(Ecns.cn)--Unlike most girls born after the 1980s whose notion of a fabulous life is being buried alive in luxury brands or parading themselves in their accessories on the Internet, Sun Qing looks grounded, mature and clear about what kind of lifestyle is worth her passionate pursuit.
Three years ago she was a recent graduate of China's best college of music- the Central Conservatory of Music, and now Sun is the youth opera soprano with the Beijing Dance, Drama & Opera theater. "I met opera by accident, but since the day it came to my life, it has enriched every minute," said Sun.
Many opera singers find the process of learning an opera difficult and the practice tough and boring. Though for Sun the feeling is the same, she still finds that she cannot live without opera. "It is a road of no return, and I thought of giving it up, but failed," confssed Sun.
Born in a very ordinary sort of family, Sun's parents are just normal people with no big savings accounts or properties that would spare their daughter any financial worries while she devoted all her attention to the opera. It was when she had just graduated that Sun was tempted to throw it all over and find a good-paying job.
The reality of daily survival is what drove many of Sun's classmates to give up a life devoted to art and chase material prosperity instead. "Like them, I gave up opera for a week, but unlike them, I could not stand a life without it," said Sun, "Life is short and I want to do something that can prove to me that I have lived," she smiled.
"For some girls, LV, Prada and a villa may mean something, but to me, they are just transient things," added the young soprano, "I want to focus on what I really love to do and try my best to do it better."
There were hard times, but Sun made it through, reflecting, "if I cannot manage to sing well, I do not think I can do other things well either." Since choosing to continue the singing career, Sun has given it her all and learned from every opportunity.
When she was still an elementary school student, her mother discovered her singing talent and sent her to learn bel canto. "In the beginning, I could not find any method to grasp this vocal style and I was the worst singer in my class," Sun recalled.
"But I remember just before our group gave a performance, I practiced all day in front of the mirror. Then my mother came home, and when I went to call out to her it was as if a banana filled my mouth. I suddenly knew how to enunciate the way my teacher taught me!" smiled Sun.
That turning point helped Sun to approach bel canto and she was inspired to get on the right track. With the family's support, she succeeded in passing the entrance examination for the Central Conservatory of Music.
In 2009, Sun received a scholarship from the National Opera of Belgium and went there for a short time to study the opera Semele written by George Frideric Handel in 1743. At the same time in China, director Zhang Huan was also directing a Chinese version of Semele which tells the story of a farm woman's pursuit of happiness.
Sun was complimentary: "Zhang was a very clever director and he brought many Chinese elements to the stage while at the same time using the songs of the original Semele." Zhang asked Sun to play the leading role, but because she was studying in Belgium, she passed up the chance.
"I like Zhang's work, and though I was a little upset about not singing in that opera," admitted Sun, "I also learned a lot from the National Opera of Belgium." Back to China, Sun saw a job come up in the Beijing Dance, Drama & Opera Theater, for a part in singing an opera named "Confucius."
Sun's audition went smoothly and she signed a contract to work with the theater. Last August, the rising star went to compete in a singing competition in Russia, won third prize, and was declared " most promising young singer." Her perseverance was translating into career rewards.
Soon, Sun will return to her old middle school in Yantai, Shangdong Province, to give a performance. "I choose to sing something from an opera by Gioacchino Rossini, which was also sung by China's famous soprano Huang Ying," Sun said.
Sun knows she still has much to learn from the work of stars like Huang, but she is confident that she will present a different but worthy version to her teacher and schoolmates.
