream music world, iSING! offers a unique opportunity for Western singers to be exposed to the developing opera scene in China and provides Chinese vocalists access to quality training in Western-style opera. The program aims:

- to engage in more cross cultural interdisciplinary collaborations

- to encourage the creation, commission and performance of contemporary Chinese works for voice and theater

- to equip young singers with the requisite skills to excel on the ever more culturally diversified and globalized opera stage in the 21st century

With a distinguished faculty including coaches from the Metropolitan Opera and China's top conservatories, headed by artistic director Hao Jiang Tian, the one-month program will offer classes in interpretation of standard Western repertoire and Chinese modern opera, Mandarin diction and language, with ample performance opportunities.

In the idyllic ancient city of Suzhou is the heartbeat of Suzhou cultural life and the symbolic meeting of traditions, the Suzhou Culture and Arts Centre, which will host the iSING! International Young Artists Festival. Designed by French architect Paul Andreu, whose other renowned works include Beijing's National Centre for the Performing Arts, this impressive structure houses the state-of-art venues and facilities where classes and performances will take place.

The opportunity for participants to hone their craft through performing and to share their music is a priority for iSING!. There will be an opening concert on July 3 with orchestra as part of the official opening ceremony of the iSING! International Young Artists Festival, and will feature a series of concerts with orchestra in several cities including Shanghai. The program will conclude with a closing concert on July 24 with piano at the Suzhou Culture and Arts Centre Grand Theatre.