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    Published: 2024-12-301
    Vol. 19 (2024)

    The Structure of Education in European Bel Canto Vocal Art in Contemporary China

    Binxing Lin
    Edukacja Muzyczna (Musical Education)
    Section: Studies & Dissertations
    https://doi.org/10.16926/em.2024.19.07

    Abstract

     The beginnings of teaching Western bel canto vocal style in China date back to the 1930s. Over the course of nearly a century, bel canto has become deeply entrenched in the musical culture of the country. Bel canto singing is not the dominant trend in Chinese vocal education, however, as the Chinese take painstaking care to cultivate traditional singing forms, which are marked by the extraordinary diversity and character of the country’s numerous ethnic groups. In spite of the challenges involved in adopting and understanding Western musical styles, bel canto instruction has seen dynamic development in China, indicating a fascination with both its techniques and aesthetics. An ever-increasing number of highly trained Chinese singers appear on the stages all over the world. It is common for these artists to refine their skills by studying in Europe and the United States, and the most outstanding of them often return to China in order to pass their knowledge and experience on to next generations.

    The present article attempts to provide a synthetic description of the structure of vocal education in China, which is widely associated with a “Western” singing technique and the operatic repertoire collectively referred to as bel canto. The article outlines the characteristics of education at selected Chinese institutions with regard to aspects such as the methods and curriculum of teaching bel canto singing, the number of instructional hours, the main teaching objectives and the principles for verifying students’ results. In addition, it contains information on the sheet music collections and textbooks used in vocal training, as well as notable singing instructors.

    Keywords:

    vocal training, vocal studies, Chinese universities, bel canto, curricula

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    Citation rules

    Lin, B. (2024). The Structure of Education in European Bel Canto Vocal Art in Contemporary China. Edukacja Muzyczna (Musical Education) , 19, 137–185. https://doi.org/10.16926/em.2024.19.07

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