Synopsis
Soprano He Hui started studying music in Xi’an in the late 1990s, to become one of world’s most acclaimed interpreters of bel canto. She spends her life singing in the grandest opera houses, until one day she decides to return to China looking for her roots. 2017 New Year’s Concert at NCPA in Beijing is then a perfect opportunity to come back and hold a Master Class to share the fruits of her professional experience with the students at the Xi’an Conservatory of Music. Reconnected with her family and friends in her city of origin, she is now ready to resume her artistic journey.
He Hui and the producers Agnese Fontata, Rosario Di Girolamo and Duan Peng will be present to introduce the documentary.
A Q&A session will be followed.
HE Hui
Chinese soprano HE Hui debut as Aida in Shanghai Grand Theatre in 1998. She burst onto the international music scene in 2002 with her performance as the title role in Puccini’s Tosca at Teatro Regio in Parma. And her Madama Butterfly debuted in National Opera House in Bordeaux. She has become not only one of the most famous interpreters of Cio-Cio San to be heard today, but also one of the most acclaimed interpreters of the titles roles in Aida and Tosca. Since her breakout performance in 2002, Ms. HE has sung at most of the world’s leading theatres, including the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna State Opera, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Opera Bastill in Paris, Bavarian State Opera in Munich, Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Lirico opera in Chicago and Arena di Verona… Engagements for the 2016/17 season included Amelia in Un Ballo in Maschera at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma and Zürich Opera, the title role in Tosca at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and Festival Puccini, and the title role in Madama Butterfly at the Teatro Real de Madrid, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Teatro Massimo di Palermo, Den Norske Opera, and Dallas Opera. In future seasons, Ms. He will make her role and house debut as Elvira in Ernani with the Opéra de Marseille, return to the Metropolitan Opera as Madama Butterfly and sing the title role in La Gioconda at the Deutsche Oper Berlin.
In the 2015/16 season, Ms. HE sang the title role in Madama Butterfly at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, the title role in Aida at the Arena di Verona and Teatro Verdi di Salerno in Italy, the title role in Tosca at Deutsche Oper Berlin and Semperoper Dresden, Leonora in Il Trovatore at Opera National de Paris and Arena di Verona, and Donna Leonora in La forza del Destino at Teatro Filarmonico di Verona and Staatstheater Wiesbaden. Engagements for the 2014/15 season included the title role in Madama Butterfly at Deutsche Oper Berlin, the title role in Aida at Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Arena di Verona and National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, the title role in Tosca at Teatro Massimo di Palermo, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Semperoper Dresden, Arena di Verona and Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville, and Leonora in Il trovatore at Chorégies d’Orange in France. Ms. HE’s engagements for the 2013/14 season included Aida at Teatro alla Scala and Arena di Verona, the title role in La Gioconda at Deutsche Oper Berlin, Leonora at Theatro Municipal de São Paulo, Madama Butterfly at the Metropolitan Opera and Den Norske Opera, Amelia in Un Ballo in Maschera at Arena di Verona, and Verdi’s Requiem with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and at Teatro Regio di Torino.
In the 2012/13 season, Ms. HE sang the title role in Madama Butterfly at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen, Bavarian State Opera, Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Teatre Principal de Mahón in Spain, and Staatsoper Berlin; the title role in La Gioconda at Teatro Verdi di Salerno under Daniel Oren; the title role in Aida at the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro Massimo di Palermo, and Arena di Verona; and Leonora in Il Trovatore at Arena di Verona. Her engagements for the 2011/12 season included the title role in Tosca at Oper Frankfurt and Opera di Firenze, Aida at Lyric Opera of Chicago and Arena di Verona, and Madama Butterfly at Theatre du Capitole in Toulouse. In the 2010/11 season, Ms. HE sang Aida at the 2011 Maggio Musicale Fiorentino production under Zubin Mehta, in a new production at Oper Köln, in Valencia, Munich, and with the New Israeli Opera at Masada.
Born in China’s Shaanxi, HE Hui completed her musical and vocal studies in China and Italy. In 2000, she won Second Prize at Placido Domingo’s International Operalia Competition in Los Angeles, after which she was invited by Maestro Domingo to sing a concert with him in Shanghai. In 2002, Ms. HE won the First Prize at the Voci Verdiane in Bussetto, where she was especially praised by the legendary Turkish soprano, Leyla Gencer. She subsequently made her Italian stage debut in February of 2002 as Tosca at the Teatro Regio in Parma. This debut was followed by Alzira in Parma, Un Ballo in Maschera in Verona and Bolzano, and Aida in Florence, Naples, Rome, Busetto, Lucca, Piacenza and Catanzaro. Ms. HE debuted at the Vienna State Opera as Lina in Verdi’s Stiffelioand at the Arena di Verona as Liu in Turandot. In 2006, she made two very important debuts: at the Teatro alla Scala in Milano in Tosca, conducted by Lorin Maazel, and at Opéra-Bastille in Paris in Madama Butterfly. In 2007, Ms. HE debuted in Munich as Tosca, and it was in this role that she made her New York Philharmonic debut in concert performances under Lorin Maazel in 2009. This was followed by her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in 2010 as Aida. HE Hui has performed in some of the most prestigious opera houses in the world and has appeared on stage along with some of the most renowned conductors (Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Daniel Oren, Fabio Luisi, Marco Armilliato, Andris Nelsons, Gustavo Dudamel).
