Cantonese Opera Performance by Hong Kong Young Talents in Bay Area

With support from the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in San Francisco (HKETO San Francisco), five young Cantonese opera singers from Hong Kong were featured in the Cantonese Opera Festival held between March 15 and 17 in San Francisco.

Jointly organized by Sing Tao Newspapers San Francisco, HKETO San Francisco, Chinese Artist Association (BarWo) of Guangdong and US West Coast and Chinese Herb Trade Association of America, the three-day festival was welcomed by a full house of audience at the historical Great Star Theater in Chinatown.

Before the commencement of the first performance, San Francisco Mayor London Breed presented Certificates of Honor to the organizers and artists from Hong Kong and Guangzhou. The Director of the HKETO San Francisco, Ms Jacko Tsang delivered a speech. She said the office is dedicated to foster cultural exchange and appreciated the great opportunity for young Hong Kong talents to perform in the US. She also spoke on the efforts of the Hong Kong government in supporting the development of Cantonese opera in the city.

“Cantonese opera is an important part of Hong Kong’s culture and heritage. It has been inscribed onto the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Various funding schemes and sponsorships, such as the ‘Cantonese Opera Development Fund’, are in place to promote this performing art and nurture young talents,” she said. She also pointed out that in Hong Kong’s latest Budget, the government had earmarked US$10 million to set up the Chinese Culture Promotion Office to promote Chinese culture.

Jackie Leung, Liang Zhenwen, Chow Lok-tung, Kim Lun and Chen Jingru were the five Cantonese opera singers from Hong Kong. Their performance was applauded by seasoned artists as well as the audience. During their US visit, they participated in a live radio show and received media interviews sharing their experience of studying the traditional art form in Hong Kong. Some of them also visited a nursing home where they gave a brief performance to the elderly.