Overview
Biography
SUN Xiu Wei, born in Liaoning, was first under the guidance of Chinese famous soprano Professor Zhilan Gao. She then studied vocal performance with renowned Italian soprano Rita Orlandi Malaspina in Milan after winning her first prizein theVarallo Val Sesia International Vocal Competition in Italy in 1994.
Xiu Wei subsequently won six first prizes in various international vocal competitions within two years. Following her opera debut of La Traviata as Violeta in 1994, Tokyo, she was invited byTeatro Verdi, Italy to perform Norma as Norma in 1995, immediately obtaining great acclaim both by public and critics. Thereafter, she has been heavily engaged in major European opera houses in Roma, Bologna, Palermo, Trieste, Genova, Venezia, Torre Di Lago, Catania, Verona, Berlin, Bonn, Aachen, Carlsruhe, Nice, Avenches, Zurich, Oslo, Helsinki,Bilbao, Seville, Mallorca and Serbia. Starting from 1999 her opera performances have been well extended to theatres in the United States, Canada and South America in Washington, Los Angeles, Detroit, Philadelphia, Toronto,Santiago and Chile.
Recognized as one of the most influential performing artist and premier Chinese spinto sopranos, SUN is notable for her charisma on the operatic stage where she presents herself as a multifaceted performer both in singing and acting. She possesses extraordinary talent in creating the roles alive through her profound understanding of the music as well as grasping the psychological and emotional subtleties of the characters. As a versatile singer, her singing carries immense infection in which her broad range of voice comprehends crystal clear treble and mellow alto tone. Her superb technique and sublime artistic achievement have been highly acclaimed in the world of opera. SUN has been credited an "amazing voice, very penetrating, with stratospheric high notes that had a diamond like glitter and a Brunnhilde-like power, a shinning star, shaping perfect expression of the character..." by the western media. Moreover, she was hailed as "the most ideal and perfect Cio Cio San" for her over 200 performances of Madama Butterflysince her debut of the role in Verona Di Arena, Italy, 1997.
SUN is one of the few Chinese opera singerswho remain active on international stages. Her extensive repertoire partly include Verdi's Nabucco, Attilla, Il Corsaro, Il Trovatore, La Traviata, Un Ballo in Maschera, La Forza del Destino, Macbeth, Requiem; Puccini's Tosca, Madama Butterfly, Suor Angelica, Turandot; Bellini's Il Pirata, Norma; Leocavallo's Il Pagliacci; Mascagni's Iris, Richard Strauss's Salome, Giordano's Andrea Chénier and Wagner's The Flying Dutchman. She had also appeared in opera festivals such as the Puccini Festival, Avenches Opera Art Festival and more. SUN has collaborated with celebrated conductors including Arena, Bartoletti, Domingo, Gatti, Nagano, Oren, Renzetti, Rizzi and Santi, and distinguished movie directors as Del Monaco, Zeffirelli, and Zhang Yimo.
In 2002, she was invited by Maestro Domingo to perform the title role of Puccini's Turandot at the Washington National Opera. The huge success of the performance had brought her to perform the opera again with Domingo under his baton in November 2012 for the Grand Opening of the National Centre for Performing Arts in Beijing Opera Festival. During May 2013, SUN had performed Nabucco with Domingo together at the Opera House of National Grand Theatre. In October 2013, she played the role of the Princess again in Turandot conducted by one of the most prominent Italian opera conductors Daniel Oren. Both productions of the two operas have been filmed and released.
Besides concertizing with intense schedule, SUN is also holding professorship at China Opera Institute and Beijing University.