She has participated in productions of the highest level with world-renowned directors (Franco Zeffirelli, Hugo de Ana, Robert Wilson, Damiano Michieletto, Giancarlo Del Monaco, Keita Asari), starring alongside highly acclaimed singer (Placido Domingo, Renato Bruson, Raina Kabaivanska, Giovanna Casolla, Dolora Zajick, Juan Pons, Roberto Alagna, Ambrogio Maestri). HE Hui has received many prestigious awards, such as the Prize “Sergio Ravazzin” in 2005 awarded for the best debut in the Arena by the association “Le Voci” of Verona”; the “Juliet” prize awarded by the “Giuseppe Verdi” association in Verona for her interpretation of Aida in 2007; the “Kaleidos” prize awarded by the Kaleidos association of Palermo in 2009; in 2010 she was awarded the Oscar of the Opera by the Arena di Verona Foundation; and in 2011 she was awarded the “Luigi Illica” prize by the City of Castell’Arquato; and in 2013 she received the “Verona Lirica” award assigned by the association, “2015 Marcella Pobbe award “, and also in 2015 she won “World Chinese Awards”.
Andrea Prandstraller – author and director
Andrea Prandstraller, Padua (IT), he worked with many director as Franco Taviani, Emidio Greco e Franco Rosi. He made documentaries for RAI 3, RAI Sat Arte, RAI Storia, The History Channel, National Geographic, ARTE, RTBF, TSI.
He won Premio Solinas 2007 edition with Nudi alla meta, for the screenplay, with Marco Pettenello. With feature documentary Vajont ’63, l’immagine dell’orrore he won SKY Award Best Documetary 2008 and Jade Kunlun Award 2010 at Quinghai Festival, China.
The documentary Dust, the great asbestos trial was nominated to David di Donatello 2012 and won awards worldwide (best documentary at Bagdad Festival and Rio de Janeiro among others).
Niccolò Bruna – author and director
Niccolò Bruna, co-author with Prandstraller of documentary Dust, the great asbestos trial, he is author, director and producer of feature documentary. He experiment with the expressive tools of the reality cinema since its participation to EICTV courses in Cuba in 1998. With City Veins – The future of the world goes from here he won Ivens Aword at Festival Cinéma du Réel in Paris 2011. With the documentary “Pequenas Mentiras Piad osas” he won UniCredit Pavillion Award Young 2015.
Agnese Fontana – author and producer
In 2011, after 20 years of production experience, Agnese Fontana founded LE TALEE an independent production company based in Rome, Italy, and produced in association with Kaos Cinematografica and Stemal Entertainment “Caesar Must Die” by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani – the film won the Golden Bear in the Berlinale 2012.
In 2013 she produced Magicarena, a documentary feature film by Andrea Prandstraller and Niccolò Bruna, World Premiére 36 Cairo International film festival 2014. Seattle, Minneapolis, Bari, Biarritz, Vladivostok, Vancouver, Milwaukee, Victoria, Beijing.
She produced among others films and documentaries: Il caso martello by Guido Chiesa – Grolla D’oro for Best First Feature Film, Venice Film festival, Palm Springs and Cairo – and Anime fiammeggianti by Davide Ferrario – Venice Film festival, Sundance film Festival – and Babylon (Lies to Live By) by Guido Chiesa – Locarno International Film Festival, Silver Leopard Nominated.
Since 2015 she is President of Doc/it, the Italian Documentary Association.
Since 2017 she is Steering Committee member at GZDOC.
Rosario Di Girolamo – author and producer
Born in Naples (IT). From 2011, Computational Social Scientist in the Telecom Italia Reputation Monitoring Room, won the Best European Solution for Digital Monitoring and Evaluation at European Digital Communication Award 2012.
From 2014, documentary producer and author with Le Talee. From 2015 is Head of Research and Development of Doc/It, the Italian Documentary Association.
Duan Peng – producer
Duan Peng, CEO Sunnyway Culture Media, International Relationship Head and Executive Committé member at SRIFF – Silk Road International Film Festival.
Under his leadership, Sunnyway Culture Media won many National and International awards. He produced the movies: Sunnyway, Yellow Cantabile, Chachinantao, Nightingale, Father of Vienna, Lang singingfolk songs in the door, Purple incense under Huai, The 9th goddess.
Golden Saint George Winner, Best Film “Crested Ibis” at 39 Moscow International Film Festival.