He won the coveted Cardiff Singer of the World Competition in 2007 - the event that prompted Shenyang to combine his name after receiving much attention from Western media - and he made his debut with the Metropolitan Opera in 2009, where he starred as Masetto in “Don Giovanni.” Shenyang moved to New York to train at the Metropolitan Opera, while taking courses at the prestigious Juilliard School. “This was like an admission ticket to get involved in Western opera,” said Shenyang. Floored by his talent and booming voice, Fleming arranged for Shenyang to receive vocal coaching at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, effectively opening doors for Shenyang to step onto the global stage. He attended the Shanghai Conservatory of Music a few years later, where he took a class from renowned soprano singer Renée Fleming. ”Īt 16, Shenyang’s voice changed into the deep, velvet tone that he is known for today, prompting him to pursue opera as a profession. I’ve always been drawn to music and have believed that I was born for. “Most kids in China are forced to learn something practical, and there’s no real appreciation of art. “This was normal to me - hearing and having opera in my life,” said Shenyang. Growing up in Tianjin, China, Shenyang lived in a household where Michael Jackson and opera shared equal presence. Shenyang’s parents were also professional musicians and met at a music conservatory in China. In recent years, he has become one of the most talked-about young singers in opera.
The one-word ‘diva’ name might be appropriate for Shenyang. Now, his name sounds like a famous pop singer’s, he said jokingly. “It doesn’t sound great when I hear it.” Given Western media’s practice of listing a subject’s name first to last, Shenyang combined his two names to avoid confusion. “My full name, pronounced from first to last (Yang Shen), sounds like a ‘goat’s kidney’ in Chinese,” said Shenyang. To Shenyang, a Chinese bass-baritone singer, his name represents a bridge between the opera performer’s Chinese roots and his international reputation. Nuccia Focile (Susanna) and Shenyang (Figaro) during a staging rehearsal for Seattle Opera’s upcoming production of “The Marriage of Figaro” (Photo by Philip Newton)
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